the heart with each step in one of the best Universal films of recent years. Her few films of that period : While Lora is filming in Italy, Steve looks after Susie, and the eager teenager soon falls in love with him. Sirk is able to make such a devastatingly embittered and pessimistic movie." Today, we pay tribute to the star with a look into her home life -- her early home life. Billy Wilder and Lemmon's lifelong comic foil Walter Matthau (nine collaborations with Lemmon in 32 years, including their most popular film, The Odd Couple, 1968) brought some of the comedian's finest funny moments to the screen. She had her named changed to Sandra Dee (a stage name combining her shortened first name and using her stepfather's surname initial D to sign Quinn again won Best Supporting Actor playing painter Paul Gauguin Lust for Life (1956) which at the time was the shortest on-screen time to win an acting Oscar. It was made into a film in 1934, starring Claudette Colbert and Louise Beavers, directed by John Stahl. It was in Ireland that O'Connor started acting in several local productions. If we should ever pass on the street, please don't recognize me." every film fan. "If the dramatist's club want to eat and sleep with you, you'll eat and sleep with them. Quinn continued in film parts that gathered acclaim: Crazy Horse in They Died With Their Boots On (1941), a gambler in The Ox-Bow Incident (1943), a soldier in Guadalcanal Diary (1943). Illicit love and the corruption of big business might not seem to be the stuff of hit comedies, but Wilder and Lemmon found humor in the most unlikeliest of places. Actress Karen Dicker's name is misspelled as "Karin" in the onscreen credits. A year later, Lemmon hit the major leagues when he supported Hollywood heavyweights Henry Fonda, James Cagney and William Powell in Mister Roberts (1955). Ben Mankiewicz Intro -- Imitation Of Life (1959), Alicia Malone Intro -- Imitation Of Life (1959), Imitation Of Life (1959) -- (Movie Clip) A Maid To Live In, Imitation Of Life (1959) -- (Movie Clip) Ten Seconds Before You Die, Apr The gritty crime drama Across 110th Street (1972) is one of the best American movies of its decade, enhanced by Quinn's turn as an embattled police captain. She also thought the plot about a single mother who discovers her teenaged daughter and she are in love with the same man was a little too close to the rumors about a romantic triangle involving herself, her daughter and Stompanato. The Apartment (1960) focused on a working stiff who lends his home to his supervisors for their extramarital affairs. TCM REMEMBERS CARROLL O'CONNOR 1924-2001 He continued to sculpt and paint for the rest of his life while also becoming a noted art collector. It was Wright in fact who suggested the possibility of acting to Quinn and even paid for an operation to cure a speech impediment. Imitation of Life (1959) - YouTube Imitation of Life - Trivia - notstarring.com Illicit love and the corruption of big business might not seem to be the stuff of hit comedies, but Wilder and Lemmon found humor in the most unlikeliest of places. Turner hesitated about accepting the role, fearing that the combination of the scandal and the recent financial disappointment of Another Time, Another Place (1958) had put her in a very tenuous position. Art Direction: Alexander Golitzen, Richard H. Riedel Lana Turner's Imitations of Life - New York Social Diary Todd Haynes' Far from Heaven (2002), starring Julianne Moore, is a pastiche of scenes and themes from Sirk's films. He has acted in everything from lightweight sex farces (How to Murder Your Wife, 1965) to musicals (My Sister Eileen, 1955) to social dramas (Days of Wine and Roses, 1962) to political thrillers (The China Syndrome, 1979). Quinn divorced DeMille's daughter and married the costumer. Lora then meets Sarah Jane's single black mother, Annie Johnson, and a white photographer named Steve Archer, who takes some photographs of the girls. Email Address: Sign me up! Remake of "Imitation of Life" directed by John Stahl in 1934. But in Quinn's case, it's all true. Her mother Maria was a very overbearing parent, pushing Natasha into show business no matter what it cost the poor little girl. "All the kids talking behind my back! - From sexual antics to social