Pinky

Unrated

9/28/19491h 42m

Theatrical Release (US)

~ The poignant story of a girl who fell hopelessly in love! ~

Overview:

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, she has fallen in love with a young white doctor, who knows nothing about her black heritage.

Director:

Elia Kazan

Status:

Released

Language:

English

Buget:

$0.00

Revenue:

$0.00

Key words:

love
racism
will
nursing
old south
passing for white

Cast

Jeanne Crain

~ as ~

Patricia "Pinky" Johnson

Ethel Barrymore

~ as ~

Miss Em

Ethel Waters

~ as ~

Dicey Johnson

William Lundigan

~ as ~

Dr. Thomas Adams

Basil Ruysdael

~ as ~

Judge Walker

Kenny Washington

~ as ~

Dr. Canady

Nina Mae McKinney

~ as ~

Rozelia

Griff Barnett

~ as ~

Dr. Joe McGill

Frederick O'Neal

~ as ~

Jake Walters

Evelyn Varden

~ as ~

Melba Wooley

View full cast & crew

Reviews (1)

CinemaSerf
Written 3 year(s) ago
7
Jeanne Crain is the eponymousous young nurse - of mixed race - trying to get by in her grandmother's Southern town. She takes a shine to local (white) doctor "Adams" (William Lundigan) but when her ethnicity becomes better knows, however, that all goes awry. Determined to head back to the more enlightened territories in the North, she is persuaded to stay and tend to a wealthy infirm lady "Miss Em" (Ethel Barrymore). Initially frosty, the two women gradually start to respect one and other, and she also begins to earn the appreciation of her doctor "McGill" (Griff Barnett). The old lady's death and subsequent will leaves "Pinky" and the whole town in a quandary that highlights bigotry and greed in equal measure. This is a powerful story with a strong ensemble cast. I could have done with some more of Barrymore - if only to further exemplify how these two characterful women developed their relationship, but there are good contributions from Ethel Walters and Even Varden as the rather odious "Melba" to compensate a little. The production is fine, it flows well with succinct dialogue and Elia Kazan makes the most of the original Sumner novel. The racism that this reflects is writ large and makes for a powerful piece of cinema.