IMDb RATING
7.2/10
3.5K
YOUR RATING
A light-skinned black woman falls in love with a white doctor, though he is unaware of her true race.A light-skinned black woman falls in love with a white doctor, though he is unaware of her true race.A light-skinned black woman falls in love with a white doctor, though he is unaware of her true race.
- Nominated for 3 Oscars
- 4 nominations total
Fred Aldrich
- Townsman
- (uncredited)
Shelby Bacon
- Boy
- (uncredited)
Betty Beard
- Minor Role
- (uncredited)
Rene Beard
- Teejore
- (uncredited)
Arthur Berkeley
- Townsman
- (uncredited)
Patsy Boniface
- Minor Role
- (uncredited)
Mildred Boyd
- Nurse
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaJohn Ford was the original director of the film but after seeing dailies, Darryl F. Zanuck felt Ford wasn't connecting with the material. Zanuck called Elia Kazan in New York and asked him to take over the film. Kazan felt he owed Zanuck for his film career and agreed to do the movie without even looking at the script. He flew to Los Angeles and started filming the next Monday.
- GoofsWhen the white officer slaps Rozelia on the left side of her face, she mistakenly rubs the right side of her face.
- Quotes
Pinky Johnson: I'm a Negro. I can't forget it, and I can't deny it. I can't pretend to be anything else, and I don't want to be anything else. Don't you see, Tom?
Dr. Thomas Adams: No, I don't.
Pinky Johnson: You can't live without pride.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Biography: Darryl F. Zanuck: 20th Century Filmmaker (1995)
Featured review
Well-mannered nurse Jeanne Crain (as Patricia "Pinky" Johnson) returns to her poor "Black" neighborhood, in Mississippi. There, she is welcomed by washerwoman grandmother Ethel Waters (as Granny). The pair are confronted by racism both outside and inside their home. Most importantly, it is revealed that Ms. Crain has been "passing" as "White". Moreover, Crain has become engaged to Caucasian doctor William Lundigan (as Thomas Adams). While working at home, to support Crain's nursing education, Ms. Waters has grown close to ailing Ethel Barrymore (as Miss Em). At first, Crain does not understand or accept the friendship between Waters, a former slave, and Ms. Barrymore, a former plantation owner. But, for her grandmother, Crain agrees to become Barrymore's nurse.
"Pinky" is a nerve-rattling classic.
Probably, the most obvious "debate" point was the casting of Crain in the title role. Crain was definitely "pink" enough (or, white-looking); but, her general "movie star" persona makes the casting decision seem risky. Yet, Crain, under Elia Kazan's direction, triumphs. There are so many ways Crain could have fallen into acting traps - she could have used mannerisms, make-up, and/or other stereotypical devices to "camp" up the "Black" - but, she avoids each trap. Crain performs the role with a great amount of dignity. She was deservedly honored with an "Academy Award" nomination.
Barrymore and Waters also perform well (as you might expect).
We are never, in the film, given a clear statement of facts regarding the heritage of Crain's "Pinky". My guess is that she is related, by blood, to both Waters and Barrymore. An attempted rape of Crain's character accounts, arguably, for her pink appearance; this might have occurred in more than one generation. It's also possible that a loving "mixed race" relationship was part of either Ethel's past. Making the "Black/White" history more clear would have only gotten the film into more trouble.
"Pinky" was quickly censored, and headed for the US Supreme Court.
One of the Board of Censors' objections was, "a white man retaining his love for a woman after learning that she is a Negro." However, Mr. Lundigan's "Thomas" is only willing to retain his love under certain conditions; and, this leads to a sharp, less "Hollywood"-styled ending. The Supreme Court was correct. Some of the film's best scenes show the way Crain is treated after other characters learn she is not white.
********* Pinky (9/29/49) Elia Kazan ~ Jeanne Crain, Ethel Barrymore, Ethel Waters, William Lundigan
"Pinky" is a nerve-rattling classic.
Probably, the most obvious "debate" point was the casting of Crain in the title role. Crain was definitely "pink" enough (or, white-looking); but, her general "movie star" persona makes the casting decision seem risky. Yet, Crain, under Elia Kazan's direction, triumphs. There are so many ways Crain could have fallen into acting traps - she could have used mannerisms, make-up, and/or other stereotypical devices to "camp" up the "Black" - but, she avoids each trap. Crain performs the role with a great amount of dignity. She was deservedly honored with an "Academy Award" nomination.
Barrymore and Waters also perform well (as you might expect).
We are never, in the film, given a clear statement of facts regarding the heritage of Crain's "Pinky". My guess is that she is related, by blood, to both Waters and Barrymore. An attempted rape of Crain's character accounts, arguably, for her pink appearance; this might have occurred in more than one generation. It's also possible that a loving "mixed race" relationship was part of either Ethel's past. Making the "Black/White" history more clear would have only gotten the film into more trouble.
"Pinky" was quickly censored, and headed for the US Supreme Court.
One of the Board of Censors' objections was, "a white man retaining his love for a woman after learning that she is a Negro." However, Mr. Lundigan's "Thomas" is only willing to retain his love under certain conditions; and, this leads to a sharp, less "Hollywood"-styled ending. The Supreme Court was correct. Some of the film's best scenes show the way Crain is treated after other characters learn she is not white.
********* Pinky (9/29/49) Elia Kazan ~ Jeanne Crain, Ethel Barrymore, Ethel Waters, William Lundigan
- wes-connors
- Nov 25, 2008
- Permalink
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Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Lo que la carne hereda
- Filming locations
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $4,200,000
- Runtime1 hour 42 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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