This movie has a special place in my memory. Lana Turner, John Gavin, Sandra Dee, Susan Kohner and Juanita Moore are the leads. This version was a remake of a 1934 movie that starred Claudette Colbert and Warren William.
In a "very special" ODOM, I'm writing about this before I watch it. Normally I write after viewing, but I noticed Turner Classic Movies is showing this Wednesday night. Yeah, it's a soaper, a weeper. But here's why I can't insult it.
It was my first wife's all-time favorite movie. Let's take a look back to see why...
Back in the '60s and '70s, before widespread cable, many local television stations used movies from the '30s to the '50s as filler. Lots of local stations had an "Early Movie", a "Dialing for Dollars Movie", a "Late Movie", or even a "Late, Late Movie". In the pre-TCM era, there were many opportunities to see classic film. This movie was in regular rotation, especially down south.
Also during that era, the topic of "passing" was a sore point in the African-American community. For those unfamiliar with the term, "passing" referred to a light-skinned person of color who a) attempted to enter mainstream ("white") society because he/she could almost "pass" for Caucasian, while b) appearing to abandon his/her own culture and heritage. My first wife was light-skinned, with long wavy hair. So, even if she didn't try to pass, other blacks in her community assumed she would attempt it. Other blacks disliked her without actually getting to know her, solely because they thought she gained unspoken advantage due to her skin tone.
In some weird way, "passing" was a source of envy and self-hatred in the African-American community. The person who "passed" appeared to get immediate, tangible benefit from those who bestowed such (the white business owners and community leaders who would say this black person "isn't like all the other Negroes around here"). Other blacks who didn't receive such favor were mad at the system that perpetuated it, and mad at that light-skinned black person who did receive the benefit. Furthermore, I suspect the blacks who didn't get such largesse may have also had some frustration with themselves, because when that one opportunity came they weren't prepared to receive it. They hadn't done the life "homework" necessary to be in position to take advantage of that one, rare chance.
As a bit of insight, let's compare that concept to the formal civil rights movement during that time. Leaders like Dr. King told us to aspire to the best we could possibly achieve. Those leaders felt we'd gain lasting equality in large part by maintaining high standards of comportment and accomplishment. However, on the street, if a black person aspired to lofty heights, other blacks would insultingly say words like "Uncle Tom", "sellout" or "he/she's tryin' to act white". Some blacks thought those who dared achieve were also "tryin' to pass". So for folks like my wife, the dichotomy was awkward and nearly impossible to navigate. Most blacks agreed with Dr. King's sentiment as a concept, but how many of us really lived it? How many of us tried to knock down those who did embrace it?
Given her experiences, this movie struck a chord deep within my wife's heart. Whenever she saw it on television, she stopped whatever she was doing to give it complete attention. She hadn't lived the exact life the Sarah Jane character lived, but my wife could relate to the dual pressures. My wife could relate to the feeling of not fitting in either mainstream society nor the black community of which she was a part. She had to function in both, but many times felt like she didn't have allies in either. To cope with it, she was blessed in two ways. One, she had a strong family who consistently rallied around one another. Two, her parents owned their farmland, so they had some direct say in making their livelihood. Other black folk weren't that fortunate back then.
So yeah, the movie deals with uncomfortable topics like race, the pressures of single parenthood, ungrateful children rejecting their parent's honorable sacrifices. the unfairness of life and the heavy regret after a loved one dies. It hits hard. It's supposed to. When the funeral takes place, and the legendary gospel artist Mahalia Jackson sings "Trouble of the World", I can still envision my wife tearing up. Today, I find myself catching a tear or two at the memory.
If I were to post a list of my twenty favorite movies, "Imitation of Life" wouldn't be on the list. To me, and my memories, it's beyond mere listing. It's in a class all its own, because of my experience and the experiences my wife endured.
I know I talk a lot about moving on in my middle aged years and closing the door on the past. Some memories I don't want to let go. This is one of those memories. When you have the time and this movie is on, immerse yourself in this world. It's overwrought, to be sure. But, it says something powerful.
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