Pinky (1949)

Elia Kazan lives out his valiant savior of the wronged fantasy in “Pinky,” a film that needs to exist, in spite of any reason originally intended by its creators.  “Pinky’s” production is about as problematic as the casting of its lead; Jeanne Crane, a Caucasian actress,…

theriverjordan

“Nobody deserves respect as long as she pretends to be something she isn’t.”This has a kind of strange concept of a light skinned black woman who pretends to be white to bypass the racism and ridicule that was so prevalent at the time. The problem is the actress playing her…

Ryan Daniel

64/100 Arguably the most heartbreaking aspect of this movie is the surfeit of African-American talent on display—actors who might have been huge stars a few decades later. Ethel Waters, of course, but I'm also thinking of Frederick O'Neal as the neighbor whose altercation…

Mike D'Angelo

Film #72 of The December Challenge 2013 I found it extremely offensive that a film about the discrimination against a light skinned black woman who could pass for white IS PLAYED BY A WHITE WOMAN. When I found out Elia Kazan was very much against the casting, I softened…

Simone

Despite Ethel Waters’ performance, this is definitely on the lesser end of films about people passing. Also, from a structural standpoint, the casting of Jeanne Crain in the titular role is probably one of the worst decisions in film history.

Cameron Kanachki

Pinky feels like a role Jenna Maroney would play

Cody

well ladies and gentlemen, the run of fantastic films watched for class has ended. wrap it up

᧔ෆ᧓

Obviously very problematic from a modern perspective, even more so than Kazan's other flawed message picture Gentleman's Agreement, though despite the ill-judged casting of Jeanne Crain as the mixed race protagonist the film was progressive and thought-provoking for the…

James

I suppose it would be too much to ask for a film made in 1949 to actually cast a mixed-race actor as the main character, or even someone who could remotely pass as a light-skinned African-American— even 60’s films like West Side Story still weren’t casting non-white leads,…

Marc Dottavio