Quite a moving film about America's racial problems and the way they can tear families apart.

A very unexpected film, having recently watched Claudette Colbert in It Happened One Night from the same year, this is a complex and gripping drama of an entirely different sort from the Oscar-winning screwball comedy. Although race and representation in film is a fairly constant concern in modern filmmaking, it is interesting and indeed enlightening to see it dealt with in such a forthright manner (if not exactly nuanced by today's standards) at a time when Jim Crow and racial segregation were still part of daily life in the United States. The relationships between the mothers and daughters and particularly the exploration of Peola's plight as a woman of color who can pass for white are all noteworthy, and it helps that the movie is enjoyable to watch and the characters easy to become emotionally invested in.

An adaptation of Fannie Hurst's 1933 novel of the same name about two single mothers endeavoring to build a pancake business and bringing up their contrary daughters, with one of them passing as white, is a brave piece of filmmaking at that time because of taboo subjects of miscegenation and interracial desires.

"Imitation of Life" (The New Universal, 1934), directed by John M. Stahl, is the first and best screen adaptation to Fannie Hurst's celebrated novel, yet underrated and seldom revived. It's a well written and developed character study about two mothers, one white, the other black, who bond a lasting friendship throughout the years while their daughters, both friends, try to face the facts of life, with one in particular, having problems with her imitation of life. The story begins with Beatrice Pullman (Claudette Colbert), a recently widowed mother, giving her tottler, Jessie (played by Baby Jane, who became better known later Juanita Quigley), a bath while the child is asking for her "quack quack," a toy duck. After dressing her up, Bea comes downstairs to answer the call of the doorbell where Delilah Johnson (Louise Beavers), a black woman, comes to inquire about the location of a street where she hopes for possible employment. After being told that she is on the wrong side of town, Delilah, seeing that Bea has enough work on her own with her own little girl, asks if she could work as her housekeeper. Finding that little Jessie and Delilah's light-skinned daughter, Peola (Sabie Hendricks) would be good companions for one another, Bea decides to take Delilah's offer. Later, Bea purchases a store on the boardwalk where she decides to open up an diner where she specializes in pancakes with the use Delilah's secret pancake recipe. While the mothers struggle to success, eventually moving into a comfortable household, their daughters become eduated in private schools and mature to young women. With success comes problems: Bea meets and falls in love with Steven Archer (Warren William), but their relationship is complicated when Bea's 18-year-old daughter (Rochelle Hudson) falls in love with him also; and Delilah's grown-up daughter, Peola (Fredi Washington), becomes resentful of the world of segregation, denying both her heritage and mother while trying to pass as a white girl, thus, breaking her mother's heart. Overly sentimental drama about mother love to be sure, but this version of "Imitation of Life" succeeds in many ways. Besides Claudette Colbert's sincere performance, and a wonderful underscoring by Heinz Roemheld, there is Louise Beavers, being given a rare opportunity to carry on the entire story in a major motion picture. Sadly the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress hadn't come into effect yet, otherwise Beavers, would have gotten that honor for at least a nomination. A presentation of such a movie, in 1934, was for its time quite a risk, but fortunately it didn't go unnoticed. "Imitation of Life" did get the honor of a Best Picture nomination, losing to Colbert's other 1934 release, "It Happened One Night," a comedy. Universal remade "Imitation of Life" in 1959 starring Lana Turner, John Gavin, Sandra Dee, Juanita Moore and Susan Kohner in the Colbert, William, Hudson, Beavers and Washington roles. Aside from it being a glamorized version produced in lavish Technicolor with the story brought up to date, it became one of the highest grossing movie of that year and today ranks one of the most revived tear-jerking dramas on television. There were alterations made, of course, such as changing central character of Bea Pullman, a Jewish woman, to whatever she wants to be in the name of Lora Meredith; the exclusion of the "pancake queen" business woman to the rise of a Broadway actress; and transforming the central character's black business partner into the actress's housekeeper and companion. The subordinate story and sentiment remains the same, especially the climax. The only problem with the remake that makes the original appear more honest is the use of Susan Kohner, a white actress who gave an fine performance, playing a light-skin "colored" girl instead of the use of an actual light-skinned black actress, thus, ruining the whole purpose to the story. To see "Imitation of Life" of 1934 is to accept it for what it really is, a 1930s "soap opera" about mother love. However, its revival has become a rarity today possibly because of Louise Beavers being presented on screen as a stereotyped "colored mammy," but fortunately, not to the extreme. But at the same time, Colbert's character looks and cares for her as an equal, and even becomes very concerned about her when her troubled daughter, Peola, denies her. Fredi Washington should not go unmentioned in her worthy performance as Peola. Little is known of her except that it's been said that she later became one of the founders of the Negro Actors' Guild in 1937, acting as executive secretary. Also featured in the cast are Ned Sparks as Elmer Smith; Alan Hale, Marilyn Knowlden, Franklin Pangborn appearing briefly as one of Bea's party guests, and Marcia Mae Jones recognizable as one of the school students in the early portion of the story. Warren William, on loan from Warner Brothers, playing Steve Archer, gives his usual high standard performance of sophistication. "Imitation of Life," which runs almost two hours in length, was first presented on American Movie Classics for a while from 1990 to 91, and made its Turner Classic Movies premiere October 26, 2001. This and the Lana Turner remake are both available to compare in video and/or DVD rentals. (***)

An artful film best viewed from within it's time period. Great acting.

