Imitation of Life (1959 film)
| Imitation of Life | |
|---|---|
Film poster by Reynold Brown
|
|
| Directed by | Douglas Sirk |
| Produced by | Ross Hunter |
| Screenplay by |
Eleanore Griffin Allan Scott |
| Based on |
Imitation of Life 1933 novel by Fannie Hurst |
| Starring |
Lana Turner Juanita Moore John Gavin Sandra Dee Susan Kohner |
| Music by |
Frank Skinner Sammy Fain Henry Mancini |
| Cinematography | Russell Metty |
| Edited by | Milton Carruth |
|
Production
company |
Universal Pictures
|
| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
|
Release date
|
|
|
Running time
|
125 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $2 million |
| Box office | $6.4 million (est. US/ Canada rentals) |
Imitation of Life is a 1959 American romantic drama film directed by Douglas Sirk, produced by Ross Hunter and released by Universal International, starring Lana Turner and John Gavin. It was Sirk's final Hollywood film and dealt with issues of race, class and gender.
The cast also features Sandra Dee, Dan O'Herlihy, Susan Kohner, Robert Alda and Juanita Moore as Annie Johnson. Kohner and Moore received Academy Award nominations for their performances. Gospel music star Mahalia Jackson appears as a church choir soloist.
Imitation of Life is the second film adaptation of Fannie Hurst's novel of the same name; the first was released in 1934 and starred Claudette Colbert. In 2015, the United States Library of Congress selected Imitation of Life for preservation in the National Film Registry, finding it "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" just like the original 1934 film.
In 1947, widow Lora Meredith (Lana Turner) dreams of becoming a famous Broadway actress. Losing track of her young daughter Susie at the beach (portrayed as a child by Terry Burnham), she asks a stranger named Steve Archer (John Gavin) to help her find the girl. Susie is found and looked after by Annie Johnson (Juanita Moore), a black single mother who also has a daughter, Sarah Jane (portrayed as a child by Karin Dicker), who is about Susie's age. Sarah Jane inherited her father's fair skin and can pass for white. She does this with fierce zeal and fervor, taking advantage of her European heritage and features. In return for Annie's kindness, Lora temporarily takes in Annie and her daughter. Annie persuades Lora to let her stay and look after the household, so that the widow can pursue an acting career.
...
Wikipedia