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Susan Kohner

Susan Kohner

Actor · Born November 11, 1936 (89) · Los Angeles, California, USA

Susanna "Susan" Kohner (born November 11, 1936) is an American former actress. She is best known for her role as Sarah Jane in Douglas Sirk's drama Imitation of Life (1959), which earned her a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Kohner has also starred in the films The Gene Krupa Story (1959), for which she won a Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer – Female, All the Fine Young Cannibals (1960), By Love Possessed (1961), and Freud (1962). Kohner retired from acting in 1964, after marrying menswear designer John Weitz, with whom she had two sons, filmmakers Paul and Chris Weitz.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
November 11, 1936 (89)
From
Los Angeles, California, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
11 on MovieCove · 24 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 39 days to Oct 28Down 2% in 30 days

What are Susan Kohner's films like?

Across their 8 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Society and Morality.

Themes

share of theme weight
Society
25%
Morality
19%
Bonds
18%
Self
18%
Survival
13%
Power
4%
Ideas
3%
Family bonds2 titles, browse their movies with this themePrejudice2 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 8 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Dark: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their dark movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 0 · Serious 4 · Dark 4

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 3 · Stylized 4 · Heightened 1

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 1 · Charged 5 · Intense 2

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 3 · Shifting 5 · Whiplash 0

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 8 · Some laughs 0 · Funny 0

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 5 · Even-paced 2 · Relentless 1

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

A split, not a type: Casual 4 · Engaged 3 · Full focus 1

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 5 · Open-ended 3 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

4 analyzed roles
Shadow
1 of 4
Trickster
1 of 4
Herald
1 of 4
Ally
1 of 4

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
5
Melancholic
4
Contemplative
4
Hopeful
3
Bittersweet
1
Other
5

How their films linger

Thought-provoking4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Bittersweet8

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Susan Kohner's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 5 of their 11 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Susan Kohner's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

24 credits, 11 with a MovieCove page; 2 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Channing (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Show 1 episode · as Rena Covic

  • Freud(1962)

    as Martha Freud

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Going My Way (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Nurses (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Show 1 episode · as Terry Collins

  • The Dick Powell Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Show 1 episode · as Miriam Marks

  • By Love Possessed(1961)

    as Helen Detweiler

    Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all films

  • Route 66(1960)

    Show 2 episodes · Actor

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all shows

  • Checkmate (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Show 1 episode · as Victoria Angelo

  • All the Fine Young Cannibals(1960)

    as Catherine McDowall

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • In the Presence of Mine Enemies (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    as Rachel Heller

  • The Gene Krupa Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    as Ethel Maguire

  • The Big Fisherman(1959)

    as Fara

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • Imitation of Life(1959)

    as Sarah Jane (18)

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Rawhide (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Show 1 episode · as Abbie Bartlett

  • Dino (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    as Shirley

  • Trooper Hook(1957)

    as Consuela

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • The Last Wagon(1956)

    as Jolie Normand

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Matinee Theater (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Show 2 episodes · Actor

  • Alfred Hitchcock Presents(1955)

    Show 1 episode · as Therese

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • To Hell and Back(1955)

    as Maria

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Climax! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Show 1 episode · as (segment "Child of the Wind")

  • Cavalcade of America (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Four Star Playhouse(1952)

    Show 1 episode · as Anita

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all shows

  • Schlitz Playhouse of Stars (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Show 1 episode · as Angela O'Neill · as Lynn Howell

Career shape

Star power in the 81st percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 24 titles from 1951 to 1963.

Biggest box office

Freud (1962)

$6.4K worldwide

Highest rated

Imitation of Life (1959)

Midcredits 97th

Film career

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting24 of 24: 24 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score73rd

By decade

1950s14 · acting1960s10 · acting

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Susan Kohner's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 71st percentile, the median of all 8; across their 8 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 68th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

68thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 8

Approval · how many liked their films

72ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 8

Reach · how many have seen their films

45thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 8

Midcredits score across 11 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up5
  • 50th to 74th3
  • 25th to 49th1
  • Below 25th2

Shape of the crowd

5 of their 11 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved3
  • Crowd Pleaser5
  • Mixed3

Most divisive · actor

The Big Fisherman (1959)

59th percentile spread · 26% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Imitation of Life (1959)

Midcredits 97th · 85% liked

Reviewers score the acting 66/100 in their films, across 7 reviewed titles; fans 73, detractors 34. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Susan Kohner work with?

People who share at least 2 of Susan Kohner's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Juanita Moore shares the most, 2.

Actors

Cinematographers