Susan Odin was a promising young actress who appeared in several popular TV shows and movies in the 1950s and 1960s, such as Mission: Impossible, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., and The Eddie Cantor Story. She was born on January 5, 1942, in White Plains, New York, and married director Charles R. Rondeau in 1966. However, her life and career were cut short when she died on October 17, 1975, in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 33. What was the cause of her death? And why is there so little information about her online? In this article, we will explore the facts and mysteries surrounding Susan Odin’s cause of death.
A Successful Career in Hollywood
Susan Odin began her acting career as a child, appearing in radio serials such as One Man’s Family. She made her film debut in 1953, playing the young Ida in The Eddie Cantor Story, a biopic of the famous comedian and singer. She then appeared in several other films, such as A Summer Place, The Nutty Professor, and The Fastest Gun Alive. She also guest-starred in many TV shows, such as Father Knows Best, Cavalcade of America, Four Star Playhouse, and The Wild Wild West.
She was best known for her roles in two spy-themed TV series: Mission: Impossible and The Man from U.N.C.L.E. In Mission: Impossible, she played Grace, a member of the Impossible Missions Force who helped the team infiltrate a prison camp in East Germany. In The Man from U.N.C.L.E., she played Melissa Hargrove, a young woman who was kidnapped by THRUSH agents and brainwashed to assassinate Napoleon Solo. Both roles showcased her talent and versatility as an actress.
A Mysterious Death at 33
Susan Odin’s last acting credit was in 1973, when she played a waitress in an episode of The Little People, a sitcom about two doctors working at a Hawaiian clinic. After that, she seemed to disappear from the public eye. According to IMDb1, she died on October 17, 1975, in Los Angeles, California. However, the cause of her death is not specified on the website.
There are very few sources that mention Susan Odin’s cause of death online. One of them is a blog post by George R.R. Martin2, the author of A Song of Ice and Fire and a friend of Harlan Ellison, a famous science fiction writer and Susan Odin’s neighbor. Martin wrote that Susan Odin died in the house she had shared with Harlan Ellison for many years, sometimes known as Ellison Wonderland or the Lost Aztec Temple of Mars. He also wrote that no one seemed quite certain of the cause of her death.
Another source is a book by Nat Segaloff, a biographer of Harlan Ellison. In his book A Lit Fuse: The Provocative Life of Harlan Ellison, Segaloff wrote that Susan Odin died of an overdose of sleeping pills. He also wrote that Harlan Ellison found her body in his house and called the police. Segaloff claimed that he had access to Harlan Ellison’s personal papers and interviews for his book.
However, neither Martin nor Segaloff provided any evidence or details to support their claims. They did not mention where they got their information from or how they verified it. They also did not explain why Susan Odin would take sleeping pills or how many she took. Moreover, they did not address why there was no official record or obituary of Susan Odin’s death.
A Possible Explanation
One possible explanation for the lack of information about Susan Odin’s cause of death is that it was covered up by someone who wanted to protect her privacy or reputation. Perhaps Susan Odin had some personal or professional problems that led her to take her own life or accidentally overdose on sleeping pills. Perhaps Harlan Ellison or Charles R. Rondeau or someone else close to her wanted to spare her family and fans from the pain and scandal of knowing the truth.
Another possible explanation is that Susan Odin’s cause of death was simply forgotten or ignored by the media and the public. Perhaps Susan Odin was not famous enough to warrant much attention or sympathy from the press or the audience. Perhaps her death was overshadowed by other events or celebrities at the time. Perhaps her death was not considered newsworthy or relevant enough to be reported or remembered.
Whatever the case may be, Susan Odin’s cause of death remains a mystery to this day. She was a talented and beautiful actress who left behind a legacy of memorable performances and roles. She deserves to be recognized and honored for her contributions to Hollywood and entertainment. She also deserves to have her story told and her mystery solved.
