Review of Pinky (1949) by Tim C — 11 Mar 2009

I couldn't believe this film was made in 1949 when I finished watching it. It attempts to take on a controversial subject films at the time rarely showed, race in America. Elia Kazan, the same director of "A Streetcar Named Desire" and "On The Waterfront", doesn't hold much back in showing some realities of racism in America and the American South.

Jeanne Crain plays a woman of mixed race who is coming to terms with her heritage, Ethel Waters is her endearing grandmother who is a silent challenge to the then roles available for African American women back then.

Ethel Barrymore is the older woman Crain cares for out of job obligation( she's her nurse) and friend to Waters. Barrymore passes away, and a court case ensues. I can't reveal the ending, but it is a surprise, especially for the time period.

I believe Ethel Waters got a Best Supporting Actress nomination for her role in this film, making her the second African American woman nominated for an Oscar.