Imitation of Life
1934 · Movie · Approved · 111 min · ★ 7.0 · 80% critics
A struggling widow and her daughter take in a Black housekeeper and her fair-skinned daughter, and the household partnership grows into a profitable business. As they rise, tensions around family bonds, personal identity, and racial pressures strain their lives and choices.
Based on Imitation of Life
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Details
- Years
- 1934
- Release date
- 1934-11-23
- Language
- English
- Rated
- Approved
- Runtime
- 111 min
- Critic score
- 80/100
- TMDB rating
- 7.0/10 (87 votes)
About
You’ll like this if you enjoy classic melodrama with sharp social tensions and family-centered stakes, with Imitation of Life (1959) also offering a similar premise; Not for you if you want modern, nuanced handling of race or prefer light entertainment.
Pros: emotionally charged performances; compelling mother-daughter drama; socially meaningful themes | Cons: dated racial portrayals; melodrama can feel heavy; some story threads uneven
Themes
- black and white
- housekeeper
- pancakes
- pre-code
- passing for white
Awards & recognition
- Academy Award — Best Picture · 1935 · nominated
- Academy Award — Best Sound · 1935 · nominated
Cast & crew
Claudette Colbert
as Beatrice 'Bea' Pullman
Louise Beavers
as Delilah Johnson
Warren William
as Stephen 'Steve' Archer
Rochelle Hudson
as Jessie Pullman, Age 18
Ned Sparks
as Elmer Smith
Fredi Washington
as Peola Johnson, Age 19
Juanita Quigley
as Baby Jessie Pullman, Age 3
Alan Hale
as Martin the Furniture Man
Henry Armetta
as The Painter
Wyndham Standing
as Beatrice's Butler Jarvis
Directed by John M. Stahl