Imitation of Life Movie Review 1934

Fannie Hurst novel tells the story of widowed Beatrice Pullman (Colbert) who uses maid Delilah's (Beaver) recipe for pancakes in order to have the women open a restaurant, which becomes a success. Both mothers suffer at the hands of their willfull teenaged daughters. Delilah's lightskinned daughter Peola (Washington) breaks away from her mother so she can continue to pass for white and Bea's daughter Jessie (Hudson) has a serious crush on her mother's beau, Stephen (William). Weepie was also successfully filmed in 1959.

Distribution

Universal Studios Home Video, 100 Universal City Plz., Universal City, CA 91608-9955, Phone: (818)777-1000, Fax: (818)866-1483, URL: http://www.universalstudios.com, Remarks: Does not handle retail queries from consumers; contact your local video distributor.

Available on VHS
Running time 106 minutes.

Cast and Crew

Genres

Tearjerkers, Moms, Not-So-True Identity, Books to Film: Fanny Hurst, Price of Fame, African America, The Help: Female

Screenplay

Preston Sturges, William Hurlbut

Cast

Claudette Colbert, Louise Beavers, Rochelle Hudson, Fredi Washington, Warren William, Ned Sparks, Alan Hale

Cinematography

Merritt B. Gerstad

Director

John M. Stahl

Producer

Carl Laemmle, Universal Pictures

Awards

Natl. Film Reg. 2005.