Dan Ireland on IMITATION OF LIFE

Filmmaker Dan Ireland on IMITATION OF LIFE

Fannie Hurst's four-hankie bestseller had been filmed before in 1934, but Douglas Sirk's 1959 remake, his last Hollywood film, is the one to remember. Derided at the time by critics and audiences, it has come to sum up Sirk's serial attack on the hypocritical institutions of family and motherhood as practiced in '50s America.

Find out more about IMITATION OF LIFE at the IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052918/

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ABOUT DAN IRELAND:

DAN IRELAND loves movies of all shapes and sizes. He's one of the co-founders of The Seattle International Film Festival and producer of over 15 films.

His directorial debut, the award winning The Whole Wide World starred Vincent D'Onofrio and introduced to the world to Renee Zellweger. His other credits as a director include Passionada and Mrs Palfrey at The Claremont. His latest film, Jolene, stars Dermot Mulroney.

ABOUT TRAILERS FROM HELL:

TFH is the premier showcase for a breathtakingly eclectic assortment of trailers from classic era films both in their original form and punctuated with informative and amusing commentary by contemporary filmmakers.

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[woyouxile]

I love this movie. See and weep indeed. My dad tried to make watch it and I refused just on principle( I was fifteen at the time). One day I was home alone and decided to watch it. the last twenty minutes and ten minutes after the movie ended I was still bawling. No other movie has ever had such an effect on me.

[jeagerdog1]

I had no idea you were going to talk through the entire trailer..

[sandinyourshoes]

Yes, 00Daizy00, I do remember that the late Alex Haley wrote about the concept of "high yellow" in his classic "Roots." Light vs. dark just goes back forever and never seems to stop. Still, being black or white is often how one sees herself, as it is in the case of this film.

[00Daizy00]

She was to be considered "HIGH YELLOW" folks, "HIGH YELLOW". Although that slang term wasn't available at that time, that is what she was to be considered as. However, there would be indeed some trace of caucasian ancestry in her family tree somewhere for her to possess features that she'd have. You could also write that off as "traits skipping a generation" also. Maybe her grandma or grandpa was half white..., go figure...

[00Daizy00]

@sandinyourshoes Actually...., you probably should research Imitation of Life from 1934. In the original 1934 version of this very film, Freddie Washington played a character that was without a doubt similar to Sarah Jane but unlike Susan, Freddie Washington was definitely a fully genetically born fully black female but very light skinned (or a more slang term, "high yellow"). She insisted on portraying characters on screen that would allow her to where her race with pride and not shame!

[Xxcoolkid08xX]

Susan Kohner is one of the most beautiful women ive ever seen ! and i love this movie so much, theres a few movies that touch me but when i seen this movie i couldnt controll my tears. I always had so much hatred for sarah jane, not just because she was a total bitch, but because she's too pretty! such a heart breaking movie, i'll never ever forget the first time i ever watched it, i've never cried so much in my life.

[sandinyourshoes]

@boomcc1, yes, I recall that scene. Perhaps the audience looked more at the actress instead of focusing on the storyline? It seems easy to make that mistake.

[sandinyourshoes]

@TRENZ2, oh, I agree with you 100%. If Sara Jane's dad were only half white, then that would be absolutely minimum. Two black parents cannot produce a child who'd look like her as you stated. It is not genetically possible. That would be like saying Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie had black twins. No way.

[TRENZ2]

Annie may have stated that the child's father LOOKED white, but in order to have a white child with straight hair he had to be at least half white. There's no way two black parents could produce a kid THAT white. My cousin looks like her, but she has a white father.

[slickjilly]

One of my favorites. The funeral procession scene still makes me bawl like a baby. Good Lord!