Imitation of Life

IMDb RATING

7.8/10

19K

YOUR RATING

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99+ Photos

Drama

An aspiring white actress takes in an African American widow whose mixed-race daughter is desperate to be seen as white.An aspiring white actress takes in an African American widow whose mixed-race daughter is desperate to be seen as white.An aspiring white actress takes in an African American widow whose mixed-race daughter is desperate to be seen as white.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.8/10

19K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Nominated for 2 Oscars
- 3 wins & 6 nominations total

Trivia
This film, which focuses on the relationship struggles of mothers and daughters, was Lana Turner's first since a very public scandal involving Turner and her daughter Cheryl Crane. The previous year, the fourteen year old Crane had fatally stabbed Turner's boyfriend, Johnny Stompanato. Stompanato, part of Mickey Cohen's infamous gang, had been beating Turner, and the court ruled that Crane's actions were justifiable homicide. Nonetheless, the killing and subsequent scandal created a rift between Turner and her daughter, and seriously threatened to end Turner's film career. However, Turner channeled the pain from her experience into this film. It proved financially and critically successful, and served as a comeback vehicle for the actress.

Goofs
Susan Kohner's bedroom clock radio is unplugged throughout both its scenes, although she switches it on to music in the second scene.

Quotes
Annie: How do you tell a child that she was born to be hurt?

Crazy credits
Juanita Moore, who plays Annie, is billed with the credit "And Presenting Juanita Moore as Annie Johnson", even though she had already appeared in many films.

Connections
Featured in Behind the Mirror: A Profile of Douglas Sirk (1979)

Soundtracks
Imitation of Life
Words by Paul Francis Webster
Music by Sammy Fain
Sung by Earl Grant

User reviews188

Review

Featured review

A Real Tear Jerker

I have seen this movie a countless number of times and know the dialogue by heart. Each time I watch it, I say, "I'm not going to cry this time". Sometimes I almost make it, but then Mahalia Jackson starts to sing and I lose it. My children don't understand why Sarah Jane wanted to pass for white. I tried to explain to them that in that day and age, it was sometimes necessary. The beautiful Susan Kohner steals the film. It's a shame that she only made a handful of movies. To me the most heart-wrenching scene is where Annie visits Sarah Jane in her hotel room. She says' "I want to hold you my arms one more time. Just like you were my baby." I puddle up just writing about it.

In Lana Turner's biography, she writes about the making of this movie. It was made shortly after her daughter stabbed Lana's gangster boyfriend to death. She said that when you see her crying in the funeral scene, those tears were real. When Mahalia started to sing "Troubles of the World", all of her troubles started to come back to her and she got up and ran out of the church. They had to run after her and bring her back to complete the scene.