There is so much fascinating nonsense in this glossy MGM soap opera, made around the time of so many glossy soap operas in the late 1950's / early 1960's tradition. Even the title of the film has a soap opera sound to it, and if it's certainly not a "Peyton Place" or "A Summer Place" or even a "Butterfield 8", it has many fascinating aspects to it, and certainly some outstanding performances, both hideous and excellent.
The script of this film heads all over the place so it takes a lot of concentration at times to figure out where they are in the story and why certain things are happening. The four main characters are beautiful but vapid, not really well acted by Robert Wagner, Natalie Wood, George Hamilton and Susan Kohner. Then Pearl Bailey comes on and takes over the film, and you begin to wonder why she did not get an Oscar nomination.
The four main characters are either neurotically troubled and needy, self-centered and narcissistic, crude and racist. Bailey's character may have her issues, but she is so filled with heart even when internally dead, coming to life when she sings a stunning version of "God Bless the Child" and stealing your heart in the process.
In addition to 1959 "Imitation of Life" featured actress Kohner there's also Louise Beavers from the 1934 version, her gentle voice encouraging Wagner to reach into himself to play the horn to express what he feels, and still as beautiful a soul as she was nearly 30 years before. The MGM gloss will have you admiring all the gorgeous gowns and the soulful sound certainly will get under your skin, but this is missing a soul of its own. I've seen many William Inge/Tennessee Williams style melodramas with similar themes, but the sound this leaves tells me that the cat found the tin roof busted.
The script of this film heads all over the place so it takes a lot of concentration at times to figure out where they are in the story and why certain things are happening. The four main characters are beautiful but vapid, not really well acted by Robert Wagner, Natalie Wood, George Hamilton and Susan Kohner. Then Pearl Bailey comes on and takes over the film, and you begin to wonder why she did not get an Oscar nomination.
The four main characters are either neurotically troubled and needy, self-centered and narcissistic, crude and racist. Bailey's character may have her issues, but she is so filled with heart even when internally dead, coming to life when she sings a stunning version of "God Bless the Child" and stealing your heart in the process.
In addition to 1959 "Imitation of Life" featured actress Kohner there's also Louise Beavers from the 1934 version, her gentle voice encouraging Wagner to reach into himself to play the horn to express what he feels, and still as beautiful a soul as she was nearly 30 years before. The MGM gloss will have you admiring all the gorgeous gowns and the soulful sound certainly will get under your skin, but this is missing a soul of its own. I've seen many William Inge/Tennessee Williams style melodramas with similar themes, but the sound this leaves tells me that the cat found the tin roof busted.