Imitation of Life is one of only two dramatic films to feature gospel legend Mahalia Jackson. The other, St. Louis Blues (1958), actually gave her a character name.

During the publicity tour for the film, one reporter asked Susan Kohner if she had "minded" playing a black character.

At a suburban theatre in the Philadelphia area, the manager stood in the lobby at the film's end with a box of Kleenex for sobbing patrons.

Juanita Moore's Oscar® nomination for Best Supporting Actress was such a surprise the studio didn't even have a biography on hand to distribute to the press.

Although Imitation of Life put Kohner on the fast track to stardom (she had three other features that year), she retired from acting in 1964 when she wed fashion designer John Weitz. Her sons, Chris and Paul Weitz, are film producers/directors best known for the American Pie films and About a Boy (2002).

Despite the film's success with black audiences, there also were African-Americans who resented the sympathetic depiction of Annie's (Moore) subservient nature and the casting of a white actress as her daughter. Troy Donahue claimed that after the film's release, blacks actually came up to him and thanked him for beating up Kohner on screen.

Turner's daughter, Cheryl Crane, visited the set during location shooting for Sandra Dee's high school graduation. The scenes were shot at the Town and Country School, where Crane had been a student.

At the studio's suggestion, Turner took her daughter to the premiere. She even arranged a special advance screening for the girl so she could get her tears out of the way with the first screening and look her best for the critics at the premiere.

Ads for the film showed Sandra Dee saying "You've given me everything a mother could but the thing I wanted most…your love!" and Turner saying "I'll get the things I want out of life…one way -- or another."

Famous Quotes from IMITATION OF LIFE

"Sarah Jane is your child?" -- Lana Turner, as Lora Meredith, expressing surprise that the light-skinned little girl is the daughter of African-American Juanita Moore, as Annie Johnson.

"Why do we always have to sleep in the back?" -- Karin Dicker, as the young Sarah Jane Johnson, beginning to question her position as an African-American.

"My camera could easily have a love affair with you." -- John Gavin, as Steve Archer, coming on to Turner, as Lora Meredith.

"If the dramatist's club want to eat and sleep with you, you'll eat and sleep with them. If some producer with a hand as cold as a toad wants to do a painting of you in the nude, you'll accommodate him for a very small part." -- Robert Alda, as Allen Loomis, explaining the business to Turner, as Lora.

"I'm going up and up and up, and nobody's going to pull me down!" -- Turner refusing a marriage proposal from Gavin, as Steve Archer.

"It's drama. No clothes, no sex. No fun." -- Dan O'Herlihy, as David Edwards, dismissing Turner's decision to tackle a serious drama.

"You know I still have you in my blood, don't you?" -- Gavin, as Steve, meeting Turner after she's become a star.

"All the kids talking behind my back! Is it true? Are you black?" -- Troy Donahue, as Frankie, confronting Susan Kohner, as Sarah Jane, about her race.

"I'm white. White! White! If we should ever pass on the street, please don't recognize me." -- Kohner, as Sarah Jane, rejecting her mother, Moore, as Annie Johnson.

"Oh, Mama, stop acting. Stop trying to shift people around as though they were pawns on a stage." -- Sandra Dee, as Susie.

"Tell her I know I was selfish -- and if I loved her too much, I'm sorry -- but I didn't mean to cause her any trouble. She was all I had." -- Moore's deathbed confession.

"I'm sorry, Mama. Mama, I love you. Miss Lora, I killed my mother." -- Kohner realizing the error of her ways.

Compiled by Frank Miller