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Imitation of Life is a american film of genre Drama directed by Douglas Sirk released in USA on 30 april 1959 with Lana Turner
Imitation of Life (1959)
Imitation of life
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Add to a movie listImitation of Life is a 1959 American romantic drama film directed by Douglas Sirk, produced by Ross Hunter and released by Universal International, starring Lana Turner and John Gavin. It was Sirk's final Hollywood film and dealt with issues of race, class and gender.
The cast also features Sandra Dee, Dan O'Herlihy, Susan Kohner, Robert Alda and Juanita Moore as Annie Johnson. Kohner and Moore received Academy Award nominations for their performances. Gospel music star Mahalia Jackson appears as a church choir soloist.
The film is an adaptation of Fannie Hurst's novel of the same name. It is the second film adaptation of the novel. The first was released in 1934 starring Claudette Colbert.
Synopsis
In 1947, widow Lora Meredith (Lana Turner) dreams of becoming a famous Broadway actress. Losing track of her young daughter Susie at the beach (portrayed as a child by Terry Burnham), she asks a stranger named Steve Archer (John Gavin) to help her find the girl. Susie is found and looked after by Annie Johnson (Juanita Moore), a black single mother who also has a daughter, Sarah Jane (portrayed as a child by Karin Dicker), who is about Susie's age. Sarah Jane inherited her father's fair skin and can pass for white. She does this with fierce zeal and fervor, taking advantage of her European heritage and features. In return for Annie's kindness, Lora temporarily takes in Annie and her daughter. Annie persuades Lora to let her stay and look after the household, so that the widow can pursue an acting career.Actors
Lana Turner
(Lora Meredith)
Juanita Moore
(Annie Johnson)
John Gavin
(Steve Archer)
Sandra Dee
(Susie (16))
Susan Kohner
(Sarah Jane (18))
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