I was amazed at the candor in this movie. America was very segregated in 1934 and the movie did not shy away from showing the effects of that segregation. I liked how they showed the differences in the life of white and black mothers. I liked how they show that even in the middle of such suffocating injustice black people were able to find a way to live in dignity. I was also impressed with the casting of the movie all the actors did a first rate job. I had never seen this version I had only seen the 1959 version which is also a great movie but I liked the way this movie went right after the injustice of racial predjudice. I watched this movie reminding myself it was made before any of the major civil rights lawsuits, legislation and protests movements.

Not as powerful as the remake but still really good.

Trying to explain the plot of Imitation of Life briefly is difficult because so much happens in this film. It involves two women, one white and one black, who form a bond and raise their daughters together. I thought Claudette Colbert was wonderful in the lead role, and I appreciated that she didn’t feel the need to constantly steal the spotlight. This allowed Louise Beavers to become the heart and soul of the movie, and I followed her emotional journey more closely. What I loved most about Imitation of Life was the fact that I had no idea what was coming next at any given moment. This is not a traditional story that I’ve seen dozens of times before, instead they are exploring all new ground. There were constantly 3 or 4 different storylines at a time throughout the movie, and that made it hard for me to guess which direction the narrative would take, because I couldn’t tell which story was going to be the focus at any given moment. While I did appreciate the variety in the story, there were times when it would lock into a particular plot and spend a lot of time on that. These were the times when I would get slightly annoyed because I wanted to get back to one of the other stories. Easily the most powerful tale in the whole movie is that of Peola (played by Fredi Washington.) This is the first film I’ve ever watched that takes a look at the struggles of life for a child who looks white but is black. This is more poignant in the film because of the era, and the difference in status between races. I loved how this story was handled, particularly the fact that they never went overboard showing racist behavior, and didn’t feel the need to turn Colbert into a domineering master. They just show us the differences in subtle ways, and we’re allowed to assume the rest of the reasons why Peola is struggling. It also forces the audience to face how stupid it is to draw lines based solely on how someone looks. Imitation of Life is a hard movie to watch. It brought me to tears more than once, and there were some events that made me downright angry. I commend the filmmakers and actors for making such a moving film that it was controlling my emotions in this fashion. I wish there were a few things that had turned out differently, and I craved something a little more satisfying in the resolution of the plots. By the end I started to draw parallels between all the different storylines, so I think it worked fairly well as a single cohesive story. There’s always a risk with too many subplots of making the film feel muddled and confusing, but I think they kept things connected here. Plus we were always allowed to come back to our two main protagonists as they came together to discuss all their struggles with one another. Imitation of Life is a powerful film that I’m glad I saw, and I think more people would benefit from seeing it.

A film that dares to mingle romance, women's lib, business success, racism, and climbing social ladders by different methods all within 2 hours. Then there's a tinge of social vs familial values as well. The one thing missing is how the two daughters bond & grow up under the same roof yet respond to life so differently. rather average cinematography and decor is soon forgotten with the quality of the acting and editing.

What an interesting film this was. On the surface, you have Colbert in a charming role as a self-made woman who makes it to the top with pluck, ambition, and a secret pancake recipe she gets from a maid. But that's not what makes the movie interesting. Colbert's maid is played by Louise Beavers, an African-American, and also a single mother. Her daughter Peola, played by Fredi Washington, is light-skinned, and wants to 'pass' as white. There are several brutal, heart-wrenching scenes between the two of them - as a child (played by Dorothy Black), Peola is upset about being called black, believing it an insult; later in school, she has to slink out of an all-white classroom amidst stares and whispers to see her mother who has shown up unexpectedly; and finally, as an adult, pretending she doesn't even know her at her job, where she's also 'passed', and later telling her she wants to disown her entirely. Beavers' character is sweet and strong, and bears this suffering to her deathbed. These are the scenes with real emotional impact in the story, and it's stunning, though not surprising, that neither Beavers nor Washington where nominated for an Academy Award. But Colbert was, even though she was also nominated in the same year for 'It Happened One Night'. How true this trend was 82 years ago, and how true it is today (see 'Creed'). Now it is true that the love story in the movie for Colbert with William Warren is captivating, and it gets complicated when her daughter falls in love with him as well, and despite no wrongdoing on his part, creates a dilemma for Colbert. I liked this twist, it was unexpected and created a little angst for the white characters, who were otherwise in beautiful clothes, sipping champagne, and dancing the night away. However, the resolution of this at the end pales in comparison to the resolution of Beavers' story which precedes it. The movie is a great snapshot of what pushing the boundaries meant in 1934. On the positive side, you have a single mother shown balancing family and work, and keeping control of her business as it skyrockets. You have Fredi Washington, a light-skinned African-American actress (who in real life disdained 'passing') hired to play the role of Peola, when it was much more common to hire whites. You have Colbert's character inviting Beavers into her home and not showing an ounce of racism as she talks to her, or concern when by hiring her they'll live together. And you have a movie that showed very sensitive racial subject matter, revealing to the audience the real struggle African-Americans go through, and in a way that was thoughtful, not exploitative. On the other hand, you have Beavers' being simple-minded, superstitious, and wanting to remain subservient to Colbert's, even when they've made enough money and it's no longer necessary. While it underscores her big heart, it also perpetuates a myth, one that is very convenient for Caucasians. Also, because the Hays Code had recently gone into effect, references to Peola being of mixed-race were avoided, because 'passing' itself was already dangerous ground, and the concept of racial mixing was a definite no-no. Her father is simply referred to as having been 'light-skinned'. Just as importantly, a scene in the script depicting a black boy being attacked and nearly lynched for coming up to a white woman was excised; conservative America was not willing to admit this shameful truth. All in all though, an important film. The Colbert story is cute on its own, but I wish the emphasis had been placed more on Beavers, that it had been a movie more from her viewpoint with the minor character and subplots belonging to Colbert instead. Fair or unfair, I knocked it down a half a star as a result.

