Imitation of Life (1934)

1934 • 111 minutes

About this movie

The lives of a widow and her housekeeper are united first in mutual need, then success and ultimately, in heartache in this Academy Award-nominated Best Picture. Claudette Colbert and Louise Beavers are superb as Bea and Delilah, two women with young daughters who build a life and a fortune together selling Delilah's pancake recipe. But success doesn't save them from sorrow with the passing years. Delilah's light-skinned teenager rejects her mother and her race, while Bea must choose between the man she loves and the daughter who loves him, too. Now all of them will pay the price of love in this spellbinding classic, revered as one of the all-time Hollywood tear-jerkers, from collaborators William Hurlbut and Preston Sturges.

Ratings and reviews

I would recommend this movie to every African American family, who has a mixed-race (mulatto) child or children. The reason being: American societies look differentl, treat differently, the child who is identified or identifies himself with the African American community; than that child whose parents are married and the social strata is assigned to the man, who in turn assigns the child. I have several that were/are in my family. I have noticed that the struggls are different dependent upon which parent is African American and which parent was African American. The entire notion of social strata in all its its aspects will go into place. Is he a Caucian man who is the head of the family and successful or whether he is African American and succesful head of family and successful. Now, there is an entirely different paradigm if they are African American and poor. Thus, I feel every mixed family should insist their child/children watch th movie and a discussion take place afterwards. I cannot share a great deal of info at this time. Tome and space does not lend themselves. Thank you for asking!

The first time I saw this I cried my eyes out. It didn't have anything to do with race. My family is all white. But my mother was uneducated and raised during the depression. I was ashamed of her for that. She sacrificed and worked hard every day raising five kids. At least I was able to realize this and appreciate her before she died. But you know what? She always acted like I was the best kid in town. She never held me accountable.

I was very impressed by the acting of all it's just a shame how they had made the quote colored actresses act overboard with their mannerisms when they could have just asked them to act as themselves but again I guess it's just a commentary on social history back in the 19 thirties. I like the later version with Lana Turner much better.