Imitation of Life (1959)

Imitation of Life
Directed by Douglas Sirk
Written by Eleanore Griffin and Allan Scott from a novel by Fannie Hurst
1959/USA
Universal International Pictures
First viewing/Netflix rental

[box] Sarah Jane: I’m someone else. I’m white… white… WHITE![/box]

For 50’s Technicolor eye-candy and glamor, this can’t be beat.  For substance, I’ll take the 1934 version.

Lora Meredith (Lana Turner) is a single-mother and struggling aspiring actress.  One day at the beach she loses track of her young daughter, Susie.  She is found playing with another little girl, Sarah Jane, under the boardwalk.  Lora and Sarah Jane’s mother, Annie (Juanita Moore) strike up a conversation.  Annie, also a single mother, is in desperate straights. Lora offers her what she has – food and a place to stay for mother and daughter.  In turn, she has a life-long friend and servant in Annie.  The day at the beach will be significant for Lora in another way.  She meets aspiring photographer Steve Archer (John Gavin).  He will be a constant in her life for years to come.

Lora’s ambition proves to be all-consuming and soon she is headed straight to the top. Her career takes precedence over her daughter, who grows up to be Sandra Dee, and romance.  Sarah Jane, who grows up to be Susan Kohner, enjoys the privilege she experiences in Lora’s household.  She finds she easily passes as white.  Annie is clearly black and repeatedly blows Sarah Jane’s cover, causing a rift and heartbreak for poor Annie.

Producer Ross Hunter and director Douglas Sirk pulled out all the stops in terms of lavish decor and stunning costumes and jewels for this film.  I was engrossed all the way though.

But I couldn’t help comparing the story to the 1934 version with Claudette Colbert and Louise Beavers.  In that film, Annie is more of a full partner in the household, having invented the pancake recipe that makes them all rich.  Sarah Jane is played by a light-skinned black actress and she wants a chance to utilize her intelligence rather than display her body.  The Lora-Susie-Steve triangle is also more nuanced and interesting.  If you have to choose only one of these films, I’d recommend the original.

Susan Kohner and Juanita Moore were nominated for Best Supporting Actress Oscars.

Trailer – color is pretty faded compared to DVD