I am loathe to watch remakes of most movies. Unless the original was severely flawed and the original fixes these mistakes (such as in earlier versions of 1941's "The Maltese Falcon"),I always prefer originals. Because of this, it's been a very, very long time between seeing the original 1934 version of "Imitation of Life" and this 1959 version. And, now that I've seen both I realize my rule of thumb still holds--the 1934 version is better in every way.

In the original film, the main plot involving the success of the two female leads has been changed radically--and I assume much of this is due to the director, Douglas Sirk. Sirk's films often feature strong woman--strong, sophisticated and classy women. However, the original film featured two women (Claudette Colbert and Louise Beavers) striking it rich by opening a chain of pancake houses--and that is VERY much unlike Sirk's style. Here, in the remake, the two women are NOT full partners in a business--Lana Turner plays a glamorous actress and Juanita Moore plays her maid!! This fits in with Sirk's view of women (and perhaps black people)--but also makes the later film less of a wonderful statement about racism and human decency. While the subplot involving the daughter who wants to pass as white is thankfully STILL there, why make Moore's character a maid? And, what's wrong with making a fortune with a string of restaurants?! Well, in Sirk's world, you get rich by being a huge actress, not a common restaurant owner!

So am I saying I hated this film? No. Certainly not. The film STILL maintains the sad plot involving the black daughter who would give anything to pass for being white--though it makes the girl's decision seem more spiteful and makes her a dancer in some seedy night club!! For the 1934 film I'd give it a 9 and see it as a truly heartfelt film. However, the 1959 version just seemed by the numbers, too glossy and muted in its social messages--and a bit silly. It's also clearly a soap opera instead of the nice drama that the original was. I am generous in giving this one a 6.

By the way, I did marvel at Lana Turner in the film. The idea of her starring in a play by Tennessee Williams or doing comedy seemed strange and against type. Plus, while Turner was still relatively young, she sure didn't look it and having her say that 'she's five years late in starting her stage career' made me laugh. It looked a lot closer to 20. And, it also seemed utterly ridiculous that EVERY man in the film wanted her!! Give me a break--she looked too overly coiffed and plastic to be seen as a vamp. Toning back all this a bit would have worked much better and more realistic--as well as made the message a lot less applicable to women watching the film in 1959.

This swan-song for Douglas Sirk also happens to be I feel one of his best. Imitation of Life is a gem of a film, and for many reasons is a real tear jerker.

Imitation of Life is sumptuously filmed. The cinematography is beautiful, as are the costumes, scenery and sets. The music is excellent too, not just in the incidental music but also in the funeral song sung by Mahalia Jackson. It is absolutely gut-wrenching, and when my family and I saw it there wasn't a dry eye in the room as that song played. Imitation of Life also benefits from some great direction, an engrossing story that deals with a lot of domestic troubles and issues and a well written script. Not to mention the acting- although I am not an immediate fan of Lana Turner she is great as the actress oblivious to the issues she faces but be prepared for a lot of delirious and melodramatic mood swings if you haven't seen the film yet, and Juanita Moore is excellent too as the most sympathetic character. But Susan Kohner steals the show as Sarah Jane, the character I was most interested in and Kohner did brilliantly carrying the second half of this film.

Overall, excellent film, melodramatic it is but not in a bad way. 10/10 Bethany Cox

During the Fifties and Sixties Lana Turner got to remake four Hollywood classics with the following films, The Merry Widow, The Rains Of Ranchipur, Imitation Of Life, and Madame X. I think only with Imitation Of Life did she get into something better than the original product. And the original Imitation Of Life with Claudette Colbert and Louise Beavers was a classic indeed.

The film is updated with the action beginning at the end of World War II until the present which would be 1959 in the movie. Instead of the two women coming together to form a business partnership, they meet on the Coney Island beach when their daughters play with each other. For Lana it's a cheap day of fun because she's overdue on rent. Lana is a widow who came from the Midwest to make it as an actress on Broadway. But Juanita Moore and her daughter are already homeless. Lana has an extra room and Juanita is willing to work as a domestic for room and board.

What happens though is the two women bond like sisters despite the racial differences. The girls who grow up to be Sandra Dee and Susan Kohner also bond, but Kohner who is light skinned passes for white in school and away from home in general. She publicly repudiates her mother several times because she doesn't want it known she's black. Being cut off like that from her daughter wounds Moore to the depths of her soul beyond any comprehension.

Turner has her problems too when success comes her way she has less and less time for Dee and Dee looks to Moore for the woman's answers to teen issues when reaching puberty. If you've seen the 1934 version you know how this will all resolve itself.

The two Oscars that Imitation Of Life earned were for Moore and Kohner in the Best Supporting Actress category. Both lost to Shelley Winters for The Diary Of Anne Frank another story about prejudice. But the whole cast is just brilliant. And the ending will move you even if you've had an encounter with Medusa.

Moore's whole life is her daughter which makes the way Kohner treats her even more painful. Turner has several men in her life each with a character flaw or two. John Gavin is a nice man, but a male chauvinist. Dan O'Herlihy is playwright who has an ego a mile wide. And Robert Alda as an agent just can't tame his wolfish ways.

Fannie Hurst's novel was powerful indictment against racism and the damage self hate can do. Hurst was also a lesbian and she could see that from a sexual perspective as well. Closeted gays passing for straight in positions of power can and have done incalculable damage to their brothers and sisters.

In that vein this review is dedicated to Andy Humm who made that remark to me years ago and it's in the past few years I've seen the wisdom behind that statement.

Don't ever pass this powerful film by if it is broadcast.