For a short time during the mid-1960s, it may have appeared as if Susan Denberg was
going to be the next big thing.
In 1966, the actress broke out onto the scene with her first film role and also posed for
Playboy.
The following year, she could be seen alongside Peter Cushing in the sexy B movie Frankenstein
Created Woman.
Oddly, Susan’s role in the latter film has been her last bit of acting work to this day,
with the actress choosing to turn her back on the entertainment industry soon after.
Join Facts Verse as we explain why Susan Denberg changed her name and never acted again.
Susan Denberg’s Early Life Susan Denberg was born in Bad Polzin, Germany,
on August 2, 1944.
At the time of the future actress’s birth, she was known as Dietlinde Zechner.
Not long after making a name for herself in the entertainment industry under the stage
name of Susan Denberg, the star would go back to being called by her birth name and then
never act again.
Though Susan was born in Germany, it was in nearby Austria that she spent her formative
childhood years.
Following her short stint in the entertainment industry, Susan returned to Austria and still
allegedly lives there today.
Not all that much is known about Susan Denberg’s early childhood, but what is known is that
she took up work as a chorus girl in London around the time of her coming of age.
Susan’s success as a chorus girl in London gave her the courage to venture overseas to
America, where she found similar work in the city of Las Vegas.
Though Susan first ended up in Las Vegas upon her arrival to America, it was Hollywood that
the future actress had her sights on.
After working for a period of time as a chorus girl in Las Vegas, Susan Denberg wound up
making the move to Los Angeles sometime in the mid-1960s.
Not long after her arrival, the young woman started making some notable waves.
The first small bit of attention that the burgeoning star acquired came via a small
role that she was given on a television series named 12 O’Clock High, which aired on the
ABC network.
The show was a war drama, and Susan was cast in the role of a young German woman.
Of course, the role fit the young German woman perfectly!
Susan’s Time in Hollywood Following Susan’s appearance in the war
drama 12 O’Clock High, she could be seen in another television series by the name of
The Wackiest Ship in the Army the very same year.
As a matter of fact, all but one of Susan Denberg’s acting credits have come from
the year 1966.
The only acting credit of Susan’s that hasn’t come from the year 1966 would be the former
actress’s most iconic role, with that being her decidedly sexy turn in the 1967 B movie
Frankenstein Created Woman.
Susan’s role in Frankenstein Created Woman is one of only two film roles that the actress
has under her belt to this day, with the other being her feature-film debut in the 1966 thriller
An American Dream, which also starred Janet Leigh of Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho.
In between Susan Denberg’s two film roles, the actress appeared in a 1966 episode of
Star Trek.
While Susan’s appearance in Frankenstein Created Woman is undeniably her most iconic
film work, it’s arguable that her role in that 1966 episode of Star Trek is her most
iconic work on the screen overall.
Susan’s appearance in Star Trek came via the episode “Mudd’s Women”, and the
actress played the character of Magda.
The actress has never taken another acting role on television again following her appearance
on the program, and her only subsequent acting work since has been her aforementioned work
in Frankenstein Created Woman.
Throughout her miniscule acting career, Susan only had five acting credits.
Though the actress is still alive, it's unlikely that she'll ever return to the screen.
It’s notable that the very first film that Susan ever appeared in also featured Star
Trek actor George Takei.
Warner Bros. Pictures apparently took their prospects with Susan very seriously around
the time that she was making her film debut via the aforementioned 1966 feature An American
Dream.
The studio started up a contest with a $500 reward for whoever could come up with the
best new stage name for Susan Denberg.
Of course, many audience members didn’t realize that Susan Denberg was, itself, a
stage name.
For whatever reason, no winner ended up being picked in the contest, and Susan never got
a new stage name.
In addition, not much came of the actress's career in the entertainment industry afterward.
An American Dream remains the only movie that the actress has ever filmed with Warner Bros.
Pictures.
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Susan Is Best Known for Two Cult-Classic Roles One might look at Susan Denberg's minuscule
five film credits and wonder why the actress is even thought of today at all.
