Trivia / Imitation of Life (1959)

• Billing Displacement: Juanita Moore is the film's second lead but she is billed seventh. They made up for this by giving her an And Starring credit in the main titles.
• Blooper: The opening credits mistakenly bill Karin Dicker (Young Sarah Jane) as 'Karen'.
• Career Resurrection: Lana Turner's career had been threatened by a scandal involving the murder of her abusive lover at the hands of her daughter. The critical and commercial success of the film served as a comeback for her.
• Creator Breakdown: Juanita Moore noted that while filming Annie's death scene Lana Turner burst into genuine tears and didn't stop for three days. Her face was apparently so swollen from all the crying, she had to be sent home to recover.
• Dawson Casting:
  • At the point where Sarah Jane is eighteen, Susan Kohner was twenty-three.
  • Just about for Susie, who is sixteen in the second part of the film. Sandra Dee was nearly eighteen.
• Fake Mixed Race: Sarah Jane inherited her complexion from her light-skinned black father, while Susan Kohner was Czech Jewish and part Mexican. Of course it is a plot point that she's able to pass for white. Her eight-year-old counterpart Karin Dicker was Jewish too.
• No Budget: The film only had a $2 million budget, and nearly half of it was spent on Lana Turner's wardrobe.
• Non-Singing Voice: Jo Ann Greer dubs Susan Kohner when Sarah Jane sings.
• Reality Subtext:
  • The first film Lana Turner made after a very public scandal involving her daughter - making the subject matter very timely.
  • The fast friendship between Lora and Annie was echoed in the fast friendship that formed between Lana Turner and Juanita Moore.
  • Juanita Moore had a friend with a biracial daughter who passed for white around the same time she was filming the movie.
• Real Life Writes the Plot: Douglas Sirk chose to amp up the scenes that focus on Annie and Sarah Jane in order to reflect the differences that had taken place in American culture — reflecting the Civil Rights Era.
• Referenced by...: According to R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck, the band's song "Imitation of Life" was named after the film (despite none of the band members having actually seen it).
• Serendipity Writes the Plot: Changing Lora from a businesswoman to an actress and model was partly so that Lana Turner could wear lots of glamorous outfits — in the hopes of drawing in female viewers.
• What Could Have Been:
  • Early in development, the film was considered as a musical with Pearl Bailey and Mahalia Jackson as Annie. Mahalia would have a cameo as a singer at Annie's funeral.
  • Loretta Young was approached about starring in the film back in 1952. She however chose to sign with NBC, and the project was shelved for a few years.
  • Deborah Kerr was considered for the role of Lora.
  • Fredi Washington - who starred in the 1934 version - was approached about reprising her role. She turned it down because she was annoyed at being typecast as "tragic mulattos".