Imitation of Life

19591959
Not RatedNot Rated
2h 5min

Imitation of Life (1959)

Trailer for this classic drama

Play trailer2:19

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.

Director
- Douglas Sirk
Writers
- Eleanore Griffin(screenplay)
- Allan Scott(screenplay)
- Fannie Hurst(novel)
Stars

See production, box office & company info

See more at IMDbPro

Nominated for 2 Oscars
- 4 wins & 7 nominations total

Videos1

Imitation of Life

Imitation of Life

Lana Turner, Terry Burnham, and Juanita Moore in Imitation of Life (1959)

Lana Turner, Terry Burnham, Karin Dicker, and Juanita Moore in Imitation of Life (1959)

Lana Turner in Imitation of Life (1959)

Lana Turner and Juanita Moore in Imitation of Life (1959)

Susan Kohner and Juanita Moore in Imitation of Life (1959)

Susan Kohner and Juanita Moore in Imitation of Life (1959)

Imitation of Life (1959)

Imitation of Life (1959)

Imitation of Life (1959)

Imitation of Life (1959)

Sandra Dee in Imitation of Life (1959)

Sandra Dee in Imitation of Life (1959)

Aspiring actress Lora Meredith meets Annie Johnson, a homeless Black woman at Coney Island, and soon they share a tiny apartment. Each woman has an intolerable daughter. However, Annie's little girl Sarah Jane is by far the worst. Neurotic and obnoxious, Sarah Jane doesn't like being Black; since she's light-skinned (her father was practically white), she spends the rest of the film trying to pass as white, much to her mother's heartache and shame. Lora, meanwhile, virtually ignores her own daughter in a single-minded quest for stardom. —alfiehitchie

african american housekeeper light skinned black race relations melodrama 191 more

Taglines
- "I'll get the things I want out of life, one way or another...from one man to another!"
Genre
- Drama
Certificate
- Not Rated
Parents guide

Trivia
The funeral scene hit a little too close to home for Lana Turner. As Mahalia Jackson started singing, she lost control and fled to her trailer in tears. When no arguments could convince her to return to the church and shoot the scene, her makeup woman slapped her in the face, breaking her out of her hysterics. She then returned to the set and completed the scene perfectly.

Goofs
When Steve and Susie go riding together their horses jump a low stone wall which one of the horses knocks revealing the whole thing to be a lightweight single-piece prop.

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 Home Stories (1990)

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

Top review

Imitation of life

there are still yet very many classics needing be made into DVD and this has made it but wish Back Street and Madame X as well as Connie Stevens in Susan Slade and Valley of the Dolls would come out like this has .. I notice now that on Amazon you can get this version as well as the older Claudette Colbert version together :) woo hoo ..

this is the saddest movie of all time, I remember watching it many years ago before with my mom before she passed away in 1976 many many times .. its just too bad she did't't live to see all the technology of the future to see what they can do with movies now :(

oh well, hope all enjoy it as much as I did and still do

helpful•8

3

tjcubby
Sep 20, 2005

Release date
- March 20, 1959 (United States)
Country of origin
- United States
Language
- English
Also known as
- Solange es Menschen gibt
Filming locations
- Long Beach, California, USA
Production company
- Universal International Pictures (UI)
See more company credits at IMDbPro

Budget
- $2,000,000 (estimated)
Gross worldwide
- $365

See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

Runtime
- 2h 5min
Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1

Timothée Chalamet could make Oscars history by starring in three Best Picture nominees

Timothée Chalamet could make Oscars history by starring in three Best Picture nominees

Sep 9Gold Derby

Juanita Moore: Give this woman a star on the Walk of Fame!

Juanita Moore: Give this woman a star on the Walk of Fame!

May 29FilmExperience

Imitation of Life (1959)

Top Gap

By what name was Imitation of Life (1959) officially released in India in English?

More to explore

View list

Upcoming DC Movies and TV Shows

Image caption not available

The Best New Horror Movies for Halloween

Watch the video

Recently viewed

Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.