A thought-provoking and touching study of race relations in the 1930s that also has some commentary on capitalism and family life as well. It's most notable for the character of Delilah and how she deals with her daughter, Peola, who refuses to acknowledge her black ancestry (she's mixed race). The second half of the film has a lot of unnecessary melodrama revolving around the character of Bea (Claudette Colbert) and her love interest, but overall this is an important and interesting flashback to the 1930s.

As much as we'd like to think that films exist in a vacuum, that is not the case. Still, despite progress, sometimes it is beneficial to (at least attempt to) evaluate art on its own merit and in its historical context. IMITATION OF LIFE is a film to which this can be applied. In terms of its approach to race and gender issues it was probably quite daring for its time. You have two single mothers, one black and one white, who start a business and climb up the social ladder. And their daughters, even though having a somewhat contentious relationship, were treated as equals. But, treating something academically isn't the only possible critical approach. By today's standards, I think the film still falls a bit short in terms of race and gender issues. Louise Beaver gives an awkward performance as a cheerfully subservient "mammy," even though that's the type of roles that were available to women of color back then. There is also an antiquated view on romantic relationships as marriage or "falling in love" is still seen as the pinnacle of a woman's life. All of this, and I haven't even really broached the style of film this is. I don't really mind melodrama as long as its executed well and has a compelling story. For what it's worth, IMITATION OF LIFE tends toward the positive side of this although it bites off a little more narrative complexity than it can fully chew, in my opinion. The primary plot threads involve Delilah's (Louise Beaver) daughter, Peola, who is mixed race and hates her "blackness," and an ichthyologist who Bea (Claudette Colbert) and her daughter both fall in love with. At least to me, there wasn't enough done to really integrate the various story elements in service of cohesiveness. It's like the story had a checklist of things it wanted to cover instead of letting things flow naturally from scene to scene. The outcome of the story was also kind of predictable. Still, the acting, which seems kind of stagey now, was decent, with Claudette Colbert doing the best out of the cast. She was a goddess who shone in every scene, and looked absolutely gorgeous in soft focus. Also, the toddler actress who played young Jessie, her daughter, was cute as a button. Overall, IMITATION OF LIFE is a product of its time. It might seemed dated today, but it's well produced, acted and directed for what it is.

Pese a algunas situaciones ofensivas, "Imitation Of Life" una aproximación dramatizada y libre acerca del fenómeno de los pancakes "Aunt Jemima", es una maravillosa cinta acerca de la amistad entre dos mujeres viudas y sus problemas con sus respectivas hijas. Claudette Colbert y Louise Beavers son más que magníficas encarnando a estas mujeres.

I loved this heartwarming film about the world-class friendship between two women in the 1930's, and how it stands the test of time despite a huge change of circumstances in their lives. Many people think this is a racist film, but I don't believe that's the case at all. Essential viewing--and I look forward to watching the 1950's remake shortly for point of comparison.

The characters lack depth and seems to go through the motions, but nevertheless, this is a decent book-to-movie adaptation.

They certainly cram a lot into two hours. Of course, for the time, the themes of independent, powerful women, as well as mixed race issues were quite revolutionary. I mean, this was a film that came out in 1934! Still, quite cute at times and touching at others, it's no wonder they re-made it a few decades later.

Even in today's time, this is a mighty heartbreaking story. It's amazing this film was even made, let alone the book it was based on.

I did not see the Douglas Sirk version that was produced 20 years later but I found this depiction of two girls, one white and one black, who were raised together by circumstance is ever so good.

I thought it was a pretty good movie.

A totally different story than the 1959 version, and I can't decide which one I prefer. I do appreciate a story with depth and complexity, totally void of sexual references...they don't seem to exist any more.