Her mother Maria was a very overbearing parent, pushing Natasha into show business no matter what it cost the poor little girl. - Leonard Maltin's Classic Movie Guide Letterboxed. Supporting Actress, with Kohner winning the award. Imitation of Life Brief Synopsis Two mothers, one white, one black, face problems with their rebellious daughters. Enter Ross Hunter, producer of lavish women's pictures for Universal, who had breathed new life into the careers of aging stars like Jane Wyman and Barbara Stanwyck. Rather than dictating the way a scene should be played, he would take each actor aside, suggest what he wanted and ask how he or she felt about it. Susie, who has suffered from her busy mother's lack of attention despite the material advantages Lora has provided her, looks forward to taking a trip with Steve and Lora, but the plans are canceled when Lora excitedly accepts a coveted role in an Italian film. -- Kohner, as Sarah Jane, rejecting her mother, Moore, as Annie Johnson. (The idea for the book was born when Hurst traveled with black author Zora Neale Hurston and encountered racism, although the story was not remotely based on either of their lives.) She still kept up with movies though, loving such smaller films as Vanya on 42nd Street and actors like Jim Carrey (who "has practically kept movies alive the past few years" she said in 1998). Cowboy is based on the autobiography of Frank Harris, and, like the author, Lemmon found himself adapting to the rough and tumble lifestyle on the trail. Principal Cast: Lana Turner (Lora Meredith), John Gavin (Steve Archer), Sandra Dee (Susie, age 16), Juanita Moore (Annie Johnson), Susan Kohner (Sara Jane, age 18), Dan O'Herlihy (David Edwards), Robert Alda (Allen Loomis). It's a film that will benefit from word-of-mouth, particularly of lipsticked In a passionate and witty behind-the-scenes expose, Sam A August 21, 1958 Hollywood Reporter article states that thirty members of the Donn Arden Revue appeared in the musical number shot at the Moulin Rouge nightclub. Thanks to its provocative themes, the novel was a huge success. His first film was Parrish (1961) though he eventually acted in over a dozen films during the Sixties including Cleopatra (1963), Marlowe (1969), Hawaii (1966) and Point Blank (1967). Juanita Moore and Susan Kohner were both nominated for Best Supporting Actress Oscars for their searing portrayals of the African-American mother and daughter. 2023 Turner Classic Movies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Juanita Moore's Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress was such a surprise the studio didn't even have a biography on hand to distribute to the press. Art Direction: Alexander Golitzen, Richard H. Riedel Actress Karen Dicker's name is misspelled as "Karin" in the onscreen credits. Among the directors citing Sirk as an influence on their own work are John Waters and the late Rainer Werner Fassbinder. Producer: Ross Hunter From sexual antics to social critique, Lemmon and Wilder sharpened their comic knives on the hypocrisies they saw in American culture. Natalie Wood first saw Robert Wagner when she was just 10 years old and swore she was "going to marry him" someday, per People. Quinn also appeared on stage in 1936 playing opposite Mae West. Lora discovers that Annie and Sarah Jane have no place to go, and although she is poor herself, having come to New York in search of an acting career, she invites the two to stay the night in her small apartment. Geoff Andrew, TimeOut Movie Guide (Penguin). Fannie Hurst's novel, Imitation of Life, was the story of two single mothers, one white and one black, who join forces and become successful businesswomen. -- Sandra Dee, as Susie. Her two sons, Paul Weitz and Chris Weitz, have both become . Illicit love and the corruption of big business might not seem to be the stuff of hit comedies, but Wilder and Lemmon found humor in the most unlikeliest of places. A modern source reported that Sirk had read the novel before directing this film, but had not seen the 1934 film. The gritty crime drama Across 110th Street (1972) is one of the best American movies of its decade, enhanced by Quinn's turn as an embattled police captain. Dee resurfaced in 1991, when she gave an interview with People magazine about her personal demons: Despite its success, it was also Sirk's last commercial feature. Although the killing was ruled justifiable homicide because Cheryl was defending her mother, the scandal rocked Hollywood, and many people thought Lana's film career was over. Douglas Sirk was nominated for the Directors Guild Award but lost to William Produced - inevitably - by Ross Hunter. Sirk had given Donahue a small role in The Tarnished Angels (1958), but when he offered him the role of the fraternity boy who discovers girlfriend Kohner is black and beats her up, Willson almost turned down the role. Quinn worked with Marlon Brando who he had replaced in the original Broadway production of A Streetcar Named Desire. Her deal for half the profits kept her financially comfortable for the rest of her life, particularly after fifth husband Fred May invested much of the money in real estate. Stories about women in the workplace had declined in popularity since the '30s, and the change also reflected Turner's notoriety as an actress and single mother. Review. "I'm white. From sexual antics to social critique, Lemmon and Wilder sharpened their comic knives on the hypocrisies they saw in American culture.

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