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 A letter on a crucial, crucial issue in today’s Daily News:
I HOPE CABLE TV and Channel 12 won’t broadcast the old movie “Imitation of Life” during the rest of January or February.
This is a special time for African-Americans, and we don’t need to be confronted with that movie. If anybody broadcasts this movie, I’ll consider it inappropriate and will make every effort to have their broadcasting license revoked.
I’m aware that the fans of “Imitation of Life” will have a “75/50″ celebration this year - the 75th anniversary of the Claudette Colbert original and the 50th anniversary of the Lana Turner remake. If you want to celebrate a 75/50, I suggest you celebrate the upcoming 75th birthday of Shirley MacLaine and the 50th anniversary of “Ask Any Girl,” one of Shirley’s first hits.
(Lady readers: I’m familiar with “Ask Any Girl,” and it is a blizzard of pumps. Yes, I know what pumps are.)
Tim Short, Bryn Mawr
Ahh, yes, the ever-popular 75/50 celebration that people can’t just get enough of! I do like that Mr. Short is going to make every effort to take away the broadcast licenses of the local PBS station and several cable channels, despite the lack of broadcasting license for him to be able to have revoked for the cable networks. But, hey, watch out WHYY and NJN!
A bit of explanation: Imitation of Life is a 1934 movie with a 1959 remake. Both films include a light-skinned black character attempting to pass as white. I’ve never seen either, but perhaps the films — like a lot of old movies — include now-offensive racial stereotypes. That’s my best guess.
So… yeah, I still have no idea. But I hope Mr. Short will also criticize any parents who show their children Dumbo next month, and I really don’t think he’s going to let any Film 101 class show Birth of a Nation.
Letters: An inappropriate moment for ‘Imitation of Life’ [Daily News]
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