Average Rating: 
Rating:  - No other movie was so ahead of it's time!
Claudette Colbert and Louise Beavers star in this 1930's melodramatic tale of two mothers struggling for their children. Colbert plays Beatrice "Bea" Pullman, a widow with a young daughter. Life is hard for Bea until Delilah Johnson, Louise Beavers,arrives with her daughter and becomes Bea's maid. Delilah cajoles Bea to give her a job as her maid. Bea discovers that Delilah has a delicious pancake recipe. Bea acquires this recipe, and uses it to start her empire; with Delilah getting a not so equal cut. However, this empire has a price for both. For one, the price is happiness in a relationship. For the other, the price is dealing with racial confusion. Ironically, their daughters serve them the check. No movie of it's time dared to go into the deep waters of racism and self sacrifice! This movie is said to be a "imitation", but in fact some of it's scenes parrallel to the sad realities of life. When Bea and Delilah retire for the night, the scene emphasizes the seperation of races during this time. Claudette Colbert and Louise Beavers give powerful and underestimated performances in this movie. Colbert has a real and caring presence in the movie. Beavers shows suffering like never before, and she proves that servants have lives outside of serving. With wonderful performances by Warren William as understanding Stephen Archer, Fredi Washington as the misunderstood and confused Peola, Rochelle Hudson as the lovelorn Jessie, and Ned Sparks as the sarcastic Elmer. "Imitation of Life" blazed a trail for movies dealing with the triumph of the self and the power of family love.
Rating: - SENTIMENTAL CLASSIC
"Imitation of Life" is based on the durable Fannie Hurst novel and stars Claudette Colbert as a young widow with a baby girl who goes into the pancake business with her black maid, played by Louise Beavers, who also has a baby girl. Over time, the business make both women wealthy, but neither derives much joy from their venture - all because of their daughters. The picture is stolen by Louise Beavers, whose performance is masterly in that she never rings a false note in her playing:from joy to anguish. Fredi Washington as her light-skinned daughter is excellent in the funeral scene when overcome with remorse. Claudette Colbert and Ned Sparks also serve this film well.
Rating:  - The original, and still the best version
Most viewers are far more familiar with the campy, 1959 version of this film, starring Lana Turner. But, this is the original version, and I find it far superior to the remake for so many reasons.First of all, it takes place in the early 1930's, putting us smack dab in the Depression, and a time period which suits the subject matter. Claudette Colbert, a much better actress than Lana Turner, is one of the first reasons I prefer this version. But, mainly, the incredible Louise Beavers is absolutely unforgettable as the black maid, Delilah Johnson, whose light-skinned daughter, Peola, is raised alongside Colbert's daughter, Jessie. When the girls grow up, Peola realizes that she can "pass" for white, and in the 1930's, with racism and joblessness rampant, her choice makes sense, for the times. When Peola, played by Fredi Washington, completely rejects her mother, it is heartbreaking. To see Louise Beavers sobbing onto the counter in the department store is truly painful. Peola breaks her mother's heart in order to fit into a world that would not accept her otherwise. In the end, she regrets the pain she causes her mother. This is another time and place, and we don't hate Peola for hurting her mother. Still, our heart bleeds for Delilah. The acting is top notch, and I will take this more entertaining and serious version of the film over the campy re-make any day.
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