Imitation of Life (1959)

Starring:

• Lana Turner
• Juanita Moore
• Susan Kohner
• Sandra Dee
• John Gavin
• Robert Alda
• Dan O'Herlihy
• Karin Dicker
• Terry Burnham

Storyline
Lora Meredith (Lana Turner), a white single mother who dreams of being on Broadway, has a chance encounter with Annie Johnson (Juanita Moore), a black widow. Annie becomes the caretaker of Lora's daughter, Suzie (Sandra Dee), while Lora pursues her stage career. Both women deal with the difficulties of motherhood: Lora's thirst for fame threatens her relationship with Suzie. At the same time, Annie's light-skinned daughter, Sarah Jane (Susan Kohner), struggles with her African-American identity.

Imitation of Life (1934)

Starring:

• Louise Beavers
• Claudette Colbert
• Fredi Washington
• Rochelle Hudson
• Warren William
• Ned Sparks

Storyline
Widow Bea Pullman (Claudette Colbert) and her daughter, Jessie, take in a fair-skinned black girl and her mother, housekeeper Delilah Johnson (Louise Beavers). Struggling to make ends meet, Delilah shares her family pancake recipe with Bea, and the two decide to start a business on the Atlantic City boardwalk. Together, the women find great success and considerable fortune, but they also encounter family hardships and some deep-seated identity and racial problems.