I love the little things in it that you couldn't do now. 1. Little kids getting their pictures taken by strange men. 2. Giving their address to strange men. lol!
I LOVE THIS MOVIE..I HAVE IT ON VHS AND THE MOTHER/NANNY LOVED HER DAUGHTER SO MUCH THAT THE STRESS OF WANTING HER TO EXCEPT HER COLOR KILLED HER.CAN YOU UPLOAD IF YOU CAN THE SOPHISTICATED GENTS.
This was a very sad movie but I can understand the rage and the hurt the
little girl felt. Racism is still alive and well today but back then i think it was 5 are 6 times harder.Even today I know of some biracial kids that try to pass. It's just a sad situation all around.
@DragonflyNoir10 No actually when I saw the movie then it shaped my vision of the psychological effects of racism, how damaging it can be especially to a child.
@Kakashigirl250 "Carmen Jones" with Dorothy Dandridge and Harry Belafonte is another great one. Dorothy was such a beauty!! "A Raisin in the Sun" with Ruby Dee and Sidney Poitier is a great movie.
I first watched this movie when I was ten years old. I absolutely LOVE this movie. I used to accidently call it Imitation of Diamonds because of the opening credits. I agree, it is a beautifully tragic story. They do not make movies like this anymore!
the mother seems a bit detached from her child. She seems to prefer the white child in a way. Sad movie indeed people seem to think that this movie predicted the fate of any inter-racial relationship, still do.
I had never heard of this movie at all until seeing a recent clip of Mahalia Jackson's beautiful song was played on TV. I did a little research and the plot intrigued me. They do not make movies like this known to my generation as often as they should. From what I read of the plot, this sounded good, so thought I'd check it out. Thanks for putting this movie on here!
If Lana Turner is remembered for anything it should be this movie and Mamdam X. Both of these films are Ross Hunter Films and both have endings that would melt any heart and stories that are as valid today as they were at the time of their release.
ahhh a childhood favorite. im 23 years old and i wasnt aloud to watch regular cable on television. the only channel my mother and i watched was the turner classic movies. for those of you who speak spanish there is another version in spanish that is also great.
Your comment is obviously sexist, but I suppose you think that is OK. It is also practically impossible since humans are not interfertile with any other species. I suppose you could mate with a Neanderthal but they are hard to find these days. In fact anthropologists claim they are extinct, so your best bet would be a chimpanzee.
If you succeed in having any offspring (hot or cool) then let us know, for it will be a biological sensation.
I love this movie. We could learn so much from it about economic inequality, sexism and above all racism. It is a shame that so little has changed for the better since 1959. I don't understand why you present yourself as a biracial woman. To me it seems to mean you are partly human and partly something other than human. That does not seem humanly possible and it looks like an insult to your parents because I believe both of them must have been 100% human.
Our whole nation's history is based on the invention of race and the inequality of policy that resulted from it--racism. This tragic story--though glossy--is a dramatic retelling of this racism. This is STILL a racist country--its worst trait.
I'm biracial and can understand everything that Sarah Jane was going thru, but one thing for certain. I would never try to pass for something i'm not and I would never abandon my mother. I am mixed w/so much things I wouldn't be able to pass for one whole ethnic group anyway. lol! Even if I could it wouldn't change the fact that I claim all that i'm missed with but I am still me...A child of God. A black women, a Puerto Rican woman, an Irish women... I am all.
i grew up watching this movie and it always made me cry at the end when Annie die and her daughter comes to her funeral crying like that. im 20 and til this day i still watch and love this movie. Hollywood don't make movies like this anymore.
Lol little Suzie played the girl in the Twilight Zone episode where she was the little girl from the past of the grown woman who witnessed her mum being killed. Lol I am so old.
this first clip of the movie made me uncomfortable. i didn't appreciate the stereotypical character of a black woman, down on her luck but smiling anyway, having to practically beg for a job, "...someone who eats like a bird, takes low pay and never wants any time off..." hmm, just seems a little degrading to me. cringe-worthy...not sure this is a movie i can watch and enjoy...
@jaynemarie81 I have no shortage of empathy, and never felt anything but respect and empathy for the black characters in this film. Anyway, this is a Douglas Sirk film, don't you find the white characters to be tired 50s cliches? A major theme in Sirk's films is stereotypes, and shining a light upon them, real people constrained visually and contextually within cliche. Consider the title, 'Imitation of Life', it uses melodrama, falseness to make its points. This is a movie, an imitation of life.
@mashinebenz sadly it was that way back then, and there is still is no complete equality in the world even today. i am passionately against racism, which is why, for me personally, i react sensitively this movie and its theme
@jaynemarie81 I agree. (I am a black W myself and grew up watching this). I think the fact that we show people that this is how we were portrayed in these times (and sometimes unfortunately actually had to live this way based on skin colour/class) is creative. It sucks that this is how we were shown (sometimes we still are shown this way and this has to stop) I am doing my part by writing and showing black women in roles other than the mainstream media. But this film is classic w/ a great plot.