critique, Lemmon and Wilder sharpened their comic knives on the hypocrisies they saw in American culture. The film's top-billed stars are Lana Turner and John Gavin, and the cast also features Sandra Dee, Dan O'Herlihy, Susan Kohner, Robert Alda and Juanita Moore. Carroll O'Connor - who died June 21st at the age of 76 - will be best remembered for portraying Archie Bunker on TV's All in the Family but his career actually was much more extensive. Lana Turner was back on top, and a rich woman as well. His parents were involved in Pancho Villa's revolutionary struggle and must have made a striking couple since the father was half Irish and mother Mexican Indian. At a suburban theatre in the Philadelphia area, the manager stood in the lobby at the film's end with a box of Kleenex for sobbing patrons. Lora breaks down, but sees to it that Annie has the elaborate funeral she had requested. SAM STAGGS is the author of four books, including three Produced - inevitably - by Ross Hunter. Kael was born June 19, 1919 in Petaluma, California but moved with her family to San Francisco during her teens. Lemmon entered the world in a completely novel fashion; he was born prematurely in an elevator in Boston in 1925. Music: Frank Skinner Famous Quotes from IMITATION OF LIFE This video shows clips from the original 1934 film "Imitation of Life" directed by John Stall . Imitation of Life became Universal's biggest moneymaker to date, and a 1995 poll by the New York Daily News still ranked it as one of the top-ten all-time favorite films. She wrote for several small publications and did a radio show on the groundbreaking network KPFA before finally landing a job at the high-profile McCall's only to be fired shortly after she panned The Sound of Music (1965) (which she called The Sound of Money). She even arranged a special advance screening for the girl so she could get her tears out of the way with the first screening and look her best for the critics at the premiere. - Between theatrical gigs, he played piano accompaniment to silent films shown at the Knickerbocker Music Hall in New York. Best Known For: Natalie Wood was an actress who starred in 'Rebel Without a Cause' and 'West Side Story.' She died tragically, drowning during a boating trip in 1981. Not only could she not risk another flop, but she wasn't sure she was ready to go back to work. performances. Are you black?" Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. At around 8 a.m., Wood's body was found about a mile south of the couple's yacht, off an isolated cove known as Blue Cavern Point. by Frank Miller, Made for $2 million, Imitation of Life grossed $6.4 million during its The Mirror Crack'd. . Editing: Milton Carruth Both Moore and Kohner were - Danny Peary, Guide For the Film Fanatic (Fireside). By the dawn of the '60s, Sandra Dee mania ruled the movie fanzines worldwide. Cast: Lana Turner (Lora Meredith), John Gavin (Steve Archer), Sandra Dee (Susie), Dan O'Herlihy (David Edwards), Susan Kohner (Sarah Jane), Robert Alda (Allen Loomis), Juanita Moore (Annie Johnson), Mahalia Jackson (Herself), Troy Donahue (Frankie), Sandra Gould (Receptionist), Jack Weston (Stage Manager), Bess Flowers (Geraldine Moore), Myrna Fahey (Actress) 5 Things You May Not Know About Douglas Sirk's 'Imitation Of Life' At the time, Hollywood didn't release films to black theatres until they had played out in other markets. There she majored in philosophy at University of California at Berkeley though she didn't graduate (the school later gave her an honorary degree). by Michael T. Toole, PAULINE KAEL 1919-2001 In Cowboy (1958), Lemmon plays a city slicker venturing out on the wild frontier. 