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Imitation of Life (1959)

Directed by Douglas Sirk · Cinematography by Russell Metty

Approved125 min63 frames

DramaRomance

Fannie Hurst's best selling novel of today's tormented generation!

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Stills, screencaps & shots from Imitation of Life

16 of 63 frames — the full set is searchable by lighting, lens, shot size, color and mood with a free account.

Imitation of Life (1959) movie still: fullbody — An interior space with plain grey walls and a partial brick wall corner. A blonde woman in a blue…Imitation of Life (1959) movie still: medium — A split-level interior space with exposed white ceiling beams framing a view below. A man and woman…Imitation of Life (1959) movie still: closeup — A woman stares at her reflection while holding a black telephone receiver. She wears a yellow dress…Imitation of Life (1959) movie still: medium — A church balcony features intricate wooden railings and blue-patterned stained glass windows. A woman…Imitation of Life (1959) movie still: medium — A dimly lit narrow hallway with a wooden post and shadowed walls. Two women stand facing one another…Imitation of Life (1959) movie still: fullbody — A dark, paved area outside a storefront features brick walls and a lit street lamp. A man and a…Imitation of Life (1959) movie still: medium — A dimly lit indoor threshold featuring green curtains and patterned wallpaper. A man with snowy…Imitation of Life (1959) movie still: wide — A city street with wet pavement and brick buildings hosts a public procession. A large marching band in…Imitation of Life (1959) movie still: medium — A 1950s living room features a stone fireplace with a fire burning inside. One woman sits in an…Imitation of Life (1959) movie still: medium — A dimly lit club interior features rough-textured reddish walls adorned with white theatrical masks.…Imitation of Life (1959) movie still: medium — A group of men sit in church pews wearing formal regalia and sashes. They look toward the front…Imitation of Life (1959) movie still: wide — A split-level home interior features a white wooden staircase and a landing walkway. One woman ascends…Imitation of Life (1959) movie still: medium — A well-lit room features a large window overlooking an industrial cityscape with elevated tracks. A…Imitation of Life (1959) movie still: medium — A 1950s home with pastel yellow cabinets and blue decorative plates on the wall. Three women stand…Imitation of Life (1959) movie still: medium — A dimly lit room contains a wooden dresser and wall-mounted lamp fixtures. A woman sits in the…Imitation of Life (1959) movie still: closeup — An indoor setting with dim lighting creates a focused, high-contrast environment. A woman with…
Imitation of Life (1959) — © Universal International Pictures

Imitation of Life — official trailer

What is Imitation of Life about?

In 1940s New York, a white widow who dreams of being on Broadway has a chance encounter with a black single mother, who becomes her maid.

Where can you watch Imitation of Life?

US availability for Imitation of Life (1959). Data by JustWatch, listings on TMDB. Availability changes — check the provider for current listings.

Who stars in Imitation of Life?

Who made Imitation of Life?

What does the cinematography of Imitation of Life look like?

Across 63 sampled frames, Imitation of Life builds its coverage from medium shots (59% of the sample), with wide compositions (21%) carrying much of the rest. Cinematographer Russell Metty keeps 40% of it in soft, low-key light. 57% of the frames play at night or in the failing light of dusk. Anamorphic glass shapes the frame. Focus stays shallow in 57% of the frames, isolating subjects from their surroundings. The production design places the film in the 1950s.

What is the color palette of Imitation of Life?

The dominant colors across the sampled frames of Imitation of Life (1959) are #f5f5f4, #322e2f, #100d0d, #d6d3cf, #473732, #cfae96 — measured from the per-frame color data FrameThrower extracts for every film.

  • #f5f5f4
  • #322e2f
  • #100d0d
  • #d6d3cf
  • #473732
  • #cfae96

See the full Imitation of Life colour palette — every hex with its share, plus warmth, saturation and luminance.

A reference database for filmmakers

FrameThrower is a fully machine-searchable film database and visual reference library — all 63 frames of Imitation of Life (1959), and 5,000+ films besides, indexed frame by frame and readable by AI. Search it in plain language, from a reference image, or by colour; call it from an API, an MCP server or an SDK. It's the reference layer for making the next movie.

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Techniques in this film

More films by Douglas Sirk

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Cast, trailer and streaming data from TMDB. This product uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB.