Question 1

What real-life controversy surrounded Fredi Washington after playing Peola in 'Imitation of Life'?

Accepted Answer

Fredi Washington was criticized by some in the Black community who mistakenly thought she practiced self-hatred and wanted to 'pass' as white, though she was actually a civil-rights activist.

Question 2

Which future 'Gone with the Wind' star appears briefly in 'Imitation of Life'?

Accepted Answer

Hattie McDaniel appears as a funeral guest, five years before her breakout role as Mammy in 'Gone with the Wind' (1939).

Question 3

What unusual age dynamic existed between the actors playing mother and daughter Delilah and Peola?

Accepted Answer

Fredi Washington (Peola at 19) was 31, less than a year younger than Louise Beavers (Delilah), but their differing builds helped them 'pass' as mother and daughter.

Question 4

What 1934 film trio made it a banner year for Claudette Colbert?

Accepted Answer

1934 featured Colbert in 'Imitation of Life', the blockbuster 'Cleopatra', and the Oscar-winning hit 'It Happened One Night'.

Question 5

What business success and personal conflicts drive the story of 'Imitation of Life'?

Accepted Answer

A struggling widow and her daughter take in a black housekeeper and her fair-skinned daughter; the women start a successful business but face familial, identity, and racial issues.

Imitation of Life

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