Imitation of Life in 4K

Imitation of Life in 4K

Lora Meredith (Lana Turner), a white, widowed mother and aspiring Broadway star, develops a close kinship with Annie Johnson (Juanita Moore), a Black woman who shares some of her hardships as a single mother. This second film adaptation of Fannie Hurst’s 1933 novel was modernized to reflect the ways in which the ongoing Civil Rights Movement had shaped the country. Moore’s portrayal of a devoted mother earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Gospel legend Mahalia Jackson appears in one of the film’s most memorable scenes, performing a powerful rendition of the hymn “Trouble Of The World.” 

DIRECTED BY: Douglas Sirk. WRITTEN BY: Eleanore Griffin, Allan Scott. WITH: Lana Turner, Juanita Moore, Sandra Dee, Susan Kohner. 1959. 125 min. USA. Color. English. 4K DCP.

Academy Museum film programming generously funded by the Richard Roth Foundation. 

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