Imitation of Life Two-Movie Special Edition

Having studied the 1959 version of "Imitation of Life" in film class, it has become one of my favorite films, one that is rich with many subtexts that may not be visible upon first glance. This special 2-disc DVD set contains both the 1934 and 1959 versions based on a Fannie Hurst tear-jerker novel. Tackling a sensitive issue for the times (in both versions), these movies deal with an African-American girl who wants to pass for white to have more opportunities open up for her. The girl's mother develops a friendship and working/subserviant relationship with a white woman who has her own daughter of the same age. How the two women function in their environments and the conflicts that occur due to the daughter's "passing" constitute the basis of both stories.The 1934 film stars Claudette Colbert and Louise Beavers as the mothers. The film seems very dated and old fashioned on the surface; watching it a 2nd time with the commentary track is very beneficial. Avery Clayton, an African-American Cultural Scholar, gives slight information on the making of the film, but gives the story plenty of explanation of the subtexts and is very helpful in putting some of the slightly offensive elements into the context of the times that the film was made. Beavers' character becomes the icon for Aunt Delilah's pancake mix, a thinly veiled version of Aunt Jemima. Colbert's character is given the idea to market Delilah's recipe and the two become rich; the fact that Beaver's character doesn't want any of the riches and is actually afraid NOT to be in a subserviant role to Colbert is somewhat uncomfortable. Colbert gives her typical warm performance and even today, she is a joy to watch. The rest of the film does seem very dated. Interestingly enough, Fredi Washington, an African-American actress, portrays Beaver's daughter; in the 1959 version, Susan Kohner, of Latino background, was the one who won that plum role.The 1959 version still holds up well; granted, it is somewhat over the top with some of the plot & Lana Turner's performance. However, director Douglas Sirk was able to put in so many rich subtexts and subtle critiques that this film can be watched multiple times without catching all of them. There was a battle going on between Sirk wanting an honest crititque of the times, and producer Ross Hunter wanting a glossy soap opera. This film was dismissed as a tawdry melodrama and labeled a dud by critics initially, but has become a cinema classic in the years that followed. Juanita Moore's performance as the African-American maid is one of the keys to the success of the film, and the rest of the casting is brillant: Turner, Sandra Dee, Kohner, and John Gavin. You'll also see a cameo by Sandra Gould, who later achieved minor fame as the 2nd Gladys Kravitz in TV's "Bewitched." For the 1959 film, the story is that Lana Turner plays an actress seeking fame, and Moore's character plays her maid and companion. Thankfully, there is no Aunt Delilah business here. Many of the scenes are powerhouses of acting: the final scene between mother and daughter when Moore agrees to let her daughter live her life as a white woman is a guaranteed tear-jerker. Turner also gives one of her best (if not most hysterical) performances during Annie's death scene. The commentary for this version is by Foster Hirsch, a film historian. As with Clayton's, his commentary is mainly limited to examining the film itself, not so much the making of the film. There are a few facts that he shares from his friendships with Susan Kohner and Juanita Moore that are very interesting, but overall, his commentary helps to pick out the hidden meanings that Sirk placed throughout.There is a short featurette calls "Lasting Legacy - An Imitation of Life" that talks about both films. Juanita Moore and respected film historians are on hand to talk about the movies. The featurette is very well done, but does leave one wishing there were more to it. It is approximately half an hour long.The quality of both films is fairly good; neither one looks like it came from the original negative, but they are both relatively clean and appear to have had some minor restoration work.This 2-Disc set is a real value, and highly recommended for those who love to study film.

