The Date: January
14
The Movie: Imitation of Life (1959)
What Is It?: With
Imitation of Life, Douglas Sirk
wanted it all and he had it all. On one end, it’s an overwrought soap opera
with gorgeously overwrought color and fifties aesthetics; on the other end,
it’s a subtle exploration of race and racism unusually empathetic for its time.
Look out for Mahalia Jackson as a choir soloist.
Why Today?: On
this day in 1987, Douglas Sirk dies.
