Pinky (1949)

Information from IMDb

Plot Summary
Pinky, a light skinned black woman, returns to her grandmother's house in the South after graduating from a Northern nursing school. Pinky tells her grandmother that she has been "passing" for white while at school in the North. In addition, Pinky has fallen in love with a young white doctor, Dr. Thomas Adams, who knows nothing about her black heritage. Pinky says that she will return to the North, but Granny Johnson convinces her to stay and treat an ailing white woman, Miss Em. Meanwhile, Dr. Canady, a black physician from another part of the state, visits Pinky and asks her to train some African American students, but she declines. Pinky nurses Miss Em but is resentful because she seems to feel that she is doing the same thing her grandmother did. Pinky and Miss Em slowly develop a mutual respect for one another. Mrs. Em leaves Pinky her property when she dies, but relatives of the deceased woman contest the new will in court.
Written by Broncine G. Carter

Full Cast
Jeanne Crain ... Patricia 'Pinky' Johnson
Ethel Barrymore ... Miss Em
Ethel Waters ... Pinky's Granny
William Lundigan ... Dr. Thomas Adams
Basil Ruysdael ... Judge Walker
Kenny Washington ... Dr. Canady
Nina Mae McKinney ... Rozelia
Griff Barnett ... Dr. Joe McGill
Frederick O'Neal ... Jake Walters
Evelyn Varden ... Melba Wooley
Raymond Greenleaf ... Judge Shoreham
Shelby Bacon ... Boy (uncredited)
Rene Beard ... Teejore (uncredited)
Bert Conway ... Loafer (uncredited)
Everett Glass ... Mr. Jeffers Wooley (uncredited)
William Hansen ... Mr. Goolby (uncredited)
Arthur Hunnicutt ... Police Chief (uncredited)
Jean Inness ... Viola, Saleslady (uncredited)
Tiger Joe Marsh ... George, Wooleys' Chauffeur (uncredited)
Juanita Moore ... Nurse (uncredited)
Robert Osterloh ... Police Officer (uncredited)
Tonya Overstreet ... Nurse (uncredited)
Dan Riss ... Mr. Stanley, Wooleys' Attorney (uncredited)
Harry Tenbrook ... Townsman (uncredited)

Writing Credits
Cid Ricketts Sumner (novel)
Philip Dunne (screenplay) and
Dudley Nichols (screenplay)
Elia Kazan contributor to screenplay (uncredited)

Original Music
Alfred Newman

Cinematography
Joseph MacDonald

Trivia
Lena Horne initially campaigned to play the title role in this movie (she was light enough to photograph "white"), but in the end, the movie studio felt white American audiences would feel more comfortable with a white actress, especially since love scenes with a white actor were involved.

John Ford was the original director of the film, but after seeing dailies Darryl F. Zanuck felt Ford wasn't connecting with the material. Zanuck called Elia Kazan in New York and asked him to take over the film. Kazan felt he owed Zanuck for his film career, and agreed to do the movie without even looking at the script. He flew to Los Angeles and started filming the next Monday.

William Hansen's feature film debut.

"Lux Radio Theater" broadcast a 60 minute radio adaptation of the movie on September 18, 1950 with Ethel Barrymore and Jeanne Crain reprising their film roles.

Linda Darnell showed interest in the lead role, but Darryl F. Zanuck noticed that her character resembled her character in Forever Amber too much. Fearing comparison, he rejected her for the lead.

According to her biographer Donald Bogle, Dorothy Dandridge tested for the lead role.

Goofs
Character error
When actress Nina May Mckinney's character gets slapped on the left side of her face by the white officer, Nina mistakenly rubs the right side of her face

Memorable Quotes

Filming Location
Stage 5, 20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Pinky is a 1949 American drama film adapted from the
Cid Ricketts Sumner novel by Philip Dunne and Dudley Nichols
and was directed by Elia Kazan.

John Ford was originally hired to direct the film,
but was replaced after one week because producer Darryl F. Zanuck
was unhappy with the dailies.

Lena Horne and Dorothy Dandridge were considered for the lead role,
however, Zanuck chose to cast a white actress instead.

Released by Twentieth Century Fox, the film starred Jeanne Crain,
Ethel Barrymore, Ethel Waters, and Nina Mae McKinney.

User Review

Quote

Pinky- Gentleman's Agreement Part 2 ****
3 February 2010 | by edwagreen (United States)

Outstanding 1949 film with director Elia Kazan matching his 1947 Oscar winner "Gentleman's Agreement." A very belated kudos for Mr. Kazan in tackling social issues, in this case racial prejudice.

What performances are depicted here. Jeanne Crain is the trained nurse who returns to the south and is immediately caught up in its worst form of bigotry. She is the granddaughter of the kind, wisely, illiterate woman who takes in clothing and sacrificed all so that her granddaughter could get ahead. Ethel Waters was so adept in her performance here. She is equally matched by Ethel Barrymore, as a crotchety woman, never forgiven by Pinky for a childhood incident, but ailing now and as a favor to Grandma Waters, Pinky agrees to take care of her.

What a social problem erupts when the Barrymore character dies and it is revealed that she left her property to Pinky. A cousin and a cousin by marriage contest the will in court. Evelyn Varden, as the heavy set, bigoted cousin-in-law is terrific and a scene stealer in every scene she appears.

This is an outstanding film depicting racial inequity and ultimate redemption.

William Lundigan is memorable as the doctor who loved Pinky, but could not marry her. He could not accept her way of life.

The film showed that there was anything but racial harmony in America. Notice the musical theme throughout the film is exactly the same as the music played at the beginning of "Gentleman's Agreement." Am sure that Kazan and 20th Century-Fox had plenty to do with that.

Display More