This glamorized remake of the 1934 film Imitation of Life bears only a passing resemblance to its source, the best-selling novel by Fannie Hurst. Originally, the heroine was a widowed mother who kept the wolf from the door by setting up a successful pancake business with her black housemaid. In the remake, Lana Turner stars as a would-be actress who is raising her daughter on her own. She chances to meet another single mother at the beach: African-American Juanita Moore. Moore goes to work as Turner's housekeeper, bringing ...
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This glamorized remake of the 1934 film Imitation of Life bears only a passing resemblance to its source, the best-selling novel by Fannie Hurst. Originally, the heroine was a widowed mother who kept the wolf from the door by setting up a successful pancake business with her black housemaid. In the remake, Lana Turner stars as a would-be actress who is raising her daughter on her own. She chances to meet another single mother at the beach: African-American Juanita Moore. Moore goes to work as Turner's housekeeper, bringing her light-skinned daughter along. As Turner's stage career goes into high gear, Moore is saddled with the responsibility of raising both Turner's daughter and her own. Exposed to the advantages of the white world, Moore's grown-up daughter (Susan Kohner) passes for white, causing her mother a great deal of heartache. Meanwhile, Turner's grown daughter (Sandra Dee), neglected by her mother, seeks comfort in the arms of handsome photographer John Gavin. When Moore dies, her daughter realizes how selfish she's been; simultaneously, Turner awakens to the fact that she hasn't been much of a mother for her own daughter, whose romance has gone down the tubes. Hal Erickson, Rovi
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Add this copy of Imitation of Life to cart. $6.28, new condition, Sold by GW Spokane Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Spokane, WA, UNITED STATES, published 2003.
This is one movie I enjoy seeing once a year to remind me of the way it was back in those 60s where conventions and appearances mattered most, but the movie is inspiring for those who want to break out of their mold. John Gavin is superbly typecast and Lana & Juanita are awesome. It should have been nominated for one award.
The Pageturner
Nov 2, 2008
Typical "Tragic Mulatto" Tale
As a viewer, I enjoyed the movie, and nearly cried. But as one who researches on Blackness in general, I didn't like it at. This movie was basically another "tragic mulatto" sterotype. I would only use the film as a comparison to literature written about Blacks that passed for white. I will give this film one point for showing that trying to be something that you are not can have dire consequences. Other than that, I am neutral.
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