@jaynemarie81 Well, you have to understand when this movie was made, that was usually the case for a black woman... but if that role was portrayed today, there would be a problem
@jaynemarie81 - What you don't understand however, is that this movie is not representative, nor is it meant to be representative, of a black woman of 2011. The movie begins in the time frame of 1947. At this time, black women still had not achieved a level of equality to their white counterparts. Many black women worked as domestics, and this is what the movie is illustrating. It's a shame that you didn't give this film a chance in the context of the time frame that it is depicting
@galileocan being a lover of all people, especially my african/english husband and biracial father i cannot watch this kind of movie with this kind of theme and enjoy it. simple. if others want to fine go ahead. if it is a classic, cool, but the comments forum of youtube is for self expression and opinions and that is what i use it for. if you don't like mine you are fully entitled to.
I love watching it. I can remember watching my mom and grandma cry at the end and when I was a little older I cried too. The relationship that develops between Lora and Annie was truly inspiring. They depending on each other and loved each other deeply. They were from two different worlds and didn't care about race. Sarah Jane caused Annie to die of heartache but I do understand why SJ wanted to pass for White. I didn't care for Steve. He was so stiff and too perfect. Best funeral scene ever!
iam only 37,but i can safely say they dont make movies like this anymore,i admire the skool actresses they had so much grace and poise simply wonderful
@milesandemilyrock im sorry but what does ur age have to do with anything? i wouldnt be flashing my age around on the internet if i were a 15 year old girl.
i stated my age because, if you looked at the message I was replying to you would see that she/he stated their age as if no one now-a-days understands and admires older movies, but apparently you didn't
@milesandemilyrock no its just getting old when i see everyone saying "i like this and im 'whatever' years old. and thats getting old, i just got fed up with it and took it out on you. lol
the ending was tragic because the mother always loved her daughter no matter what kind of mistakes she made.It had me in tears and i'm grown man indeed a true classic.
i love this movie but i'm sorry i cracked up laughing when Sarah Jane was like "i don't want the black one" i know that's sad but the way she said it was funny & i've been watching this for years & this is my first time noticing that
@evahill38 Wow ! If you thought that was funny you should watch "An Affair To Remember". You would probably find it hilarious when Deborah Kerr gets hit by a car and paralyzed !
The little white girl played in that creepy twilight zone with the teacher, a very good one. dam, i saw the little girl again in this cool movie with dennis hopper as a rogue teen , miss the 50's.
I do not believe in coiencedences I stumbled on this movie due to watching an episode of Without a Trace where a white kid went missing finding out his dad was rich and black and even before I was reading a book called Venus In The Dark by Janell Hobson and it briefly mentions this mindset of white being normal and black backwards which is wrong to be honest
This is far more excellent than the original with Claudette Colbert. I like Claudetter Colbert but some remakes are bettert than the original and this is one.
Really terribly over-acted on purpose. People don't know the real message of this movie. They think it is good. The director meant everything to be over-acted, over the top and not very good to give a message..... wow people actually think this is a good movie by itself Without its true message it isn't good at all.
@soadpwnsyou a little harsh, I think. Sirk was making some powerful social commentary on women's lives in his era and passing them off as light 'chick flick' material, though this one is obviously a little more serious right off the bat.
People can like this movie, it takes all kinds of audience to people the fans of the film world, and you cannot be the final judge. DO you understand Sirk's message? The book's message? Have you seen the '34 version already, which is a little less over the top.
I didn't see the 34 version or read the book. I watched this in a film class at a college. And we explained what the message was. The movie is a little stupid because of the over acting from the 50's and the cliche women of the 50's. It tackles the race issue but in a weird way. Watch the ending again. Why is everyone smiling in the end? Is she happy that her mom died because now she can try to be white? No one knows.
@soadpwnsyou I always thought they were smiling because Sarah Jane had come back, and they wanted her to know that everything would be ok, that they would be there for her and take care of her. I always pictured Sarah Jane changed her ways and finally became the "good girl " her momma wanted her to be. Maybe that is just my "all movies MUST have a happy ending mentalitiy"! Sirk was really into what we would now term as "Chick Flicks". His women were always strong and independent.
I kinda see where you are coming from ...Like When Ms. Laura said "Sara Jane DON"T "as if to not let the cat out of the bag that her mom was black ...but i think the smiles were for seeing she finally got back to reality and came home rather than run. a bit too late but...none the less...Wonderful movie.
If the smiles you referring to are the ones exchanged in the limousine ---the only smiles exchanged at the funeral---, notice that Sarah Jane was not the only one smiling. Nobody would have been smiling about Annie's death, least of all for the reason you cited.
I didn I like the message but dislike the movie. One of the stupidest scenes is when Sarah is getting beat up by her "boyfriend". The musical is awful, it sounds like it is trying to be a comedy because the music doesn't fit at all. Sounds like an action movie song from the 50's or James Bond like. Like I said, the acting is cheesy and over acted on purpose. That is why I don't like the movie itself. There are more reasons just hard to type it.
@soadpwnsyou I think most (at least 90%) understand why the acting and scenarios are the way they are. Yes, some people will say that they enjoy this film just to say it or maybe they enjoy it for different reasons but most ppl who watch this understand its concept.
Does anyone know if there every remade this movie or had it every became a Broadway play? I used this song for my audition song for America's Got Talent and wanted to use it for other auditions because it is a power song. Just asking! What is the reason you are watching this movie?
@taffyday123 It is a classic! For African Americans, it touches on the Color Complex! It was common during this time for light skinned Blacks to attempt to pass for Whites so that they can make it in mainstream America! Even in if it took disassociating themselves from family! This is an imitation of life!
