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Imitation of Life (1959) More at IMDbPro »
2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2005 | 2002
8 items from 2012
5 Things You May Not Know About Douglas Sirk's 'Imitation Of Life,' 53 Years Since Since It Was First Released
17 April 2012 7:02 AM, PDT | The Playlist | See recent The Playlist news »
The Oscar-winning success of last year's "The Help" was a throwback in many ways, principally to the socially-conscious melodramas of Stanley Kramer, like "Guess Who's Coming To Dinner." Another comparison point that came up frequently in reviews of Tate Taylor's film was "Imitation Of Life," the 1959 film by director Douglas Sirk, but it's scarcely fair: over fifty years on, Sirk's picture stands head and shoulders above virtually every other melodrama.
The story follows widow and aspiring actress Lora (Lana Turner), whose daughter Susie goes missing at the beach, and is found by an African-American divorcee, Annie Johnson (Juanita Moore), there with her own light-skinned daughter, Sarah Jane. The two become friends, Lora taking Annie in as a housekeeper, and Annie's care helping Lora achieve her dream of becoming a Broadway star. Eleven years later, however, their children have grown up, and Susie (Sandra Dee) develops a crush on her mother's boyfriend Steve, »
- Oliver Lyttelton
Penelope Andrew: TCM Fest 2012:Liza Minnelli, Kim Novak, Robert Wagner, Debbie Reynolds Walk Red Carpet
12 April 2012 1:15 PM, PDT | Aol TV. | See recent Aol TV. news »
The Fountainhead with Patricia Neal and Gary Cooper Photo: Courtesy of TCM
Liza Minnelli, Kim Novak, Robert Wagner, Tippi Hedren and Debbie Reynolds in person. Black Narcissus, Vertigo, Cabaret, and The Fountainhead projected on gigantic screens at Grauman's Chinese and Egyptian Theatres. Could any classic film fan wish for more? You could. And, at this year's annual TCM Classic Film Festival, which takes place from April 12th through the 15th, you'd get more: Kirk Douglas, Stanley Donen, Angie Dickenson, Norman Lloyd, Rhonda Fleming, and Norman Jewison appearing at special events and screenings of Two for the Road, Chinatown, Casablanca, The Longest Day, and The Thomas Crown Affair. But before going on about this year's festival, a look back is essential.
Chinatown's Faye Dunaway and Jack NicholsonPhoto: Courtesy of TCM
TCM 2010 & 2011
TCM's 2010 festival featured an opening night restoration of George Cukor's A Star Is Born (1954) starring Judy Garland and »
- Penelope Andrew
St. Louis Black Film Festival Continues This Week with Imitation Of Life and Cooley High
13 February 2012 7:56 PM, PST | WeAreMovieGeeks.com | See recent WeAreMovieGeeks.com news »
The folks behind the St. Louis Black Film Festival Presents a Classic Black Film Double Feature for Black History Month at Landmark’s Tivoli Theater (6350 Delmar in St. Louis’ Loop) each Thursday in February. Last year the St. Louis Black Film Festival presented a series of new films by black filmmakers, but this year are going back into the vaults and digging out some vintage cinema for audiences with an interest in black history to enjoy on the big screen.
The offerings for this Thursday, February 16th are Imitation Of Life (1959), at 5pm and Cooley High at 7pm.
Get out your handkerchiefs for Imitation Of Life (1959), the second filming of the Fannie Hurst book previously filmed in 1934. It’s a gloss-heavy production which takes actress Lana Turner from penniless single mom to lavishly-coiffed and gowned movie star. Sandra Dee plays her bitter, neglected daughter and John Gavin is Lana’s eternal best friend. »
- Tom Stockman
St. Louis Black Film Festival Continues This Week with Carmen Jones and Car Wash
6 February 2012 8:39 PM, PST | WeAreMovieGeeks.com | See recent WeAreMovieGeeks.com news »
The folks behind the St. Louis Black Film Festival Presents a Classic Black Film Festival for Black History Month at Landmark’s Tivoli Theater (6350 Delmar in St. Louis’ Loop) each Thursday in February. Last year the St. Louis Black Film Festival presented a series of new films by black filmmakers, but this year are going back into the vaults and digging out some vintage cinema for audiences with an interest in black history to enjoy on the big screen.
This offerings for this Thursday, February 9th are Carmen Jones at 5pm and Car Wash at 7pm.
