As a result, Bea, the white businesswoman, becomes rich. Possibly thinking of W.E.B. Sirk's Imitation of Life premiered in Chicago on March 17, 1959, followed by Los Angeles on March 20 and New York City on April 17. 1. Single mom and aspiring actress Lora (Lana Turner), embarrassed by Christmas attention from Steve (John Gavin), as housekeeper/roommate Annie (Juanita Moore) takes a call from agent Loomis (Robert Alda), representing Edwards (Dan O'Herlihy), in Douglas Sirk's hit Imitation Of Life, 1959. Fiction. Please try again. Just before the procession sets off, a bereaved and guilt-ridden Sarah Jane pushes through the crowd of mourners to throw herself upon her mother's casket apologizing and begging for her mother's forgiveness, proclaiming "I killed my own mother!" Category. Lora takes Sarah Jane to their limousine to join her, Susie, and Steve as the procession slowly travels through a city street. Melodrama. [8] Sirk later said that he had deliberately and subversively undercut Turner to draw focus toward the problems of the two black characters. Imitation of Life (1959) Directed by Douglas Sirk. JOHN GAVIN, LANA TURNER, IMITATION OF LIFE, 1959. Issue 3541 24 October 1991 Page 94 BBC One is a television service which began broadcasting on 20 April 1964. After a confrontation with her mother, Susie decides to go away to school in Denver to forget about Steve. Sarah Jane's rejection of her mother begins taking a physical and mental toll on Annie. Have a box of tissues at hand. Dan O\'Herlihy. A Blu-ray with both films was released in April 2015;[17] this edition has been re-mastered, and is not identical with earlier DVD releases. Imitation of Life is without question one of my all-time favorite movies. Unable to add item to List. Buy Imitation of Life (Region ALL, NTSC) from Amazon's Movies Store. Annie tells Lora of the girl's crush. Imitation of Life is a film directed by Douglas Sirk with Lana Turner, John Gavin, Susan Kohner, Sandra Dee, Dan O'Herlihy .... Year: 1959. Losing track of her young daughter Susie (portrayed as a child by Terry Burnham) at a crowded Coney Island beach, she asks a stranger, Steve Archer (John Gavin), to help her find the girl. Year. Search the BBC Search the BBC. With storylines tackling racism, romance, family, success and tragedy, Imitation of Life is a powerful story that still resonates with audiences today. Genome BETA Radio Times 1923 - 2009. [18], Madman Entertainment in Australia released a three-disc DVD set, including the 1934 film version as well as a video essay on the 1959 film by Sam Staggs. He was the brother of director Michael O'Herlihy (1929–1997) and the father of actor Gavan O'Herlihy, visual artist Olwen O'Herlihy, and architect Lorcan O'Herlihy. "[15], Imitation of Life became a staple of both the American Movie Classics and Turner Classic Movies cable television networks. A tall, blond character actor with a rich Irish brogue, Dan O'Herlihy won an Oscar nomination as Best Actor for playing the title role in Luis Buñuel's The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe (1954). Sirk's treatment of racial and class issues is also admired for what he caught of the times. 8 . All Movies of Dan O'Herlihy The Rat Pack (TV) Imitation Of Life - Lana Turner, John Gavin [1959] All Region DVD, Imitation of Life 2-Movie Collection [Blu-ray] [US Import], All That Heaven Allows (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray], Gene Kelly Collection [Singin' In The Rain/American In Paris/Anchors Away/On The Town] [DVD] [2011], Imitation Of Life (Two-Movie Special Edition) (Universal Legacy Series) (1934). Stills must not be reproduced, copied or downloaded in any way. The detective locates her living in California as a white woman under an assumed name and working as a chorus girl. Learn more about Import fee deposit here. DAN O'HERLIHY, LANA TURNER, IMITATION OF LIFE, 1959. © 1996-2020, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. Noted gospel singer Mahalia Jackson received "presenting" billing for her one scene, performing a version of "Trouble of the World" at Annie's funeral service. Genre. Du Bois's notion of black American double-consciousness, critic Molly Haskell once described Imitation's double-vision: "The mixed-race girl's