The movie is about a black woman who had a daughter who looked white, the daughter did not want anyone to know that her mother was black. She tried to live her life as a white person away from her black mother

The movie is entitled, Imitation of Life. A number of versions of the general story line have been made over the years. The original was made in 1934 with Claudette Colbert. The second was made in 1959 with Lana Turner. Depending on who you speak with, the 1959 version is usually considered the better of the two.

Agrees with Ruby, the 1959 remake is the better one. Isn't Natalie Wood in that one?

There was also an old black and white movie, cannot recall the name of it. The girl, last name of Johnson, was part white, part black. Her Mother had been one of the house servants of this wealthy family. One of the results was her daughter. Her daughter had gone away to a college up North, posing as a white person and gradauted with a nursing degree. Had a fiancé who was white. She never told him about her background. The daughter came back after graduating and was miserable, could not find the road to travel. She was accosted one night by two white men and the sheriff intervened, but once knowing who she was, accused her of being trash. To end the story, a young Negro doctor came to town and wanted to set up a clinic for children and she ended up working for him. Love at last. Great movie, be darned if I can remember the title. Must be my age showing again.

shygrneyzs, it was Sandra Dee who was in the 1959 version of Imitation of Life.

The description of the other movie you are suggesting is very close to the storyline of Imitation of Life. But, I don't recall the part of the mother being a servant of a wealthy family. It has been a while since I saw the movie, and that might have been part of the storyline. Hmmm. Natalie Wood. Might be another movie. I will have to give this some thought... :)

Sandra Dee played the daughter of Lana Turner, yes. But I thought Natalie Wood played the daughter of the Negro, but I double checked on it and it was Susan Kohner. My mistake and my apologies.

Apology accepted! :) Thank you for letting me know to stop wracking my brains. It was driving me nuts!:p

:) Thank you very much... Imitation of Life is the name of the movie I was looking for. Also Negro is not a word we use these days...
Thanks

msmosetta, you are right, and it is not a word I, personally, use. Glad I could help you. It was a great movie!

:) Yes this was my favorite movie when I was a child... one of the best movies I have ever seen.

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Originally Posted by shygrneyzs

Agrees with Ruby, the 1959 remake is the better one. Isn't Natalie Wood in that one?

There was also an old black and white movie, cannot recall the name of it. The girl, last name of Johnson, was part white, part black. Her Mother had been one of the house servants of this wealthy family. One of the results was her daughter. Her daughter had gone away to a college up North, posing as a white person and gradauted with a nursing degree. Had a fianc? Who was white. She never told him about her background. The daughter came back after graduating and was miserable, could not find the road to travel. She was accosted one night by two white men and the sheriff intervened, but once knowing who she was, accused her of being trash. To end the story, a young Negro doctor came to town and wanted to set up a clinic for children and she ended up working for him. Love at last. Great movie, be darned if I can remember the title. Must be my age showing again.

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Your movie is "Pinky" (1949) starring Jeanne Crain, Ethel Waters and Ethel Barrymore.
IMDb synopsis: ****SPOILERS INCLUDED****
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. Miss Em leaves Pinky her property when she dies, but relatives of the deceased woman contest the new will in court. To raise money for the court fees, Pinky washes clothes by hand with her grandmother. The court rules in Pinky's favor, and she keeps the land. Tom wants her to resume her life as a white woman and to marry him, but she refuses. Pinky decides to use the house and land for Miss Em's Clinic and Nursery School.

Pinky (1949) - IMDb

However, I don't recall that Pinky is mixed race. I might have missed that, as I've seen this only a couple of times.