Imitation of Life
Studio: Universal Pictures
Starring: Claudette Colbert, Warren William, Rochelle Hudson
Director: John M. Stahl
Writer: Victor Heerman, Finley Peter Dunne, William Hurlbut
Producer: Carl Laemmle Jr.
Imitation of Life is a 1934 American melodrama film directed by John M. Stahl. The screenplay by William Hurlbut, based on the 1933 novel by Fannie Hurst, was augmented by eight additional uncredited writers, including Preston Sturges and Finley Peter Dunne. The film stars Claudette Colbert, Warren William, Rochelle Hudson, Ned Sparks, Fredi Washington, and Louise Beavers.
Trivia
- Nominated for: Academy Award for Best Picture; Academy Award for Best Sound.
- Based on Imitation of Life (1933 novel by Fannie Hurst).
- Fannie Hurst's inspiration in writing her novel Imitation of Life was a road trip to Canada she took with her friend, the African-American short-story writer and folklorist Zora Neale Hurston.
- The novel was originally to be called Sugar House but was changed just before publication.
- Molly Hiro of the University of Portland wrote that the script of this film "closely followed" the storyline of the original novel.
Previous Showings
3 Runs • 3 Festivals
All runs on record (3):
- October 13 - 14, 2012UNIVERSAL PICTURES Part 1: 1930-1935w/ Magnificent Obsession
- October 26 - 27, 2019UNIVERSAL PICTURES 1931-1935w/ The Good Fairy
- November 9 - 10, 2023Universal Pictures: Horror and Morew/ Waterloo Bridge