Imitation of Life
by Douglas Sirk
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Actor: John Gavin, Lana Turner, Robert Alda, Sandra Dee, Susan KohnerDirector: Douglas Sirk
Brand: TURNER,LANA
Cinematographer: Russell Metty
Editor: Milton Carruth
Producer: Ross Hunter
Writer: Allan Scott
Writer: Eleanore Griffin
Writer: Fannie Hurst
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); English (Original Language)
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.85:1
Running Time: 125 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2003-01-07
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Universal Studios
DVD Reviews of Imitation of Life
DVD Review: Always Lana
Summary: 5 Stars
Dearly Beloved, we are gathered here to pay immaculate homage to one of the major Kweenie Klassix of the last century, Ross Hunter's production of *Imitation of Life*. Based on the Fannie Hurst story, it is remake of the original 1934 version that starred Claudette Colbert, as "the pancake queen." Well, the pancake queen may be fine for Claudette, but certainly not for Lana Turner, who, in this version, plays a Broadway actress named Lora Meredith. We have to face facts: the star machine made Lana look great, but nothing helped her acting. She was dreadful, and far too mannered ever really become her characters. But she was straw turned into gold - the consummate Hollywood star, completely manufactured, with lush, bosom-heaving vehicles designed especially for her. Though only after Lana's 14 year-old daughter, the notorious Cheryl Crane, stabbed Lana's gangster boyfriend to death, did Lana develop the ability to make the characters become herself. The cannibalistic studios went into overdrive with projects that took advantage of Lana's infamy. *Peyton Place* was still in the theatres, and support for Lana throughout her tragedy was profound.
On the heels of this, came *Imitation of Life*, the story of a struggling young actress single-handedly raising a daughter Susie (Dee). They meet up with a lovely, well-spoken homeless woman, Annie (Moore) who is black, and her two-toned daughter, Sarah Jane (Kohner) who hates her blackness more than anything on earth. Annie, who doesn't know how to take "no" for an answer, insinuates the lives of her daughter and herself into those of Lora and Susie, and stays with them through the lean years until Lora's a huge success. The "young" part is the most treacherous for Lana - her character ages 20 years by simply removing her bandana, and the strange part is, the fashions never change over the course of those twenty years. Let's do a little movie arithmetic, shall we? At the end of the film, Lana's character, Lora, is a major star with a grown daughter, so we can presume that part takes in the present day of 1959. In theory, most of the early action would occur in the 40s. There is absolutely zero indication of time passing, except when they pull the old switch-a-roo with the daughters, substituting Dee and Kohner for the younger actresses who played them in the opening. But, of course, it would be a number of years in the future (until 1966's *Madame X*) before Lana would be allowed to actually age onscreen.
According to Lana's daughter, Cheryl, Lana instructed her to "walk as if she had a nickel tucked between her buttocks." Lana demonstrates this technique throughout out the entire film, and it is this same tight-assed approach to acting that makes Lana one of the most fulfilling bad actresses to watch (my mother once pointed out that Lana Turner's name spelled backward was Anal Renrut). Her acting, or better yet, posturing, is strictly by-the-book, but she gives the viewer everything they could desire from the glamour standpoint. Sandra Dee is her usual bubbly self and the dynamics between her and her mother never raise fireworks until the end, but the Kohner-Moore combination is spectacular. The long-suffering Moore made a career out of parts like this, but nothing surpasses Annie's dedication to the Great White Lady Benefactress, Lora Meredith. Kohner's as Annie's daughter Sarah Jane is fabulous - a trashy, tawdry little ingrate who feels she's entitled to everything Susie has. What she doesn't have, and will never have, is Susie's lily-white skin, but that doesn't stop her from `passing.' Annie confides to Miz Lora, "How do you explain to your child that she was born to be hurt?" Sarah Jane's white boyfriend (Troy Donahue) beats her to a pulp when he finds out, and she eventually runs off to be a showgirl. Annie tracks her down, and begs her to come home, but is completely rejected, breaking her heart and returning to Miz Lora's with one foot on the grave. Meanwhile, Miz Lora's been romanced by the handsome Steve Archer (Gavin), but he wants her to settle down and be his wife and give her a home. "I want more than that," she tells him, "I want everything." They break-up even though he loves her from afar. She parades around in her Jean Louis gowns, with an array of abusive and manipulative men (this is where it becomes hard to distinguish Lora, the character, from Lana, the actress), all of whom help her up the ladder to the pinnacle of stardom. Years later, Lora runs into Steve again, and their love burns brightly anew. As Susie's graduating from school, Lora's flying off to Italy to make some horrid little film, and appoints Steve as chaperone for Susie while she's gone. In a *Mildred Pierce*-ish turn of events (or better yet, a "Rikki Lake"-ish turn of events), Susie falls in love with her mother's boyfriend, and there are all kinds of mother/daughter problems. Annie's slipping away quietly, but not without planning the grandest funeral - one rivaled only by that of Princess Diana. With weeping crowds, prancing horses and the incomparable Mahalia Jackson singing "Trouble of the World" Annie is dispatched to her great reward, but not before her turncoat daughter shows up and hurls herself on the casket sobbing and wailing. This watershed moment is one of the most well-loved scenes in movie history.
The film is Douglas Sirk's (*Written On The Wind* and *Magnificent Obsession*) appropriately lavish farewell to Hollywood. It is camp at its finest and remained Universal biggest moneymaker until *Jaws* in 1975. Though Leonard Maltin says "Fine performances and direction overcome possible soapiness to make this quite credible and moving," and gives it 3.5 stars, I'd give it 5 stars - but there is no solar system in which this movie could be called credible. Credibility is something we simply do not expect out of Lana Turner. What we want out of her is the fantasy of the Hollywood Sex Goddess and she gives us that in spades.
Description of Imitation of Life
Two widowed friends, Bea and Delilah, with young daughters build a life and a fortune together; As years go on, their friendship deepens but their relationship with their daughters become strained.Genre: Feature Film-Drama
Rating: NR
Release Date: 22-AUG-2006
Media Type: DVD
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