1959, World premiere in Chicago, IL: 17 Mar 1959; Los Angeles opening: 20 Mar 1959; New York opening: 17 Apr 1959. She also had a limousine and driver at her disposal. Admission to each screening is $7 . A key role in Lawrence of Arabia (1962) only confirmed his talents while he again earned a Best Actor nomination for the unforgettable lead role in Zorba the Greek (1964). She continued to make a name for herself in. Turner's daughter, Cheryl Crane, visited the set during location shooting for Sandra Dee's high school graduation. He always used real flowers on the sets, and the jewelry was the real thing, too, supplied by Laykin et Cie. When Susie accuses Lora of loving her career more than her, Lora offers to give Steve up, but Susie has decided to go away to college. - Halliwell's Film & Video Guide (HarperPerennial). (1952) provided him a wonderful role which he used to win a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award. You name it, it's got it!" Her next film, The Reluctant Debutante, a bubbly romantic comedy with Rex Harrison, Kay Kendall and John Saxon, proved Dee to be adept in light comedy. Art Direction: Alexander Golitzen, Richard H. Riedel White! Quinn directed his only film in 1958, The Buccaneer, a commercial failure he later attributed to producer Cecil DeMille's interference. lamentable soap opera/"women's picture"/"problem" picture.The most honest Quinn also appeared on stage in 1936 playing opposite Mae West. in the heartbreak of the black-passing-for-white Her sons, Chris and Paul Weitz, are film producers/directors best known for the American Pie films and About a Boy (2002). By Lang Thompson, - As some form of compensation, her on-screen billing reads "presenting Juanita Moore as Annie Johnson," but that credit didn't make it into the film's advertising. Her two sons, Paul Weitz and Chris Weitz, have both become . Towards the end of that decade he appeared in Nicholas Ray's The Savage Innocents (1959) as an Eskimo, inspiring Bob Dylan to write "Quinn the Eskimo" (a Top Ten hit for Manfred Mann in 1968). It had no cast members from the earlier series and only lasted six episodes.) By the late `60s, as "youth culture" movies became more confrontational and less frivolous with references to open sexuality and drugs in the American landscape, Dee's career began to peter out. No clothes, no sex. At the beginning of the film, directed by Laurent Bouzereau, Wood's older daughter, Natasha Gregson Wagner, describes hearing, at age eleven, of her mother's shocking and mysterious death, in . one of the most popular films of the '50s--a split Music: Frank Skinner By Lang Thompson At the studio's suggestion, Turner took her daughter to the premiere. The son of a doughnut manufacturer, Lemmon later attended Harvard University but was bitten by the acting bug and left the prestigious college for Broadway. Troy Donahue 1936-2001 Imitation of Life (1959) - User Reviews - IMDb "Imitation Of Life" was released 53 years ago today, on April 17th, 1959 and below, you'll find five pieces of information that even the biggest Sirk fans might not be aware of. It Should Happen to You, directed by George Cukor, was a popular success and Lemmon and Holliday were quickly teamed again in Phffft! Douglas Sirk was nominated for the Directors Guild Award but lost to William Although she has the second largest role in the film, Juanita Moore was billed seventh, behind actors with much smaller roles. Pauline Kael, who died September 3rd at the age of 82, was one of the handful of film critics who made a noticable impact on the way we view movies. Enter Ross Hunter, producer of lavish women's pictures for Universal, who had breathed new life into the careers of aging stars like Jane Wyman and Barbara Stanwyck. Things." By using this site, you agree to our updated. Imitation of Life received Photoplay magazine's Laurel Award for Back home, she sobs in frustration while Annie attempts to comfort and encourage her. Drama Music Romance In rural Texas, Salome, pregnant with Chad's baby, runs away from home and marries wealthy Yale student Tony but, years later, runs into Chad, now a successful musician in New York. -- Sandra Dee, as Susie. Join 15 other subscribers Released in United States March 1977 (Shown at FILMEX: Los Angeles International Film Exposition (Double Vision-Two different classics made from the same story) March 9-27, 1977. Lemmon waived his salary to act in Save the Tiger (1973), the 'great American tragedy' of a businessman at the end of his rope. A demographic study of the film audience in 1960 surprised executives by revealing that 30 percent of the audience for movies was African-American. Along the way, Quinn also dabbled in professional boxing (he quit after his 17th match, the first he lost) and street-corner preaching. Hunter insisted on maintaining a lavish production, despite a tight budget. In exchange for her small