@Angelscnbsexi2 This movie is NOT a classic for black people. I agree that Imitation of Life has a historical importance because it deals with racism and passing. However, I find it abhorrent the devaluation of black women and the fact Sarah Jane's mother is basically a mammy. I also find it a bit disturbing the nurturing black mammy stereotype which I find offensive.
@JordanjamesX I watched the 1934 version and I could see the mammy stereotype very clearly but I really did not see it in this version. I saw Annie as a caring person who was dealing with a daughter who rejected her.
Is it just me, or does anyone else notice that the audio seems to be off in this movie. I mean when the actors are talking their lips don't match what is being said. It's like the microphone is not picking up everything. In ceratin scenes, the actors may start to speak before their lips move or stop talking and their lips may still move a bit. Does anyone else notice that?
Does anyone know if the little girl that played Sarah Jane was a really light African-American or was she Caucasion? I know the older Sarah Jane was Mexican and Jewish.
you know the part where the white mom asked the black mom how long she has had her daughter, i read that this still happens to african american women today. lol things haven't changed too much
As a the video clerk checking me out once said, "Claudette Colbert is good, BUT SHE AIN'T NO LANA TURNER, HONEY!" I laughed and had to agree. This version is so much richer than the original version. The scene with Mahalia Jackson singing at Annie's funeral has me in tears each time.
This movie takes place in 1947 (Susan is six and Sarah Jane is eight years old) and than ten or eleven years pass to 1958 where Susan is sixteen or seventeen years old, and Sarah Jane is eighteen or nineteen years old. Both girls being in their late teenage years almost in their twenties.
I dont think she didnt love her mother she just wanted to be normal and get the opportunities in life that black people then and even in some instances now dont get compared to white people. I think I would have been the same way! The mother should have understood that instead of barging in and trying to make her daughter live the way she wanted her to live... then maybe their relationship would have been better.
@MissEtana I find it very disturbing that you practically agreed to Sarah Jane being a self-hating, brain-washed person and hating her very own mother. It's sick that society was that way in which black people weren't able to have to same opportunities as whites. And it's even more sicker that you call being white "normal". No matter how far away she went from her mother, she would always be black n would always know it. And you agree that she should keep living her life as a pathetic lie.
No matter how much you love your children there is never a guarantee that they will love you back even though a mother's love is unconditional. I've been told by mine that they did not ask to be brought into this world...
Exquisite in every way, Douglas Sirk's brilliant 1959 remake of "Imitation Of Life" is one of the most perfect soap operas ever made. Frank Skinner's GORGEOUS score is responsible for a huge part of the film's power. It literally gives the film it's heart and soul. Skinner is the MOST unsung genius among American film composers.
CAN ANY ONE PLEASE UPLOAD THIS MOVIE CALLED (I PASSED FOR WHITE 1960) I really want to see it and i bet alot of other people want to so if any can put it on youtube that would be great.
At 04:49 an interracial couple, a black girl in a white swimsuit holding hands w/ a white dude, can be seen on the right in the background. One did NOT see that very often back in '47, not even in NY. And what the hell was that Mardi Gras sign about? MG is in MARCH, not SEPTEMBER!!!
@idahosatha12 Well the opening scene is set on Coney Island.....and she is audtioning for plays on Broadway....so of course, it's New York. I am not saying that sarcasticly....because you may not be from the US....so I hope I answered your question! Wasn't it a fantastic movie. I loved it since I was a kid. I wish there were more directors like Sirk these days. Movies USED to be so good....now most of them are just TRASH.
@LadyDragonsblood yea it was a fantastic movie :) ohhhh sooo she was auditioning for a play not a movie cause if it was a movie it would b in california and since its a play we all know thats new york i used to go to them wen i lived there for like 3 years as a kid but ima californian lol ohh and i AM from the USA lol im an American and proud of it lol
I love the little things in it that you couldn't do now. 1. Little kids getting their pictures taken by strange men. 2. Giving their address to strange men. lol!
ghostofxmaspast 2 weeks ago
I LOVE THIS MOVIE..I HAVE IT ON VHS AND THE MOTHER/NANNY LOVED HER DAUGHTER SO MUCH THAT THE STRESS OF WANTING HER TO EXCEPT HER COLOR KILLED HER.CAN YOU UPLOAD IF YOU CAN THE SOPHISTICATED GENTS.
ermashinholster 1 month ago
it's a great film and thanks for posting it. unfortunately the sound is out of sync. is that fixable?
khj990 1 month ago
Maybe all the skin bleacher's should watch this? I'm just saying.
MrEclectic61 2 months ago
This was a very sad movie but I can understand the rage and the hurt the
little girl felt. Racism is still alive and well today but back then i think it was 5 are 6 times harder.Even today I know of some biracial kids that try to pass. It's just a sad situation all around.
MsAKA40 2 months ago
I dont know if I am mixed up or what but isnt the little white girl Suzie the same child that played Ronda in The Bad Seed (patty McCormick)?
catwoman32409 2 months ago
I remember my teacher showed us this in class in 8th grade
cmb913 3 months ago
@cmb913 Interested in knowing your thoughts about the movie then, verses your thoughts now. Have they changed at all?
DragonflyNoir10 3 months ago
@DragonflyNoir10 No actually when I saw the movie then it shaped my vision of the psychological effects of racism, how damaging it can be especially to a child.
cmb913 3 months ago
@cmb913 You had keen observation skills as an 8th grader. Well done! Thanks for your comments.
