I know that the occasional African American could be as fair as Jeanne Crain, and I know that Jeanne did a great job in her role, but I think the story would have been notably more believable, if a dark-skinned Caucasian, such as Linda Darnell, Yvonne de Carlo, or Ava Gardner, had been given the role of Pinky. In fact, Yvonne later did play such a woman, in "Band of Angles". Her character had been raised as a Kentucky southern belle. But, upon her father's death, it was revealed that she had a small amount of negro inheritance, should be considered African American, and therefore could be sold as a slave to cover her father's remaining debts.
There are 2 obvious villains in Ms. Wooley and her maid Rozelia. That would include Ms. Wooley's lawyer in the contested will trial. But, in a sense, Pinky's white Boston boyfriend is also a villain, in that he wants her to hide the fact that she has some African ancestry, and be his wife in a white society. This conflicts with her desire to follow the wishes of her benefactor: the white Miss Em, who left her decaying mansion and surrounding land to Pinky, with the hope that she would do something important with it. Pinky has a dream(later realized)of turning the property into a combo medical clinic and nursery school: an odd combination. Several doctors are connected with this clinic.
Along with the 3 lead women, there are a couple of male heros in this story. First, is Judge Walker, who served as Pinky's council at the trial over the legitimacy of Miss Em's will. Despite the absence of his key witness, due to conflicting obligations, he did well enough to convince the judge, who also deserves credit for standing up to popular prejudice in making his decision.
Several incidents are meant to illustrate the point that whether Pinky was considered white or negro much affected how she was treated. In the altercation between Pinky and African American Rozelia, the police assumed she was white, and thus assumed that Rozelia was at fault. When they were told otherwise, they arrested both Pinky and Rozelia. ...When Pinky was walking home after dark, 2 drunk men in a car came by and assumed she was white, offering a ride. But when they surmised she must be an African American, they tried to rape her...When Ms. Wooley and Pinky were in a store, Pinky finished first, but Ms. Wooley objected that, as a white person, she should be waited on first.
Jeanne received a nomination for best actress, and both Ethel Barrymore, and Ethel Waters received a nomination for best supporting actress, for playing Ms. Em, and Dicy(Pinky's grandmother), respectively.
There are 2 obvious villains in Ms. Wooley and her maid Rozelia. That would include Ms. Wooley's lawyer in the contested will trial. But, in a sense, Pinky's white Boston boyfriend is also a villain, in that he wants her to hide the fact that she has some African ancestry, and be his wife in a white society. This conflicts with her desire to follow the wishes of her benefactor: the white Miss Em, who left her decaying mansion and surrounding land to Pinky, with the hope that she would do something important with it. Pinky has a dream(later realized)of turning the property into a combo medical clinic and nursery school: an odd combination. Several doctors are connected with this clinic.
Along with the 3 lead women, there are a couple of male heros in this story. First, is Judge Walker, who served as Pinky's council at the trial over the legitimacy of Miss Em's will. Despite the absence of his key witness, due to conflicting obligations, he did well enough to convince the judge, who also deserves credit for standing up to popular prejudice in making his decision.
Several incidents are meant to illustrate the point that whether Pinky was considered white or negro much affected how she was treated. In the altercation between Pinky and African American Rozelia, the police assumed she was white, and thus assumed that Rozelia was at fault. When they were told otherwise, they arrested both Pinky and Rozelia. ...When Pinky was walking home after dark, 2 drunk men in a car came by and assumed she was white, offering a ride. But when they surmised she must be an African American, they tried to rape her...When Ms. Wooley and Pinky were in a store, Pinky finished first, but Ms. Wooley objected that, as a white person, she should be waited on first.
Jeanne received a nomination for best actress, and both Ethel Barrymore, and Ethel Waters received a nomination for best supporting actress, for playing Ms. Em, and Dicy(Pinky's grandmother), respectively.