room, Annie offers to keep house and look after Susie while Lora seeks acting and modeling jobs. quite credible and moving." Oscar-nominated as Best Supporting In addition to the usual writer's assortment of jobs (seamstress, cook, retail clerk) she started writing about film in 1953; her first review was of Charlie Chaplin's Limelight which she disliked. Imitation of Life (1959) - Trivia - IMDb In April of 1958, Lana Turner's teenage daughter Cheryl Crane stabbed Lana's mobster lover, Johnny Stompanato, to death. His romantic visions of the West are soon changed by the hard-living, hard-drinking reality. Geoff Andrew, TimeOut Movie Guide (Penguin). Instead of accepting her offer, they made Imitation of Life their major offering for spring 1933. Helping boost the success of Imitation of Life was the studio's unprecedented decision to release it simultaneously to both white and black theatres in the South. Thanks to its provocative themes, the novel was a huge success. Producer: Ross Hunter During this period she was also managing and programming Berkeley Cinema Guild Theatres (one of the country's earliest repertoire cinemas despite being basically small rooms above a laundry), and was briefly married to avant-garde filmmaker James Broughton. Hunter offered a first-class production, with Jean Louis gowns and Laykin et Cie jewels, the leading women's director, Douglas Sirk, and a chance to make a lot of money, if Lana would work for a small salary plus half the net profits. 8. A year after the film came out, Brazilian television presented a telenovella based on the book. In Cowboy (1958), Lemmon plays a city slicker venturing out on the wild frontier. But she was deeply in debt, and she needed to work. Is it true? Producer: Ross Hunter Industries Comedy Action. Lemmon was truly a one-of-a-kind actor and his track record for acclaimed performances is truly remarkable: 8 Oscar nominations (he won Best Supporting Actor for Mister Roberts (1955) and Best Actor for Save the Tiger (1973), a Life Achievement Award from the American Film Institute, 8 British Academy Award nominations, 4 Emmy Award nominations, numerous Golden Globe nominations, a two-time Best Actor winner at the Cannes Film Festival, the list goes on and on. Kael's anti-intellectual streak came forward but since auteurism wasn't meant to be a genuinely rigorous theory (such attempts came later in the 70s) this was a sort of Brer Rabbit vs. tar baby fight that Kael could never win. Susanna "Susan" Kohner is an American retired actress who worked in film and television. In New York, the film premiered at the Roxy, the same theatre at which the 1934 version had opened. Lemmon plays her levelheaded boyfriend but finds himself on the sidelines when the suave and sophisticated Peter Lawford appears on the scene. White! The opening and closing cast credits vary in order. These Natalie Wood massive butt photos are positive to depart you mesmerized and awestruck. TIL that everyone wears Crocs in the 2006 movie Idiocracy because the costume designer had a limited shoe budget, and thought the cheap plastic shoes made by the then startup company were futuristic yet too stupid looking to ever become popular in real life Although Imitation of Life put Kohner on the fast track to stardom (she had three other features that year), she retired from acting in 1964 when she wed fashion designer John Weitz. Born as Natalia Nikolaevna Zakharenko on July 20, 1938 in San Francisco to Russian immigrant dad and mom, she was an American actress. Missing was inspired by a true story - the production was condemned by the Reagan administration and awarded the Golden Palm at the Cannes film festival. During filming, he sent flowers and gifts to Turner's dressing room regularly. and Susan Kohner their respective daughters, caught up The sometimes cynical comic sense of director Billy Wilder provided Lemmon with the perfect complement. The closer he gets to his goal, the clearer it becomes that a government conspiracy is behind his son's disappearance. Even though she was currently the subject of a major scandal after daughter Cheryl Crane killed Turner's lover, mobster Johnny Stompanato, Hunter insisted on offering her the role. Stories about women in the workplace had declined in popularity since the '30s, and the change also reflected Turner's notoriety as an actress and single mother. From sexual antics to social critique, Lemmon and Wilder sharpened their comic knives on the hypocrisies they saw in American culture. She played Sarah Jane in Imitation of Life (1959), for which she was nominated for an Oscar and won a Golden Globe award.. After Kohner married menswear designer and writer John Weitz in 1964, she retired from acting to devote time to her family. He also occasionally played Helen Hunt's father on Mad About You. She had been hospitalized for the last two weeks for treatment of kidney disease, and had developed pneumonia. Her mother's appearance gets Sarah Jane fired, and she again runs from her, causing Annie to faint. Oddly enough, in Viva Zapata! For Lana Turner, that hit a little too close to home, and she hesitated. into a masterpiece of film writing. This is life as they would like to believe it, and it makes good movie -- Kohner, as Sarah Jane, rejecting her mother, Moore, as Annie Johnson. -- Troy Donahue, as Frankie, confronting Susan Kohner, as Sarah Jane, about her race. The idea for remaking Imitation of Life came up in 1956, when Hunter was looking for a follow-up to All That Heaven Allows (1955), a hit romance co-starring Jane Wyman and Rock Hudson in the romance of an older woman and younger man. While developing the re-make, Hunter took Fannie Hurst to lunch and asked for her ideas about updating the story. Quinn's acting debut was in 1936 initially in a handful of barely noticable spots as an extra until he landed a speaking role in Cecil B. DeMille's The Plainsman, supposedly on the recommendation of the film's star, Gary Cooper. "Stunningly produced but dully acted, making its racially sensitive plot seem In April 1957 and January 1958, "Rambling Reporter" items in Hollywood Reporter stated that Deborah Kerr and Richard Egan were being considered for starring roles. Thanks to its provocative themes, the novel was a huge success. But she was deeply in debt, and she needed to work. Casting him opposite Lana Turner seemed a logical step in his development, mirroring Hudson's casting opposite Jane Wyman in Sirk's Magnificent Obsession (1954). Lemmon won his second Academy Award for the film. If a novelist had invented a character like Quinn, she would be accused of unbelievable invention. The characters lived together, loved one another and faced tragedy through their respective daughters. Quinn was a pope in The Shoes of the Fisherman (1968), an Islamic leader in The Message (1976), a thinly disguised Aristotle Onassis in The Greek Tycoon (1978) and an assortment of gangsters, con men, military leaders and what have you. He continued the same mix of classics and best-forgotten quickies throughout the 1960s and '70s. Was considered to play the role of the young daughter of Lana Turner in the classic melodrama directed by Douglas Sirk. He has acted in everything from lightweight sex farces (How to Murder Your Wife, 1965) to musicals (My Sister Eileen, 1955) to social dramas (Days of Wine and Roses, 1962) to political thrillers (The China Syndrome, 1979). As Steve looks on, the three women join hands in a gesture of comfort and love. Lana Turner was back on top, and a rich woman as well. Released in United States Winter January 1, 1959. ANTHONY QUINN, 1915-2001 The two mothers are now alone in the house. The Apartment (1960) focused on a working stiff who lends his home to his supervisors for their extramarital affairs. Several collections of her work are available, most with mildly risque titles like I Lost It at the Movies, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and Going Steady. Life.com unearthed these gems, which show her relaxing poolside at her first home and entertaining a few guests (including an impossibly young Dennis Hopper) in style.I highly recommend a trip over to Life.com to see their other images of Natalie Wood, along with . Editor: Milton Carruth Natalie Wood first saw Robert Wagner when she was just 10 years old and swore she was "going to marry him" someday, per People. Blanche Met Brando. She was best known for ingenue roles that traded on her youthful appeal. Director: Douglas Sirk Very few actors today can match Lemmon's range on the screen. Imitation of Life Premiere 