**** and bravo to this great 1959 film dealing with 2 poverty stricken women who meet; one becomes a famous actress, the other works for her. Successful in their lives, they are not successful with dealing with their respective daughters.
Lana Turner was great as the actress and Juanita Moore, her maid, who is kind and beloved by all, only to be unable to deal with her daughter, terrifically played by Golden Globe supporting winner Susan Kohner. (Kohner would lose the coveted Oscar to Shelley Winters for The Diary of Anne Frank.) The daughter, who is light skinned, is ashamed of her black identity and tries to hide it at any cost. Who can forget the scene in school when she tried to hide from her mother in the classroom?
With her success, the actress who Ms. Turner portrays, can't handle her daughter, played effectively by Sandra Dee. Dee falls for Turner's boyfriend and Turner can't deal with her rebelliousness.
The hysterical ending with the Moore character dying and the daughter running up to the coffin pulls out every emotional stop possible.
Kohner and Moore were nominated for best supporting actress. They probably divided the Oscar ballots between them.
The film, which calls for racial understanding, was quite an achievement for 1959. The film producers were concerned how the picture would be viewed down south. It turned out that they did not have to worry.
Lana Turner was great as the actress and Juanita Moore, her maid, who is kind and beloved by all, only to be unable to deal with her daughter, terrifically played by Golden Globe supporting winner Susan Kohner. (Kohner would lose the coveted Oscar to Shelley Winters for The Diary of Anne Frank.) The daughter, who is light skinned, is ashamed of her black identity and tries to hide it at any cost. Who can forget the scene in school when she tried to hide from her mother in the classroom?
With her success, the actress who Ms. Turner portrays, can't handle her daughter, played effectively by Sandra Dee. Dee falls for Turner's boyfriend and Turner can't deal with her rebelliousness.
The hysterical ending with the Moore character dying and the daughter running up to the coffin pulls out every emotional stop possible.
Kohner and Moore were nominated for best supporting actress. They probably divided the Oscar ballots between them.
The film, which calls for racial understanding, was quite an achievement for 1959. The film producers were concerned how the picture would be viewed down south. It turned out that they did not have to worry.