agonizing quest for her identity is not seen from her point of view as much as it is mockingly reflected in the fun house mirrors of the culture from which she is hopelessly alienated. Imitation of Life [DVD] $9.91. [7] In the original story, the "Lora" character, Bea Pullman, became successful by commercial production of her maid Delilah's family waffle recipe (a pancake recipe in the 1934 film version). Sarah Jane begins dating a white teenager (Troy Donahue), but he beats her in an alleyway after learning she is black. [7], Director Douglas Sirk and screenwriters Eleanore Griffin and Allan Scott felt that such a story would not be accepted during the Civil Rights Movement amid milestones, such as the Brown v. Board of Education case and the Montgomery bus boycott, but racial discrimination and inequities was still part of it. Imitation grabs you by the heart and doesn't let up until the ending credits roll. Imitation of Life is the second film adaptation of Fannie Hurst's 1933 novel of the same name; the first, directed by John M. Stahl, was released in 1934. Hiro wrote that in contrast to the novel, this film and the previous film received "far more critical attention", with the second film being "more famous" compared to the first. Introduction. Although many actresses, most of them white,[9] were screen-tested for the Sarah Jane role in the 1959 remake, Susan Kohner, daughter of actress Lupita Tovar, born in Mexico, and Paul Kohner, a Czech Jewish immigrant, won the role. Dan O'Herlihy, whose long career took him from the Dublin stage to Broadway to countless Hollywood films, died at his Malibu home on Feb. 17, Reuters reported. Kohner and Moore received Academy Award nominations for their performances. As each generation passes away, so do bigotries and stereotypes. Writing in 1997, Rob Nelson said, Basically, we're left to intuit that the black characters (and the movie) are themselves products of '50s-era racism – which explains the film's perspective, but hardly makes it less dizzying. Select the 'Free delivery on first order' option at checkout. Lana Turner John Gavin Sandra Dee. Dan O'Herlihy, as ; David Edwards Troy Donahue, as ; Frankie Karin Dicker, as ; Sarah Jane, age 8 Terry Burnham, as ; Susie, age 6 ... Imitation of Life is a historically interesting movie. Personal life. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 17 January 2021. Birth Chart of Dan O'Herlihy, Astrology Horoscope, Astro, Birthday, Taurus Horoscope of Celebrity, filmography IMDb.com, Movies IMDb.com. It replaced BBC Television. Buy Imitation of Life (Blu-Ray) from Amazon's Movies Store. User Ratings (0) Your Rating. Annie persuades Lora to let her stay and look after the household, so that she can pursue an acting career. Like the previous film, in this one the Peola (Sarah Jane) character returns, going to her mother's funeral and showing remorse, a scene described by Molly Hiro as "virtually identical" to the previous one, while in the novel she leaves the area for good. Oscars Best Picture Winners Best Picture Winners Golden Globes Emmys STARmeter Awards San Diego Comic-Con New York Comic-Con Sundance Film Festival Toronto Int'l Film Festival Awards Central Festival Central All Events When Lora is signed to star in an Italian motion picture, she leaves Steve to watch after Susie. One mother is an actress in pursuit of her career, who doesn't have much time for her daughter, while the other who truly loves her daughter is pushed away by her, because having white father she even doesn't know, she wants to be considered as a white person, while her other is black. Watched it again and realised that this really was ahead of its time with the racial content which I think was handled carefully. The story was altered so that Lora becomes a Broadway star with her own talents, with Annie assisting her by serving as a nanny for Lora's child. ...Imitation of Life (1959) (Blu-Ray). He was 85. Add to cart. Select media. Lora's concentration on her career prevents her from spending time with Susie, who sees more of Annie. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 25 October 2015. IMITATION OF LIFE. Imitation of Life is the second film adaptation of Fannie Hurst 's 1933 novel of the same name; the first, directed by John M. Stahl, was released in 1934. