Principal cast
Lana Turner as Lora Meredith, John Gavin as Steve Archer, Juanita Moore as Annie Johnson, Sandra Dee as Susie (16), and Susan Kohner as Sarah Jane (18)
Film 156 of 244 on the Screen Path
Imitation of Life
Fannie Hurst's best selling novel of today's tormented generation!
About the film
Imitation of Life at a glance.
Screen Path places this 1959 film at stop 156 in one curated journey through cinema. The learning experience adds context before you watch and deeper analysis after.
In 1940s New York, a white widow who dreams of being on Broadway has a chance encounter with a black single mother, who becomes her maid.
Key craft credits
Russell Metty (director of photography), Milton Carruth (editor), Frank Skinner (original music composer), Henry Mancini (original music composer), and Allan Scott (screenplay)
- Director
- Douglas Sirk
- Release
- 1959-04-09
- Runtime
- 125 minutes
- Genres
- Drama and Romance
- Country
- United States
- Quiz
- 53 questions
The Screen Path journey
Before. After. Remember.
The featured film is watched outside Screen Path. The app provides the learning experience around it: a guide, an analysis, and a quiz with explanations.
01
Before you watch
Start with a spoiler-free video guide to the context and filmmaking choices worth noticing.
Spoiler-free02
After the film
Return after watching for a deeper video analysis of craft, meaning, and legacy.
Contains spoilers03
Quiz yourself
Answer 53 questions with clear rationales designed to make the ideas stick.
53 questions in this journeyWant to try a complete journey on the web? The Citizen Kane page includes the spoiler-free guide, after-film analysis, and a sample quiz.
Try Citizen Kane →Film data and images provided by TMDB. This product uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB.