“Hope for the best, expect the worst—you could be Tolstoy, or Fannie Hurst,” runs Mel Brooks' lyric to the theme song for his The Twelve Chairs. That putdown of the prolific once-bestselling author of numerous women's novels was proof of how far Hurst's star had fallen by 1970. But even though few may read her books today, two titles were adapted into classic cinematic weepies. Back Street (1931) was filmed no fewer than three times, but it pales beside Hurst's 1933 Imitation of Life, the story of two single mothers—one white, one black—with daughter problems (the former's offspring falls for her mother's boyfriend, while the latter's tries to pass for white). This double-disc set features expert transfers of both John Stahl's 1934 version and Douglas Sirk's lavish 1959 remake. The original film's raison d'etre for the women's joint rise to wealth—starting a successful pancake mix company (which had unfortunate Aunt Jemima connotations by the 1950s)—was changed in the remake to Broadway stardom, but otherwise the tearjerking elements remain much the same. The story is certainly dated in racial terms, and may be offensive to some (a point repeatedly raised in both a bonus documentary on the legacy of the films and in the audio commentaries for each), but it still carries an emotional punch, especially in the hands of such cannily manipulative directors. And while Claudette Colbert and Lana Turner are no slouches in the leads, the black actresses—Louise Beavers in 1934 and Juanita Moore in 1959—are the more memorable performers. Highly recommended. (F. Swietek)[Blu-ray Review—Apr. 21, 2015—Universal, 236 min., not rated, Blu-ray: $26.98—Making their first appearance on Blu-ray, the 1934 and 1959 versions of Imitation of Life both sport nice transfers with DTS-HD 2.0 mono sound. Extras include audio commentary by scholar Avery Clayton (for 1934), and film historian Foster Hirsch (for 1959), a “Lasting Legacy” retrospective featurette (32 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: an excellent two-fer classic package.]
Imitation of Life: Two-Movie Special Edition
Universal, 2 discs, 236 min., not rated, DVD: $26.98 July 7, 2008
Imitation of Life: Two-Movie Special Edition
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