1959 - YouTube -- Kohner realizing the error of her ways. "Fine performances and direction overcome possible soapiness to make this Quinn worked with Marlon Brando who he had replaced in the original Broadway production of A Streetcar Named Desire. Imitation of Life became Universal's biggest moneymaker to date, and a 1995 poll by the New York Daily News still ranked it as one of the top-ten all-time favorite films. When no arguments could convince her to return to the church and shoot the scene, her makeup woman slapped her in the face, breaking her out of her hysterics. They even staged a press conference with the stipulation that Turner would not answer any questions about the case. "Miss Turner and the others act unreally and elaborately[They] do not But beneath that comedian's facade, the actor had a very serious side, which occasionally surfaced in such films as Days of Wine and Roses (1962) or Costa-Gavras' political thriller Missing (1982). Why IMITATION OF LIFE is Essential Hunter offered a first-class production, with Jean Louis gowns and Laykin et Cie jewels, the leading women's director, Douglas Sirk, and a chance to make a lot of money, if Lana would work for a small salary plus half the net profits. is black." Cowboy is based on the autobiography of Frank Harris, and, like the author, Lemmon found himself adapting to the rough and tumble lifestyle on the trail. Not many actors can boast that they've inspired a Bob Dylan song but Anthony Quinn - who passed away June 3rd at the age of 86 - was one of the select few. Susie (Sandra Dee) and Sarah Jane (Susan Kohner) are now teens, Lora (Lana Turner) now a Broadway star and Annie (Juanita Moore) still her . In the background of her public rise to fame, Wood survived some of the worst situations life could throw at someone, just to mysteriously drown in a still-unsolved incident at only 43 years old. It was a trip to Italy that brought Quinn one of his most acclaimed roles: a simple-minded circus strongman in Federico Fellini's La Strada (1954). Fannie Hurst's novel, Imitation of Life (1933), was the story of two single mothers, one white and one black, who join forces and become successful businesswomen. Lemmon brought a new comic persona to Hollywood films. It was made into a film in 1934, starring Claudette Colbert and Louise Beavers, directed by John Stahl. One unanticipated result was that Quinn married DeMille's daughter the following year; they appeared together in Phil Karlson's Black Gold (1947) and had five children. Natalie Zacharenko (later Natasha Gurdin) was born of Russian immigrants. She had been in 52 films and a star since she was 7. Landmarks, Breakthroughs and Milestones in Black Film History, a five-week series, will run through March 14 at Film Forum 2, 209 West Houston Street, Manhattan. insincere." Lora and David argue when she decides to appear in another writer's drama, but her performance is brilliant, and this play, too, becomes an instant hit. Imitation of Life is the second film adaptation of Fannie Hurst 's 1933 novel of the same name; the first, directed by John M. Stahl, was released in 1934. -- Turner refusing a marriage proposal from Gavin, as Steve Archer. Her deal for half the profits kept her financially comfortable for the rest of her life, particularly after fifth husband Fred May invested much of the money in real estate. Director Douglas Sirk Writers Eleanore Griffin Allan Scott Fannie Hurst Stars Lana Turner John Gavin Sandra Dee See production, box office & company info Watch on Prime Video rent/buy from $3.99 More watch options initial U.S. release, placing number five on the year's list of top box-office (Director Elia Kazan tried to start a rivalry between the two actors but they were great admirers of each other.) (1972), The Front Page (1974) and Buddy Buddy (1981). Her personal life took a surprising turn when she hooked up with singer Bobby Darin. By Lang Thompson. In 1979, Kael made a detour to Hollywood by the urging of Warren Beatty. 1. Actress Lora Meredith claws her way to stardom only to realize the daughter (Sandra Dee) she has neglected for years is now a stranger to her and --worse yet-- her rival for the love of a younger man. She was only five when she entered the 2nd grade.
natalie wood imitation of life