Carmen Jones (1954) was produced and directed by Otto Preminger from Oscar Hammerstein’s update of the Bizet opera. It stars Dorothy Dandridge as the title character, a free-spirited, free-loving parachute factory worker whose romantic entanglement with conflicted Joe(Harry Belafonte), who’s engaged to sweet Cindy Lou and about to go into pilot training for the Korean War, »
- Tom Stockman
Zalman King: Sex Thrillers Two Moon Junction, Wild Orchid
3 February 2012 4:09 PM, PST | Alt Film Guide | See recent Alt Film Guide news »
Sherilyn Fenn, Richard Tyson, Two Moon Junction Zalman King Dies Pt.1: Mickey Rourke-Kim Basinger Sex Drama Nine 1/2 Weeks Though much of the media coverage on the film focused on the Sherilyn Fenn-Richard Tyson sex scenes and a full-frontal nude shot of Fenn, the most interesting aspect of Two Moon Junction was its highly eclectic cast, which included Oscar winners Louise Fletcher (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest) and Burl Ives (The Big Country), Oscar nominee Juanita Moore (Imitation of Life), plus Little Darlings' Kristy McNichol, The Diary of Anne Frank's Millie Perkins, Fantasy Island's Hervé Villechaize, Endless Love's Martin Hewitt, TV star Don Galloway, and Milla Jovovich of the future Resident Alien movies. But despite the cast and the sex, Two Moon Junction bombed domestically, earning a paltry $1.54 million. Compared to Two Moon Junction, the $7 million-budgeted Wild Orchid (1990) was a megahit. »
- Andre Soares
Vintage Black Cinema at the St. Louis Black Film Festival
2 February 2012 7:16 AM, PST | WeAreMovieGeeks.com | See recent WeAreMovieGeeks.com news »
What better way to celebrate Black History Month than takein some vintage films about the black experience?
The folks behind the St. Louis Black Film Festival Presents a Classic Black Film Festival for Black History Month at Landmark’s Tivoli Theater (6350 Delmar in St. Louis. Loop) each Thursday in February. Last year the St. Louis Black Film Festival presented a series of new films by black filmmakers, but this year are going back into the vaults and digging out some vintage cinema for audiences with an interest in black history to enjoy on the big screen.
The event kicks off tonight, February 2nd, at the Tivoli Theater at 5pm with the 1943 classic Stormy Weather, about the relationship between an aspiring dancer (Bill ‘Bojangles’ Robinson) and a popular songstress (Lena Horne). Robinson was the world’s preeminent tap dancer of his day, and is remembered for his appearances with Shirley Temple »
- Tom Stockman
Happy 102nd Luise Rainer! Celebrate The Oldest Living Oscar Nominees!
11 January 2012 9:01 PM, PST | FilmExperience | See recent FilmExperience news »
The double Oscar winner (The Great Ziegfeld and The Good Earth) turns 102 today! She's the oldest living Oscar nominee or winner! Her most recent appearance was just four short months ago when she showed up for her star ceremony in Berlin. They now have a "Boulevard des Stars" much like Hollywood's walk of fame and as the only German Best Actress winner (Hollywood and the media who nicknamed her "The Viennese Teardrop" promoted her as Austrian for obvious reasons in the 1930s), she was a natural for inclusion.
happy birthday to you
happy birthday dear Luise,
happy birthday to you
.......and many more ♫
Odets and Rainer in Hollywood. Odets also romanced actress Frances Farmer (as seen in the Jessica Lange picture "Frances")Luise is on record as saying that she doesn't believe in the Oscar curse and her short-lived Hollywood career was her own doing.
"The Oscar jinx! There is no Oscar jinx. »
- NATHANIEL R
DGA Awards vs. Academy Awards: Odd Men Out Jack Clayton, David Lean, Stanley Donen
9 January 2012 7:15 PM, PST | Alt Film Guide | See recent Alt Film Guide news »
Katharine Hepburn, Rossano Brazzi in Oscar nominee (but not DGA nominee) David Lean's Summertime DGA Awards vs. Academy Awards 1948-1952: Odd Men Out George Cukor, John Huston, Vincente Minnelli 1953 DGA (12) Melvin Frank and Norman Panama, Above and Beyond Walter Lang, Call Me Madam Daniel Mann, Come Back, Little Sheba Joseph L. Mankiewicz, Julius Caesar Henry Koster, The Robe Jean Negulesco, Titanic George Sidney, Young Bess DGA/AMPAS George Stevens, Shane Charles Walters, Lili Billy Wilder, Stalag 17 William Wyler, Roman Holiday Fred Zinnemann, From Here to Eternity 1954 DGA (16) Edward Dmytryk, The Caine Mutiny Alfred Hitchcock, Dial M for Murder Robert Wise, Executive Suite Anthony Mann, The Glenn Miller Story Samuel Fuller, Hell and High Water Henry King, King of Khyber Rifles Melvin Frank and Norman Panama, Knock on Wood Don Siegel, Riot in Cell Block 11 Stanley Donen, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers George Cukor, A Star Is Born Jean Negulesco, »
- Andre Soares
2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2005 | 2002
8 items from 2012
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