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Pinky ()


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A light-skinned black woman falls in love with a white doctor, though he is unaware of her true race.

Directors:
Awards:
  • Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 1 nomination.
  • See more »
Reviews:

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Cast verified as complete

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Patricia 'Pinky' Johnson
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Miss Em
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Dicey Johnson
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Dr. Thomas Adams
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Judge Walker
Kenny Washington ...
Dr. Canady
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Rozelia
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Dr. Joseph 'Doc Joe' McGill
Frederick O'Neal ...
Jake Walters
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Melba Wooley
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Judge Shoreham
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
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Townsman (uncredited)
Shelby Bacon ...
Boy (uncredited)
Betty Beard ...
Minor Role (uncredited)
Rene Beard ...
Teejore (uncredited)
Arthur Berkeley ...
Townsman (uncredited)
Patsy Boniface ...
Minor Role (uncredited)
Mildred Boyd ...
Nurse (uncredited)
Preston Braxton ...
Boy (uncredited)
Margaret Brayton ...
Nurse (uncredited)
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Western Union Clerk (uncredited)
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Minor Role (uncredited)
Tom Coleman ...
Townsman (uncredited)
Eve Conrad ...
Minor Role (uncredited)
Bert Conway ...
Loafer (uncredited)
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Townsman (uncredited)
Josette Deegan ...
Minor Role (uncredited)
Dick Dickinson ...
Minor Role (uncredited)
Bobby Dugan ...
Nurse (uncredited)
Kay Garrett ...
Townsman (uncredited)
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Jeffers Wooley (uncredited)
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Mr. Goolby (uncredited)
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Townsman (uncredited)
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Police Chief Anderson (uncredited)
Jean Inness ...
Viola - Goolby's Saleslady (uncredited)
Wilfred Jackson ...
Boy (uncredited)
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Bailiff (uncredited)
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Minor Role (uncredited)
Beverly Ruth Jordan ...
Minor Role (uncredited)
Geraldine Jordan ...
Minor Role (uncredited)
Pat Kane ...
Minor Role (uncredited)
Philip Kieffer ...
Minor Role (uncredited)
Read Killgore ...
Loafer (uncredited)
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Townsman (uncredited)
Warren Mace ...
Intern (uncredited)
Tiger Joe Marsh ...
George - Wooleys' Chauffeur (uncredited)
Russell Meeker ...
Townsman (uncredited)
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Nurse (uncredited)
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Police Officer (uncredited)
Tonya Overstreet ...
Nurse (uncredited)
Ruth Rickaby ...
Matron (uncredited)
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Mr. Stanley - Wooleys' Attorney (uncredited)
Katherine Sparks ...
Minor Role (uncredited)
George Spaulding ...
Medical Director (uncredited)
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Townsman (uncredited)
Jim Toney ...
Baggage Man (uncredited)
Bess Wade ...
Minor Role (uncredited)
Pat Walshe ...
Minor Role (uncredited)
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Minor Role (uncredited)
Jasper Weldon ...
Minor Role (uncredited)

Directed by

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Elia Kazan
John Ford ... (uncredited)

Written by

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Cid Ricketts Sumner ... (novel "Quality")
 
Philip Dunne ... (screenplay) and
Dudley Nichols ... (screenplay)
 
Elia Kazan ... (contributor to screenplay) (uncredited)
 
Jane White ... (contributor to screenplay) (uncredited)

Produced by

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Darryl F. Zanuck ... producer

Music by

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Alfred Newman

Cinematography by

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Joseph MacDonald ... director of photography (as Joe MacDonald)

Editing by

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Harmon Jones

Editorial Department

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Lyman Hallowell ... apprentice editor (uncredited)

Art Direction by

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J. Russell Spencer
Lyle R. Wheeler ... (as Lyle Wheeler)

Set Decoration by

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Thomas Little
Walter M. Scott

Makeup Department

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Ben Nye ... makeup artist
Addie Baker ... hair stylist (uncredited)
Frank Prehoda ... makeup artist (uncredited)
Lillian Ugrin ... hair stylist (uncredited)

Production Management

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Joseph C. Behm ... production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director

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Wingate Smith ... assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department

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Eugene Grossman ... sound
Roger Heman Sr. ... sound (as Roger Heman)

Visual Effects by

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Fred Sersen ... special photographic effects

Camera and Electrical Department

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Frank Corey ... grip (uncredited)
Les Everson ... gaffer (uncredited)
Til Gabani ... camera operator (uncredited)
Anthony Ugrin ... still photographer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department

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Charles Le Maire ... wardrobe director (as Charles LeMaire)
Sam Benson ... wardrobe supervisor (uncredited)

Music Department

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Edward B. Powell ... orchestrator (as Edward Powell)
Alfred Newman ... conductor (uncredited)

Script and Continuity Department

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Rose Steinberg ... script supervisor (uncredited)

Additional Crew

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Darryl F. Zanuck ... presenter
Crew believed to be complete

Production Companies

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Distributors

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Special Effects

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Other Companies

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Storyline

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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 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 feels that she is doing the same thing her grandmother did. Pinky and Miss Em slowly develop a mutual respect for each other. Mrs. 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. Written by Broncine G. Carter

Plot Keywords
Taglines The love story of a girl who passed for white! See more »
Genres
Parents Guide View content advisory »
Certification

Additional Details

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Also Known As
  • L'héritage de la chair (France)
  • O Que a Carne Herda (Brazil)
  • Pinky i migas (Greece)
  • ピンキー (Japan, Japanese title)
  • Пинки (Soviet Union, Russian title)
  • See more »
Runtime
  • 102 min
Country
Language
Color
Aspect Ratio
Sound Mix
Filming Locations

Did You Know?

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Trivia 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. See more »
Goofs When the white officer slaps Rozelia on the left side of her face, she mistakenly rubs the right side of her face. See more »
Movie Connections Featured in Darryl F. Zanuck: 20th Century Filmmaker (1995). See more »
Quotes Pinky Johnson: I'm a Negro. I can't forget it, and I can't deny it. I can't pretend to be anything else, and I don't want to be anything else. Don't you see, Tom?
Dr. Thomas Adams: No, I don't.
Pinky Johnson: You can't live without pride.
See more »

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