DragonflyNoir10 3 months ago 2
Is it just me, or is the sound not lining up with when the characters are talking?
JillieStarBean 3 months ago
@JillieStarBean No it happens all the time on YouTube--unfortunately!
fingalful1 3 months ago
Brilliant film...by far Lana's best ever !!!
DIVASatYTLanaTurner1 3 months ago
The sound is off.
Casanova646 3 months ago
Wonderful movie. :) I wish everyone saw this, to know to stop judging on one's outer shell.
xtrme99 3 months ago
Anyone want to reccommend any other great classics such as this? I love this film..
Kakashigirl250 4 months ago
@Kakashigirl250 Madame X is another good one. The 1966 version starring Lana Turner as a woman who has to give up her family. A real tearjerker.
charcas67 3 months ago
@Kakashigirl250 "Carmen Jones" with Dorothy Dandridge and Harry Belafonte is another great one. Dorothy was such a beauty!! "A Raisin in the Sun" with Ruby Dee and Sidney Poitier is a great movie.
Mikizzle15 3 months ago 2
I first watched this movie when I was ten years old. I absolutely LOVE this movie. I used to accidently call it Imitation of Diamonds because of the opening credits. I agree, it is a beautifully tragic story. They do not make movies like this anymore!
PoppiQuoc 4 months ago
the mother seems a bit detached from her child. She seems to prefer the white child in a way. Sad movie indeed people seem to think that this movie predicted the fate of any inter-racial relationship, still do.
bkatayab 4 months ago
I always cry at the end of this movie....one of my all time favorites.
pammid 4 months ago
We never find out Sara Jane's white/tan father's name!
Scoutpower1 4 months ago
It breaks my heart when her daughter turns her back on her 'cuz shes a "house mamie" :(
TakeMeBackTo1986 5 months ago 7
What a movie! It is full of such lush scenes, gowns, and acting. Thanks for this post.
necktieguy1 5 months ago 4
I had never heard of this movie at all until seeing a recent clip of Mahalia Jackson's beautiful song was played on TV. I did a little research and the plot intrigued me. They do not make movies like this known to my generation as often as they should. From what I read of the plot, this sounded good, so thought I'd check it out. Thanks for putting this movie on here!
c2vball7 5 months ago
I love t h is movie!! The ending is so so sad
BondiBeachGirl 5 months ago in playlist sandra dee movie/imitation of life
If Lana Turner is remembered for anything it should be this movie and Mamdam X. Both of these films are Ross Hunter Films and both have endings that would melt any heart and stories that are as valid today as they were at the time of their release.
NemoFuitHic 5 months ago
ahhh a childhood favorite. im 23 years old and i wasnt aloud to watch regular cable on television. the only channel my mother and i watched was the turner classic movies. for those of you who speak spanish there is another version in spanish that is also great.
jessxdriver 6 months ago
We had a dvd of it and I watched this movie wayyy back when I was in middle school and loved it.
h0lyd4bi3n 6 months ago
CasS!c ALL DA WAY ooo00h Ilov3 D!S
3YECANDY08 6 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
i do love this movie very much and makes me thin about my life too...leaving my parents...too
babything69 6 months ago
i just purchased this dvd set, which includes the original from the 1930's
rebirthofslick80 6 months ago
@rebirthofslick80 Where did you get it from?
megadiva793 6 months ago
Lady you are the best =)
I've been searching for this movie foe a long time!
thanks for uploding these kind of movie =D
best wishes =$
for27the27 6 months ago
@johnyzero2000 I think you are confused beyond belief.
Your comment is obviously sexist, but I suppose you think that is OK. It is also practically impossible since humans are not interfertile with any other species. I suppose you could mate with a Neanderthal but they are hard to find these days. In fact anthropologists claim they are extinct, so your best bet would be a chimpanzee.
If you succeed in having any offspring (hot or cool) then let us know, for it will be a biological sensation.
StimuLAZ 6 months ago
@StimuLAZ Yessir I'm a total pig I loves the ladies especially the gorgeous sisbdtas a the hot and spicy mamitas! I love 'em all!
johnyzero2000 6 months ago
I love this movie. We could learn so much from it about economic inequality, sexism and above all racism. It is a shame that so little has changed for the better since 1959. I don't understand why you present yourself as a biracial woman. To me it seems to mean you are partly human and partly something other than human. That does not seem humanly possible and it looks like an insult to your parents because I believe both of them must have been 100% human.
StimuLAZ 6 months ago
I agree, they dont make them like this anymore for sure!
kathypell 6 months ago
Our whole nation's history is based on the invention of race and the inequality of policy that resulted from it--racism. This tragic story--though glossy--is a dramatic retelling of this racism. This is STILL a racist country--its worst trait.
windstorm1000 6 months ago
I like both versions! <3
LiannaRodriguez 6 months ago
I'm biracial and can understand everything that Sarah Jane was going thru, but one thing for certain. I would never try to pass for something i'm not and I would never abandon my mother. I am mixed w/so much things I wouldn't be able to pass for one whole ethnic group anyway. lol! Even if I could it wouldn't change the fact that I claim all that i'm missed with but I am still me...A child of God. A black women, a Puerto Rican woman, an Irish women... I am all.
luckyrajasona 6 months ago 2
i watched this movie when i was 6
123Ladylove1 7 months ago
This movie gets me every time. I can really relate to Sarah Jane. Several people on both sides of my family have passed for white.