In addition to the fact that Susan appeared in such cult-classic works as Star Trek and
Frankenstein Created Woman, there’s also the fact of the matter that Susan garnered
quite a significant amount of fame around the same time thanks to her appearance in
Playboy magazine.
The very same year that Susan broke out onto the Hollywood scene, she appeared in the publication
as the designated Playmate of the Month of its August issue.
Susan’s profile in the magazine made it very clear that she had aspirations of becoming
a big-name Hollywood star.
Following Susan’s appearance in Playboy, the actress very nearly garnered the title
of Playmate of the Year.
However, the title ended up going to somebody else.
It was Susan’s appearance in Playboy that brought her to the attention of the studio
that would go on to create Frankenstein Created Woman.
That studio would be the iconic Hammer Film Productions, which is a British production
company known for its B movies.
The studio was particularly famous around the time that Susan made her appearance in
the film.
Given that Susan caught the attention of the film’s producers via her appearance in Playboy,
it should come as no surprise that Frankenstein Created Woman ended up taking full advantage
of having her amongst its cast.
The film cast Susan alongside legendary B-movie actor Peter Cushing, who is perhaps best known
to mainstream audiences for his work in 1977’s Star Wars.
However, it’s undeniable that horror-movie fans know Peter best for his numerous roles
in films for Hammer Film Productions.
As far as the Hammer Film Productions oeuvre goes, Frankenstein Created Woman is neither
Peter’s most notable film with the studio nor even the most notable film where he played
the titular Dr. Frankenstein.
Peter also memorably portrayed the character of Professor Van Helsing in one of the studio’s
most popular films, with that being The Satanic Rites of Dracula.
Another notable role that Peter could be seen performing in over the course of his career
was that of the titular character of Sherlock Holmes in the classic 1960s BBC television
series.
While Peter Cushing’s role in Frankenstein Created Woman is far from being the beloved
character actor’s most esteemed film work, the same can’t be said for the hero of this
video.
Susan’s role as the character of Christina in the film undeniably remains her most esteemed
film work, and the actress ended up stealing the show in more ways than one.
Not only did the actress provide plentiful amounts of eye candy both on the screen and
for the film’s promotional campaign, but fans of Hammer Film Productions’ films like
to say that she showed off some impressive dramatic chops in the picture, as well.
Though the film took ample advantage of the actress’s looks, the cult-classic B-movie
also gave the star some significant meat to chew on dramatically.
Why Did Susan Decide to Leave the Entertainment Industry?
Susan Denberg’s role in Frankenstein Created Woman was only her fifth acting credit, and
it hitherto remains her last!
The actress decided to leave the entertainment industry behind soon afterward and return
to the country of Austria, where it appears that she is still living today!
Susan is currently 77 years old.
Upon retiring from acting, she started going once again by her birth name of Dietlinde
Zechner.
It’s not altogether clear why Susan Denberg decided to turn her back on acting, though
it’s not all that hard to piece together some pretty strong theories.
Throughout Susan's short career in the entertainment industry, the star didn't seem all that sure
about how to handle herself.
Once a small amount of fame came her way, her personal life got out of control pretty
fast.
It certainly didn't help that Susan was coming into the industry during the 1960s, when things
were arguably crazier than they had ever been.
Legend has it that Susan started using drugs pretty heavily while in Hollywood, and may
have had a nervous breakdown as a result of her heavy usage of the drug LSD.
Some credit Susan's usage of the drug with her ending up in a sanitarium for a short
period of time, where it was rumored that the actress was forced to undergo electroshock
therapy.
Susan’s illicit activities were publicized in the tabloids, and so was her retirement.
The press made it seem as if the actress had abandoned Hollywood purely as a result of
a mental breakdown, and fans were led to believe that the star might have been at death’s
door.
Many may be surprised to learn that Susan is still allegedly alive and well today, though
that’s probably the way that the former actress wants it!
Though Susan Denberg is still talked about today sporadically, the story of her short
career greatly eclipses the few roles that she performed in.
Now it’s time to hear from you: did you know that Susan Denberg only has five acting
credits to her name and that she allegedly had a mental breakdown during the 1960s from
using too much LSD?
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