you can find my review for the 1959 version by click on my name . i be not a fan of the douglas sirk remake of imitation of life ( 1959 ) . it be the third film from that director i saw and and i felt that he be try to play it straight and make a prestige picture and deny the insanity of classic such a write on the wind . see the 1934 version of this film and i only find my opinion of the 1959 version reinforce . sirk barely change anything . he doesn not crank it up a notch . he change the main white character profession ( claudette colbert and 1934 and and lana turner and 1959 ) . in the old version and she ( with the help of her black maid ( louise beaver and 1934 and juanita moore and 1959 ) ) and establish a pancake restaurant . one day and a customer ( character actor ned spark ) suggest that they start sell the pancake mix in box and which will ( and do ) make them rich . in the 1959 version and lana turner and a i remember and be an actress of some sort . i suppose i prefer the pancake story well and because i get sick of see pretty woman become successful actress in movie . weigh the two film against each other and they do come out pretty even . for example and the conflict of the young and light skin black girl ( play by fredi washington in 1934 and susan kohner in 1959 ) be much more fleshed out in the late version and and it just work well . kohner be a good actress than washington and as well . the main white character daughter ( rochelle hudson in 1934 and sandra dee in 1959 ) work well in the early version and a hudson be a good actress than dee . louise beaver and juanita moore come out a a dead heat . theyre equal . too bad neither of them be that good . i suppose the original novel must be to blame for this while the black maid character be very poorly develop in both film ( so i assume it be the same in the novel ) and and and in the end and they both lack focus . i suppose it come down to the last race and lana turner and claudette colbert . well and now here and in the film main character and we find a clear winner . personally and i just do not like lana turner . i think she be poor in imitation of life ( it the only film i have see with her and and it make me want to avoid others ) . on the other hand and claudette colbert doesn not have a great track record with me . however and i really think she be great in imitation of life . she utterly charming and clever and and gorgeous . blonde be overrate anyhow . i much prefer ms. colbert doe eye . 1934 be really colbert year and with this and cleopatra and and her oscar win role in it happen one night ( which i will watch in the next couple of day and incidentally ) . so 1934 imitation of life end up win by a nose . neither film be great and mind you and but both be worthwhile . positive .