AyitaZuleikaReyes 7 months ago
i grew up watching this movie and it always made me cry at the end when Annie die and her daughter comes to her funeral crying like that. im 20 and til this day i still watch and love this movie. Hollywood don't make movies like this anymore.
JOHNCENATWILIGHT11 7 months ago
@JOHNCENATWILIGHT11 lol what a spoiler.
Nazzy124 7 months ago
@Nazzy124 sorry my bad
JOHNCENATWILIGHT11 7 months ago
Lol little Suzie played the girl in the Twilight Zone episode where she was the little girl from the past of the grown woman who witnessed her mum being killed. Lol I am so old.
ImNotYourFriend212 7 months ago
why is it out of synch ?
expos73 7 months ago
This movie is one of my favourites, thanks so much for uploading! It's so brilliant and moving..
SkoolOfLanadin 7 months ago
I love old movies. This is a classic!
mothermineral 7 months ago
Sad to say but this was the way life was for so many of our sisters at that time.
TheIvoryPearl1 8 months ago
this first clip of the movie made me uncomfortable. i didn't appreciate the stereotypical character of a black woman, down on her luck but smiling anyway, having to practically beg for a job, "...someone who eats like a bird, takes low pay and never wants any time off..." hmm, just seems a little degrading to me. cringe-worthy...not sure this is a movie i can watch and enjoy...
jaynemarie81 8 months ago
@jaynemarie81 grow up.
SeducerOfTheHomeless 8 months ago
@SeducerOfTheHomeless its called empathy. you should try it sometime.
jaynemarie81 6 months ago
@jaynemarie81 I have no shortage of empathy, and never felt anything but respect and empathy for the black characters in this film. Anyway, this is a Douglas Sirk film, don't you find the white characters to be tired 50s cliches? A major theme in Sirk's films is stereotypes, and shining a light upon them, real people constrained visually and contextually within cliche. Consider the title, 'Imitation of Life', it uses melodrama, falseness to make its points. This is a movie, an imitation of life.
SeducerOfTheHomeless 6 months ago
@jaynemarie81 But I guess that's how it was back then? Still, I get you.
mashinebenz 7 months ago
@mashinebenz sadly it was that way back then, and there is still is no complete equality in the world even today. i am passionately against racism, which is why, for me personally, i react sensitively this movie and its theme
jaynemarie81 6 months ago
@jaynemarie81 I understand. Thanks for explaining :)
mashinebenz 6 months ago
@jaynemarie81 I agree. (I am a black W myself and grew up watching this). I think the fact that we show people that this is how we were portrayed in these times (and sometimes unfortunately actually had to live this way based on skin colour/class) is creative. It sucks that this is how we were shown (sometimes we still are shown this way and this has to stop) I am doing my part by writing and showing black women in roles other than the mainstream media. But this film is classic w/ a great plot.
ImNotYourFriend212 7 months ago
@jaynemarie81 Well, you have to understand when this movie was made, that was usually the case for a black woman... but if that role was portrayed today, there would be a problem
coldplay4321 7 months ago
@jaynemarie81 - What you don't understand however, is that this movie is not representative, nor is it meant to be representative, of a black woman of 2011. The movie begins in the time frame of 1947. At this time, black women still had not achieved a level of equality to their white counterparts. Many black women worked as domestics, and this is what the movie is illustrating. It's a shame that you didn't give this film a chance in the context of the time frame that it is depicting
galileocan 7 months ago
@galileocan being a lover of all people, especially my african/english husband and biracial father i cannot watch this kind of movie with this kind of theme and enjoy it. simple. if others want to fine go ahead. if it is a classic, cool, but the comments forum of youtube is for self expression and opinions and that is what i use it for. if you don't like mine you are fully entitled to.
jaynemarie81 6 months ago
I love watching it. I can remember watching my mom and grandma cry at the end and when I was a little older I cried too. The relationship that develops between Lora and Annie was truly inspiring. They depending on each other and loved each other deeply. They were from two different worlds and didn't care about race. Sarah Jane caused Annie to die of heartache but I do understand why SJ wanted to pass for White. I didn't care for Steve. He was so stiff and too perfect. Best funeral scene ever!
mooki33 8 months ago
iam only 37,but i can safely say they dont make movies like this anymore,i admire the skool actresses they had so much grace and poise simply wonderful
lakersfan1974 8 months ago 25
@lakersfan1974
im 15 an couldn't agree more
milesandemilyrock 8 months ago
@milesandemilyrock im sorry but what does ur age have to do with anything? i wouldnt be flashing my age around on the internet if i were a 15 year old girl.
MizzArtiztic 8 months ago
@MizzArtiztic
i stated my age because, if you looked at the message I was replying to you would see that she/he stated their age as if no one now-a-days understands and admires older movies, but apparently you didn't
milesandemilyrock 8 months ago
@milesandemilyrock no its just getting old when i see everyone saying "i like this and im 'whatever' years old. and thats getting old, i just got fed up with it and took it out on you. lol
MizzArtiztic 8 months ago
@MizzArtiztic
well aren't i lucky
milesandemilyrock 8 months ago
@lakersfan1974 Me too and I am only thirty-two
sareusepeus 4 months ago
@lakersfan1974
The movies today are crap. As fucked up as it was there was something to say about the "Studio System" They groomed stars.