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 30 May 2020, Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 25 July 2017. Synopsis: Aspiring actress Lora Meredith meets Annie Johnson a homeless black woman at Coney Island and soon they share a tiny apartment. The issue of Susie's crush on Steve becomes serious when Susie learns that Steve and Lora are to be married. This signals a central conflict in the film as Sarah Jane's fair skin allows her to pass for white and she fervently rejects being identified as black. Featuring. Unique and stylish Hollywood classic cinema! As it happened, regardless of his Best Actor Oscar nomination Dan O’Herlihy would continue to play supporting roles in A productions (e.g., The Virgin Queen, Imitation of Life) or, in rare instances, leads in minor fare like Compton Bennett’s 1957 British crime drama That Woman Opposite and, in a double role opposite Glynis Johns, the 1962 remake of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. We use cookies and similar tools to enhance your shopping experience, to provide our services, understand how customers use … A widowed but rising actress, Lora Meredith, hires Annie Johnson as her black housekeeper. Delilah is offered 20% of the profits, but declines and chooses to remain Bea's dutiful assistant. Annie Johnson: Juanita Moore. Quantity. The plot of the 1959 version of Imitation of Life has numerous major changes from those of the original book and the 1934 film version. Show TV Channels Hide TV Channels TV ; Show Radio Channels The film's top-billed stars are Lana Turner and John Gavin, and the cast also features Sandra Dee, Dan O'Herlihy, Susan Kohner, Robert Alda … The original 1934 version of Imitation of Life was added to the National Film Registry in 2005.[5][6]. Moore won second place in the category of Top Female Supporting Performance at the 1959 Laurel Awards, and the film won Top Drama. Approved third parties also use these tools in connection with our display of ads. Movie Poster Masterprint (24 x 36): Home: Amazon.com.au Critics later commented that Juanita Moore and Susan Kohner stole the film from Turner. Cast: Lana Turner, Juanita Moore, John Gavin, Sandra Dee, Dan O'Herlihy USA, 1959, rated NR, two hours and five minutes. IMITATION OF LIFE, from left: John Gavin, Lana Turner, Dan O'Herlihy, Sandra Dee, Susan Kohner, Juanita Moore, 1959. The tall, distinguished-looking university graduate boasted a rich, resonant voice, which enabled him to easily find work in radio plays, as well on the stage. Sorry, there was a problem saving your cookie preferences. [7], Both Moore and Kohner were nominated for the 1959 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and the 1959 Golden Globe award for Best Supporting Actress. Dan O'Herlihy married Elsie Bennett in 1945. A two-disc set of the films was issued by Universal in 2008. We use cookies and similar tools to enhance your shopping experience, to provide our services, understand how customers use our services so we can make improvements, and display ads. Meanwhile, Susie has been found and looked after by Annie Johnson (Juanita Moore), who is also a single mother with a daughter, Sarah Jane (portrayed as a child by Karin Dicker), who is about Susie's age. Try again. He and his wife had 9 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. With the help of Steve and a police officer, Lora is reunited with Susie. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. As she wished, Annie is given a lavish funeral in a large church, complete with a gospel choir (featuring Mahalia Jackson singing "Trouble of the World"), followed by an elaborate traditional funeral procession with a band and horse-drawn hearse. Sarah Jane's roommate interrupts them, presuming Annie is the maid, to which Annie says that she is a former nanny of "Miss Linda," Sarah Jane's new name. They just don't make 'em like this anymore. Annie, becoming weaker and more depressed by the day, flies out to see her daughter one last time and say goodbye. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 26 September 2018. Douglas Sirk was nominated for the 1959 Directors Guild of America Award.[13]. AllMovie Rating. 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