Imitation of Life (1934)
88%RT Audience Score: 84%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 3 Oscars
1 win & 3 nominations total
Imitation of Life isn’t always subtle, but even as it tugs at the heartstrings, this socially conscious melodrama effectively explores Jim Crow-era racial taboos
Imitation of Life is a classic film that tackles the sensitive topic of race relations in a way that was groundbreaking for its time. While some critics found the tear-jerking moments to be a bit over-the-top, others praised the performances of Claudette Colbert and Louise Beavers as outstanding. As a non-critic, I have to say that I loved the film’s mix of merriment and pathos, and I was thoroughly enthralled from start to finish. Plus, who doesn’t love a good old Hollywood tearjerker?
Production Company(ies)
Shinchosha Company, Studio Ghibli,
Distributor
Universal Pictures
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
MPAA / Certificate
Approved
Year of Release
1934
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Color:Color
Black and White -
Sound mix:Dolby
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Aspect ratio:1.37 : 1
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Runtime:1h 46m
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Language(s):
-
Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Nov 26, 1934 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 10, 2004
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Claudette Colbert, Warren William, Louise Beavers, Rochelle Hudson, Ned Sparks, Alan Hale, directed by John M Stahl, written by Fannie Hurst, Finley Peter Dunne, Victor Heerman, William Hurlbut, drama, Jim Crow-era, racial taboos, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Wanda Hale, Edgar Hay, Times (UK) Staff, Edwin Schallert, Len G Shaw, OC Register Staff, Charlotta Bass, Bernice Patton, Vere E Johns, Donald Kirkley, Gazette Staff, MPAA rating, Universal Pictures, Carl Laemmle Jr., John M Stahl, pancake recipe, Atlantic City boardwalk, family hardships, racial problems, social conflict drama, mother-daughter conflict, Lana Turner version, social conscious melodrama, African-American, light-skinned, passing, Hays Code, racial mixing, conservative America, lynching, racial problem, taboo, racial subject matter, racial struggle, sensitive, thoughtful, exploitative, Caucasian, subservient, superstition, mixed-race, lynch, shameful truth, emotional impact, heart-touching, outstanding characterization, grand, masterpiece, enthralling, captivating, unexpected, angst, beautiful clothes, champagne, dancing, snapshot, pushing the boundaries, maturing, tolerance, Academy Award, self-made woman, pluck, ambition, secret pancake recipe, maid, brutal, heart-wrenching, child, upset, insult, school, all-white classroom, stares, whispers, adult, pretending, disown, suffering, deathbed, snapshot, balancing family and work, control, skyrockets, light-skinned African-American actress, thoughtful, not exploitative, simple-minded, perpetuates a myth, convenient, minor character, subplots, well rounded, realistic, emotionally involving
Worldwide gross: NA
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): NA
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Warren William – Stephen “Steve” Archer
Louise Beavers – Delilah Johnson
Rochelle Hudson – Jessie Pullman
Ned Sparks – Elmer Smith
Alan Hale – Martin
Director(s)
John M. Stahl
Writer(s)
Fannie Hurst, Finley Peter Dunne, Victor Heerman, William Hurlbut
Producer(s)
Carl Laemmle Jr., John M. Stahl
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 3 Oscars
1 win & 3 nominations total
Academy Awards
All Critics (52) | Top Critics (17) | Fresh (45) | Rotten (7)
The race angle is treated with so obvious an attempt at tear-jerking that a good part of the Hurst appeal for increased colored tolerance is lost in a welter of sentimentality.
January 30, 2021 | Rating: 2.5/4
Wanda Hale
New York Daily News
TOP CRITIC
We should hand It to Universal for making even a timid attempt to get away from the cut and dried formulae of cinema drama. It evidences a belief that the American movie public is maturing in its tastes and tolerance.
January 30, 2021
Edgar Hay
Miami Herald
TOP CRITIC
Not so much an imitation as a fake, for life has a way of forcing conclusions and decisions, and this film, which never seems quite sure which way it is going, studiously avoids both.
January 30, 2021
Times (UK) Staff
Times (UK)
TOP CRITIC
Miss Colbert has never done anything finer or more heart-touching.
January 30, 2021
Edwin Schallert
Los Angeles Times
TOP CRITIC
It is the work of Miss Beavers [and] Fredi Washington that gives the picture its greatest grip on the emotions.
January 30, 2021
Len G. Shaw
Detroit Free Press
TOP CRITIC
Claudette Colbert steps into her emotional role and makes it an outstanding characterization.
January 30, 2021
OC Register Staff
Orange County Register
TOP CRITIC
Miss Beavers, who has been in pictures for about ten years found her masterpiece in Imitation of Life.
January 30, 2021
Charlotta Bass
California Eagle
To say that the opus is grand, is putting it mildly. Probably, only the great Stahl could have brought to life such a masterpiece. The star setup was marvelous, and the acting of the adorable Claudette Colbert as well a Louis Beavers was superb.
January 30, 2021
Bernice Patton
Pittsburgh Courier
A racial problem is handled in a very frank and convincing manner.
January 30, 2021
Vere E. Johns
New York Age
When a studio, no matter how, or why, finds the courage to break a taboo, as in Imitation of Life, it is big news, and an occasion for rejoicing.
January 30, 2021
Donald Kirkley
Baltimore Sun
[Louise Beavers’s] remarkable performance of Aunt Delilah lifts this film out of the ordinary routine of the cinema.
January 30, 2021
Gazette Staff
Montreal Gazette
At times [Imitation of Life] moves with rapidity from merriment to pathos, but it is enthralling throughout.
January 30, 2021
Citizen Staff
Ottawa Citizen…
Plot
Bea Pullman and her daughter Jessie have had a hard time making ends meet since Bea’s husband died. Help comes in the form of Delilah Johnson, who agrees to work as Bea’s housekeeper in exchange for a room for herself and her daughter Peola. Bea comes up with a plan to market Delilah’s pancake recipe. The two soon become wealthy and as the years go on, their friendship deepens. Their relationships with their daughters, however, become strained. Ashamed of her mother, Peola seeks a new life by passing for white. Bea’s love for her daughter is tested when she and Jessie fall for the same man.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The film stars Claudette Colbert, Warren William, and Louise Beavers.
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