We have featured this very lovely young actress before – who was spotted dining out with her family in London – and then offered the role of Juliet opposite Laurence Harvey in the 1954 film version of Romeo And Juliet

Susan Shentall loved her time in Italy making the film – and she was apparently very good indeed, but she walked away from being a Film Star.

Susan Shentall left her parents in Derbyshire and made the trip out to Italy to star as Juliet in this major international Technicolor Film – an expensive film at that. She stayed about 40 miles from the filming location in a small hotel at Simione near Lake Garda and travelled to the set by car each day always being ready to go by 9 am.

She had spent most of her spare moments writing letters back to England and seeing that she had an interest in journalism as a career, she would be able to that do very well.

She talked little about money and did not know the salary she was being paid for the film – her contract was with the Rank Organisation and had been overseen and signed by her Father who himself was a successful business man.

However most of the cast and crew who saw her at work as Juliet had no doubts that she could pull this off – and she did.

Incredibly, after what she described in one article as ‘my wonderful year as Juliet’ she turned her back on the film world when she returned to England – got married to Philip Worthington – and raised a family but did not move far away from her childhood area in Derbyshire

Susan Shentall was born on May 21, 1934 in England. Sadly she died quite young on October 18, 1996 in Market Harborough, Leicestershire, England.

In an answer in 2007 to a Daily Mail article – Whatever happened to Susan Shentall her own daughter wrotw:

Her Daughter wrote in 2007 :    My mother, Susan Worthington née Shentall, was ‘discovered’ while dining with her parents at the Caprice restaurant in London when she was 18.

She had never harboured any acting aspirations and regarded being cast as Juliet as a bit of fun.

Despite the success of the film and the many offers she received afterwards (including the chance to replace Grace Kelly when the star had to relinquish her MGM contract on marrying Prince Rainier), Susan decided to embrace the life of a country housewife.

She married Philip Worthington and had three children.

Sadly, she died in 1996, aged 62, after a long illness.

As far as I’m aware, the most recent public screening of the film was after the opening of the wonderful Electric Picture Palace in Southwold, Suffolk, five years ago, attended by several members of her family.

Susan Shantell samples a local meal – and looks amused but also looks to be enjoying it.

Lining up a Shot in the warm Italian sunshine

Above: A lovely picture of Susan Shentall – the Director Renato Castellania adjusts her head wear

Above: Susan Shentall listens as  Director Renato Castellania explains what he wants. Mind you heard that he always spoke in French to Susan Shentall. T  hat might be why she looks so serious !

Mervyn Johns on the set – makes a point to Director Renato Castellania