TimothyBreeding 3 months ago
this is the best movie ever made!!been watching it since i was like 5!! love it!
chasnicole007 8 months ago
its so slow
singsong3020 8 months ago in playlist Movies
the ending was tragic because the mother always loved her daughter no matter what kind of mistakes she made.It had me in tears and i'm grown man indeed a true classic.
bigjerry69 8 months ago
i love this movie but i'm sorry i cracked up laughing when Sarah Jane was like "i don't want the black one" i know that's sad but the way she said it was funny & i've been watching this for years & this is my first time noticing that
evahill38 8 months ago
@evahill38 Wow ! If you thought that was funny you should watch "An Affair To Remember". You would probably find it hilarious when Deborah Kerr gets hit by a car and paralyzed !
expos73 7 months ago
oh my gosh i remember watching this movie when i had TCM shucksss
trustinChrist08 8 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
This is one of my favorite movies ever !!!!!
barbarac1958 8 months ago
Too sad of an ending.
COMING4U 9 months ago
This movie made me cry.....my blacks have come a long way, and many more to go!!!!
maparke100 9 months ago in playlist imitation of life 3
i cried all the way, it moves me all the time
riamina1 9 months ago
The Best Movie in its Time Brillaint!!! I say Brilliant! It make me cry evertime..
tonishap3 9 months ago 2
Yeah, I can see trouble. The North was more "progressive" with the "people a color darker then blue." Both not that open and equal.
I think it would pain me to see the whole movie.
P8G9JVXD9BK296WHKYJB 9 months ago
im mad at how the black doll's hair looked!
yagrljessie 9 months ago
i have great internet and watch movies here all the time but this movie is very choppy for some reason.... hmmmm
xlaurenstephens 11 months ago
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I luv this movie. the best movie ever.
MzSkiye 11 months ago
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What is this movie about
aujingting 11 months ago
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love this movie everyone needs to see this film
sanyo51 11 months ago
Bless you, I found this movie again , 10 years after having watched it ... such a great movie I am going to watch it now ;)!! Merci pour ce film!
sophie0707 11 months ago
Luv This Movie! It Always Make Me Cry At the End...Ooops, I Hope I'm Not Giving the Ending Away for Someone #I's Sorry!! LOL
Free2BeCG1 1 year ago
The little white girl played in that creepy twilight zone with the teacher, a very good one. dam, i saw the little girl again in this cool movie with dennis hopper as a rogue teen , miss the 50's.
DatesTwinn 1 year ago
I do not believe in coiencedences I stumbled on this movie due to watching an episode of Without a Trace where a white kid went missing finding out his dad was rich and black and even before I was reading a book called Venus In The Dark by Janell Hobson and it briefly mentions this mindset of white being normal and black backwards which is wrong to be honest
VersatileMusicTV 1 year ago
i will always love this movie
MzMusique 1 year ago
This is far more excellent than the original with Claudette Colbert. I like Claudetter Colbert but some remakes are bettert than the original and this is one.
starlight76able 1 year ago
wow at like 4:51-4:52 you see a white guy and black woman holding hands ...that is impressive
trevanismith 1 year ago
I like what I just watched. I don't like You Tube. It STINKS! It took me about HALF AN HOUR to watch a 10 minute clip.
buenavozalasdoce
buenavozalasdoce 1 year ago
@buenavozalasdoce that's not Youtube's fault, it's because u have a poor internet connection.
AlexSumsky 1 year ago 2
@buenavozalasdoce lol are you mentally handicapped? Its your crap computer or your crap internet.
DarkSabre753 1 year ago
I JUST VIEWED THIS MOVIE IN MY FILM CLASS + I LOVE IT !!!
kinstube 1 year ago
i love this movie.. my granny made me watch it wenn i was like 7.. lol im 17 finna be 18 now lol..
MeeLAxBEE 1 year ago
Ahhh, interesting.
lowestcommon 1 year ago
Really terribly over-acted on purpose. People don't know the real message of this movie. They think it is good. The director meant everything to be over-acted, over the top and not very good to give a message..... wow people actually think this is a good movie by itself Without its true message it isn't good at all.
soadpwnsyou 1 year ago
@soadpwnsyou a little harsh, I think. Sirk was making some powerful social commentary on women's lives in his era and passing them off as light 'chick flick' material, though this one is obviously a little more serious right off the bat.
People can like this movie, it takes all kinds of audience to people the fans of the film world, and you cannot be the final judge. DO you understand Sirk's message? The book's message? Have you seen the '34 version already, which is a little less over the top.
lowestcommon 1 year ago
@lowestcommon
I didn't see the 34 version or read the book. I watched this in a film class at a college. And we explained what the message was. The movie is a little stupid because of the over acting from the 50's and the cliche women of the 50's. It tackles the race issue but in a weird way. Watch the ending again. Why is everyone smiling in the end? Is she happy that her mom died because now she can try to be white? No one knows.
soadpwnsyou 1 year ago 2
@soadpwnsyou You can see the 1934 version on here if you want to. I uploaded it last year after a previous user who had the movie up removed it.
harriettewinslow 1 year ago
@soadpwnsyou I always thought they were smiling because Sarah Jane had come back, and they wanted her to know that everything would be ok, that they would be there for her and take care of her. I always pictured Sarah Jane changed her ways and finally became the "good girl " her momma wanted her to be. Maybe that is just my "all movies MUST have a happy ending mentalitiy"! Sirk was really into what we would now term as "Chick Flicks". His women were always strong and independent.
