Who doesn't love Susan Melody George? She looms large in our appeal as an underrated actress as well as most of my buddy's adolescent fantasies. Her grassroots sexuality and the genuineness of her performances with a magnetic camera appeal produced some unforgettable performances. Having acted since the age of four, Susan matured in front of us, notably in the space of 5-year span in the 70s via key films establishing her as a highly memorable star. In the process a loyal fan following evolved.

At 16-years old she would have a very brief part in 1967's atmospheric horror The Sorcerers. It was hard not to develop a protective feeling over her characterizations in, the lesser seen, Twinky (a.k.a. Lola) from 1969 with Charles Bronson. It centered on the romance of a 38-year-old pornographic novel author who falls in love with a sixteen-year-old school girl. Susan was bright, vivacious and comely in the title role as a blossoming woman vacillating through infatuation and multiple levels of maturity. In 1970's Brit-thriller Eyewitness (1970, aka Suddenly) she played older sister, Pippa, to 12-year old Mark Lester's Ziggy. Her character had both maternal-like concern and more of the budding 'jail-bait' sensuality that she would export for the handful of the films that would immediately follow. The same year had her as a stubborn daughter to James Mason in the excellent Spring and Port Wine. She played the eldest of four children in the Bolton-based drama - and again we see her character appropriately maturing by desiring independence. Her most unforgettable role came a year later in Sam Peckinpah's Straw Dogs playing Amy Sumner, the young wife of David, an American mathematician, portrayed by Dustin Hoffmann. Her complex character suffers through dissatisfaction with the return to her small British village resulting in attention-getting pranks and provocative teasing towards her previous boyfriend and his co-workers. In an unforgettably shocking scene, Amy is horribly raped. The distance from her husband forces her to deal with it internally resulting in some of the most impactful acting of her career. This would be the first of four characters she portrayed who suffered or who engaged in some form of sexual assault or perceived deviant behavior. Three times she was the victim and once a perpetrator. In 1971's Fright, as a terrified babysitter, she was molested. In 1982's The House Where Evil Dwells while possessed by a ghost and in 1975's much publicized Mandingo, her character threatens well-endowed black slave Mede (Ken Norton) that she will accuse him of rape if he does not have sexual relations with her. Producers realized the box-office potential of 'forbidden love' coupled with Susan's abundant sexuality. 

Despite a bit part in 1968's Up the Junction!, about life in London's swinging sixties, I don't think Susan embodied any of the 60's 'free love' spirit despite her awkward go-go dancing in Pete Walker's 1971 thriller Die Screaming, Marianne or as Peter Fonda's 'one-night-stand', his unbridled, co-lead in Dirty Mary Crazy Larry. Staying within the 'damsel-in-distress horror' sub-genre, Susan starred in Fright (1971) as babysitter Amanda, once again showcasing the duality of maternal instincts and obviously inherent nubile charm. This expression of fine vérité-imbued acting skill and abundant earthy eroticism seemed to conflict with serious film offers. Unfortunately, the latter having more prominence as time rolled on. Oddball choices surfaced in Susan's career with a 1973 musical version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde starring Kirk Douglas, 1981's martial-arts actioner Enter the Ninja and also in that year she played an evil maid in the uneven horror Venom, about a deadly snake and child-kidnapping. At 31, in that film, Susan continued her erotic appeal looking attractive in black lingerie and giving another effective performance in a, relatively, minor role. Starring with Michael Caine and Laurence Olivier in the rarely seen The Jigsaw Man (1983) couldn't produce the critically desired support she deserved. Again with Michael Caine that same year was the highly-lauded television 2-part movie Jack the Ripper with her playing the minor role of real-life prostitute Catherine Eddowes, who was the fourth of the canonical five officially linked victims of the unidentified serial killer known as 'Jack the Ripper'.

Susan George continues to work - with appearances in television, but the period from 1970-1975 would never be equaled, with her healthy expressive green eyes, confidence in her own body and unfettered, occasionally pouty, sexuality. With her natural 'British' teeth and unaffected, authentic, demeanor she would contrast the blemish-free plastic 'Barbie doll' expressions that were gaining further traction in Hollywood cinema. No thanks. We'll take Susan six days week and twice on Sunday.

Always positive, 69-year old Susan George continues to communicate with her fans through Twitter and breeds Arabian horses on a stud farm in Minehead, Somerset, UK. Yes, she still looks beautiful and her fans will always appreciate her body of work.