This set contains the original 1934 and the remake of a movie that, in both releases, was considered to be socially groundbreaking.I am not going to review the two movies because the reviews on their respective product pages to which I have provided links are far more articulate than I can ever be. Instead, I am going to compare and contrast the original and the remake and give some reasons why the films are historically significant and groundbreaking.The 1934 movie, Imitation of Life (1934), is based on and substantially follows Fanny Hurst's 1933 novel titled Imitation of Life. The usual Hollywood liberties are taken when transforming a novel into a screen play. The 1959 remake, Imitation of Life, differs significantly in detail (the original characters have different names, meet under different circumstances, and the successes enjoyed by one of the main characters comes from a different avenue.)However, while the details differ between the two films, the themes are the same, and the context the storylines are closely aligned to the eras in which the movies were made.The basic themes are race relations, the meaning of being Black in American society, and women breaking barriers.The 1934 version was the first film to humanize black Americans by portraying the characters as human beings who have feelings, aspirations and strong family ties (and challenges). Prior to (and after for decades to be honest) movies marginalized African Americans by portraying them as caricatures or stereotypes. More importantly, there was an obvious affection between and among the main characters of both races, which - in itself - was groundbreaking in the era.To be sure, there was racist stereotyping in the movie, including making the main black character into a "mammie" figure, complete with the dialect and mannerisms. Remember that this era was less than 70 years after the abolition of slavery and most white Americans were either blind to the impact on society and the nation as a whole, or were clinging to old illusions about how blacks could not take care of themselves. Considering the fact that the Motion Picture Production Code was trying to prevent the movie from being released the balance between portraying blacks as humans and the racial stereotyping tilts (in my opinion) towards this being a movie that raised consciousness and questions about race relations.The reason the Motion Picture Production Code did not want to release the movie is because of another aspect in the story: the daughter of the black main character was light skinned and made attempts to "pass for white" throughout the story. This implied that she had a white father, which was against most state laws at the time of filming (as unbelievable as it seems today). This aspect of the story adds another dimension to being a black American and is woven into the story. Interestingly, the woman who played the daughter, Fredi Washington, could have had a stellar career had she agreed to pass for white in real life, but refused - the exact opposite of her character, and an admirable stand for the era.For the above reasons, plus the cinematography and other factors, the original version was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry in 2005.The 1959 remake of Imitation of Life has major differences in details from the 1934 original, but the storyline is substantially the same. Among the differences in details is the main characters (the mothers and daughters) have different names than in the novel and original screenplay, and the white mother's success comes from some breaks in acting versus being given a secret family recipe by the black main character, which results in a multi-million dollar business. One reason for that change from the original is the era in which this version was made, there had been some major improvements in civil rights (still far short of equal rights), and in 1959 it was possible for a black woman to achieve success in business, making the original plot weak.However, the race relations and the meaning of being black in American society are still major themes. It is interesting to contrast the way those were presented in the original and this remake because there were some substantial differences in the ensuing 25 years. And, of course, the friendship between and among the main characters was still ahead of the time, despite some subtle stereotyping.In both films, too, the fact that a woman had avenues of success on her own were powerful messages. And the mother-daughter relationships in both sets of main characters were also powerful studies in both films.Features: the 1934 film has an interesting commentary, as does the 1959 remake. On the DVD containing the 1959 remake is a feature titled Making of Imitation of Life that is an informative discussion of both movies and their historical significance, as well as some interesting facts that focus on the 1959 remake. Another resource for the 1959 film is Born to Be Hurt: The Untold Story of Imitation of Life.Please visit the individual product pages for each movie for some excellent reviews.

Wonderful Movie

Love the movie. Story line has a wonderful meaning.

Two for one deal! Can't beat the price ! Good quality picture ! Original b&w and remake in color. One of my favorite movies. Life lesson!!

this movie is a must see. it is heartbreaking, but it really is a good story about passing.

I bought this for the Lana Turner version. Richard Pryor got kicked out of the Army because he got in a fight over this movie. It was a good movie, exploring racial themes from the 1950’s viewpoint, and still at least somewhat relevant today.

This was the movie that the mother on Eminem's 8 Mile was watching. I remember vaguely as a child that my own mother had rented it from the video store and bits and pieces of it, that's why I recognized it when seeing it on 8 Mile, but couldn't remember the name. Strange how some movies reconnect like that, after years of disappearing from your memory. It's a movie about a girl who is embarrassed and ashamed of her cultural background and tries to hide it, which hurts her mother who wants her to be who she was born to be, naturally. I watched the version with Lana Turner in it, but am going to watch the other version too.