LadyDragonsblood 11 months ago
@soadpwnsyou
I kinda see where you are coming from ...Like When Ms. Laura said "Sara Jane DON"T "as if to not let the cat out of the bag that her mom was black ...but i think the smiles were for seeing she finally got back to reality and came home rather than run. a bit too late but...none the less...Wonderful movie.
Thanks...
;0)
68NYC 10 months ago
@soadpwnsyou
Over acting from the 50's? Cliche women? That is the message you got in your film class?
fairyfay80 9 months ago
@fairyfay80
That is what happens. I have seen many 50's films and most women act the same. Same with men.
They are not realistic at all.
soadpwnsyou 9 months ago
@soadpwnsyou
Oookkk....
Movies are suppose to be an escape from reality no matter what year they were made in.
fairyfay80 9 months ago
@fairyfay80
The acting isn't supposed to be Shakespearean though or too Poetic.
It sounds really stupid when they use language about love that no one uses in real life. That is why I like today's movies better.
soadpwnsyou 9 months ago
@soadpwnsyou i really dont think thats it i think she realize who she really is
MrLibertygirl 9 months ago
@soadpwnsyou
If the smiles you referring to are the ones exchanged in the limousine ---the only smiles exchanged at the funeral---, notice that Sarah Jane was not the only one smiling. Nobody would have been smiling about Annie's death, least of all for the reason you cited.
A1l2l2e2n4 7 months ago
@lowestcommon
I didn I like the message but dislike the movie. One of the stupidest scenes is when Sarah is getting beat up by her "boyfriend". The musical is awful, it sounds like it is trying to be a comedy because the music doesn't fit at all. Sounds like an action movie song from the 50's or James Bond like. Like I said, the acting is cheesy and over acted on purpose. That is why I don't like the movie itself. There are more reasons just hard to type it.
soadpwnsyou 1 year ago
@soadpwnsyou I think most (at least 90%) understand why the acting and scenarios are the way they are. Yes, some people will say that they enjoy this film just to say it or maybe they enjoy it for different reasons but most ppl who watch this understand its concept.
ImNotYourFriend212 7 months ago
i absolutely have to say this is a wonderful movie. i cry every time i watch it.
bcsvivr05 1 year ago
Does anyone know if there every remade this movie or had it every became a Broadway play? I used this song for my audition song for America's Got Talent and wanted to use it for other auditions because it is a power song. Just asking! What is the reason you are watching this movie?
taffyday123 1 year ago
@taffyday123 It is a classic! For African Americans, it touches on the Color Complex! It was common during this time for light skinned Blacks to attempt to pass for Whites so that they can make it in mainstream America! Even in if it took disassociating themselves from family! This is an imitation of life!
Angelscnbsexi2 1 year ago
@Angelscnbsexi2 This movie is NOT a classic for black people. I agree that Imitation of Life has a historical importance because it deals with racism and passing. However, I find it abhorrent the devaluation of black women and the fact Sarah Jane's mother is basically a mammy. I also find it a bit disturbing the nurturing black mammy stereotype which I find offensive.
JordanjamesX 11 months ago
@JordanjamesX I watched the 1934 version and I could see the mammy stereotype very clearly but I really did not see it in this version. I saw Annie as a caring person who was dealing with a daughter who rejected her.
fashionhistorylover 10 months ago
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itsmekirstie 10 months ago
All of Sarah Jane's facial expressions were so powerful and truly showed how ashamed she felt for being born the way she was
imbbad 1 year ago
Is it just me, or does anyone else notice that the audio seems to be off in this movie. I mean when the actors are talking their lips don't match what is being said. It's like the microphone is not picking up everything. In ceratin scenes, the actors may start to speak before their lips move or stop talking and their lips may still move a bit. Does anyone else notice that?
shae1178 1 year ago
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So is she black in real life? Cux she looks pretty white to me.
OMGImJustToAwesome 1 year ago
It's a brilliant movie. The dubbing was pretty bad, though.
needles1987 1 year ago
I love classic films and I had never seen this one, a truely inspiring story thank u for uplaoding it
HailieKT 1 year ago
Does anyone know if the little girl that played Sarah Jane was a really light African-American or was she Caucasion? I know the older Sarah Jane was Mexican and Jewish.
shae1178 1 year ago
@shae1178 I read several places that she was white but I'm not 100% sure.
doni1212 1 year ago
@shae1178 The young girl, Karin Dicker, was Jewish.
Juliaflo 1 year ago
you know the part where the white mom asked the black mom how long she has had her daughter, i read that this still happens to african american women today. lol things haven't changed too much
mjjcng8958 1 year ago
wasn't sarah's dad white or something.....
BabyGirlGoddess 1 year ago
@BabyGirlGoddess The mother was probably raped
Sofang120 1 year ago
As a the video clerk checking me out once said, "Claudette Colbert is good, BUT SHE AIN'T NO LANA TURNER, HONEY!" I laughed and had to agree. This version is so much richer than the original version. The scene with Mahalia Jackson singing at Annie's funeral has me in tears each time.
alanap67 1 year ago
This movie takes place in 1947 (Susan is six and Sarah Jane is eight years old) and than ten or eleven years pass to 1958 where Susan is sixteen or seventeen years old, and Sarah Jane is eighteen or nineteen years old. Both girls being in their late teenage years almost in their twenties.
Scoutpower1 1 year ago
This is one of the most racist and offensive films I've ever seen. It's just as racist as the first one.
TheKittyn101 1 year ago
I dont think she didnt love her mother she just wanted to be normal and get the opportunities in life that black people then and even in some instances now dont get compared to white people. I think I would have been the same way! The mother should have understood that instead of barging in and trying to make her daughter live the way she wanted her to live... then maybe their relationship would have been better.
MissEtana 1 year ago
@MissEtana I find it very disturbing that you practically agreed to Sarah Jane being a self-hating, brain-washed person and hating her very own mother. It's sick that society was that way in which black people weren't able to have to same opportunities as whites. And it's even more sicker that you call being white "normal". No matter how far away she went from her mother, she would always be black n would always know it. And you agree that she should keep living her life as a pathetic lie.
KatarraParson 1 year ago
The little white girl susie, played in the twilight zone, her part was creepy but good.
DatesTwinn 1 year ago
7:20 awwwww shes so kind..!
Hope42mrw 1 year ago
4:47 in the background there is an interracial relationship do you see it? didn't expect that from a late 50s early 60s film O.O
Desi1204 1 year ago
@Desi1204 I paused and looked at it again too lol!
lilkk234 1 year ago
No matter how much you love your children there is never a guarantee that they will love you back even though a mother's love is unconditional. I've been told by mine that they did not ask to be brought into this world...
Skullcorps 1 year ago
Exquisite in every way, Douglas Sirk's brilliant 1959 remake of "Imitation Of Life" is one of the most perfect soap operas ever made. Frank Skinner's GORGEOUS score is responsible for a huge part of the film's power. It literally gives the film it's heart and soul. Skinner is the MOST unsung genius among American film composers.
Nemesis7293 1 year ago
omg....this movie is absolutely beautiful!!!!!! One of my absolute favorites!!!!
famoussomeday1506 1 year ago
CAN ANY ONE PLEASE UPLOAD THIS MOVIE CALLED (I PASSED FOR WHITE 1960) I really want to see it and i bet alot of other people want to so if any can put it on youtube that would be great.
34099832 1 year ago
Thank you for posting this movie
punky298705 1 year ago
powerful soap opera
MrBillcale 1 year ago
This is my movie. I can watch this everyday and not get tired of it!!
VideoCraver19 1 year ago 2
At 04:49 an interracial couple, a black girl in a white swimsuit holding hands w/ a white dude, can be seen on the right in the background. One did NOT see that very often back in '47, not even in NY. And what the hell was that Mardi Gras sign about? MG is in MARCH, not SEPTEMBER!!!
Lurking99 1 year ago
love this movie so much...so sad :(
13gigin 1 year ago
i want the whole movie where can i get it
it so sad how sarah jane dont like being black...smh
723887 1 year ago
i want the whole movie where can i get it
723887 1 year ago
who is singing the opening song?
METATRON89 1 year ago
@METATRON89 Nat King Cole I think, sure sounds like him....love his voice!!!
rinskepv 1 year ago
@rinskepv
i just looked it up and apparently it was sung by a ma named Earl Grant.
Thanks anyway, just thought i'd pass on the info.
METATRON89 1 year ago
@METATRON89 oh wow really? thanks...
rinskepv 1 year ago
@rinskepv, Earl Grant was thought of as an 'imitation' Nat King Cole - kind of fitting that he sang the title tune for this film.
Muirmaiden 1 year ago
@METATRON89 As it clearly says in the opening credits..."Sung by Earl Grant".
Nemesis7293 1 year ago
Great Movie nuff said!!
Caveman1006 1 year ago
This is one of my top five favorite movies! SO GOOD!
sportygirl869 1 year ago
This movie, cannot be remade...the performances and the power are unmatched. Let this stay a classic hollywood....PLEASE
face2facechick 1 year ago
@face2facechick I say that about a lot of films but they remake them like hell! I can't stand it!
BabyCarlyle 1 year ago
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Juliaflo 1 year ago
Thanks for posting this movie, this movie is a masterpiece.
honeegrrl 1 year ago
one of my favourite movies
Deolarlie 1 year ago
Oooh! I hope this is better than the on made with Claudette Colbert. That film was extremely disappointing, to say the least!
lorrainewands 1 year ago
i <3 this movie since i 1st saw it. when i was like 10 yrs. old. it just stuck 2 me. i luvd it sooo much :)
lele0luvs0life 1 year ago
was this set in california?or new york cause in the 1950s i doubt its in the south lol also nice movie
idahosatha12 1 year ago
@idahosatha12 Well the opening scene is set on Coney Island.....and she is audtioning for plays on Broadway....so of course, it's New York. I am not saying that sarcasticly....because you may not be from the US....so I hope I answered your question! Wasn't it a fantastic movie. I loved it since I was a kid. I wish there were more directors like Sirk these days. Movies USED to be so good....now most of them are just TRASH.
LadyDragonsblood 1 year ago
@LadyDragonsblood yea it was a fantastic movie :) ohhhh sooo she was auditioning for a play not a movie cause if it was a movie it would b in california and since its a play we all know thats new york i used to go to them wen i lived there for like 3 years as a kid but ima californian lol ohh and i AM from the USA lol im an American and proud of it lol
idahosatha12 1 year ago