Susan Kohner

Susanna "Susan" Kohner (born November 11, 1936) is an American former actress who worked in film and television. She is best known for her role as Sarah Jane in Imitation of Life (1959), for which she was nominated for an Oscar[1] and won a Golden Globe award. She played a light-skinned black woman who "passed" for white as a child and young adult.[2]

Susan Kohner
Kohner in Imitation of Life (1959)
Born	Susanna Kohner (1936-11-11) November 11, 1936 Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Other names	Susan Weitz
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1955–1964
Spouse(s)	John Weitz ​ ( m. 1964; died 2002)
Children	Paul Weitz Chris Weitz

After Kohner married menswear designer and writer John Weitz in 1964, she retired from acting to devote time to her family. Her two sons, Paul Weitz and Chris Weitz, have both become film directors and producers, screenwriters, and occasional actors.[3]

Early life

Kohner was born in Los Angeles, California, the daughter of Lupita Tovar, a Mexican-born actress who had a career in Hollywood, and Paul Kohner, a film producer who was born in Bohemia, Austria-Hungary.[4] Her mother was Roman Catholic, and of both Mexican and Irish descent, and her father was Jewish.[5][6][7][8]

Career

Most of Kohner's film roles came during the late 1950s and early 1960s, including co-starring with Sal Mineo in both Dino (1957) and The Gene Krupa Story (1959).

In her most notable role, Kohner played Sarah Jane in Imitation of Life, portraying a light-skinned black woman who "passes" as white. The 1959 film was a remake of a 1934 version of a book of the same name. The expensive, glossy Ross Hunter production, directed by Douglas Sirk and starring Lana Turner, was a box office smash. In addition, Kohner was nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award for her role in the film, and won a Golden Globe as Best Supporting Actress and one as Best New Actress.

Following her role in Imitation of Life, Kohner appeared in All the Fine Young Cannibals opposite Natalie Wood and Robert Wagner. She later had guest roles on various television series, including Hong Kong, Going My Way, and Temple Houston. She made her last film appearance in 1962, co-starring with Montgomery Clift in Freud: The Secret Passion. She retired from acting in 1964.

Personal life

In 1964, Kohner married John Weitz, a German-born novelist and fashion designer.[9] She retired from acting to devote time to her family. They had two sons together, Chris and Paul Weitz, who both became film directors and producers in Hollywood, together producing films such as American Pie (1999) and About a Boy (2002). Chris Weitz is also known for directing New Moon (2009), part of The Twilight Saga.

On April 23, 2010, a new print of Imitation of Life (1959) was screened at the TCM Film Festival in Los Angeles, California, to which Kohner and co-star Juanita Moore were invited. After the screening, the two women appeared on stage for a question-and-answer session hosted by TCM’s Robert Osborne. Kohner and Moore received standing ovations.

Theater

• 1958: Love Me Little by John G. Fuller at Helen Hayes Theatre. Role: Emily Whittaker.[10] Broadway debut.[11]
• 1962: Pullman Car Hiawatha by Thornton Wilder at Circle in the Square Theatre. Role: Harriet Milbury.[12]
• 1963: Saint Joan by George Bernard Shaw at Vancouver Theater Festival. With Mike Nichols.[13]

Filmography

Film
Year	Film	Role	Notes
1955	To Hell and Back	Maria
1956	The Last Wagon	Jolie
1957	Trooper Hook	Consuela
	Dino	Shirley	Alternative title: Killer Dino
1959	Imitation of Life	Sarah Jane, age 18	Also: Performer: "Empty Arms"
	The Big Fisherman	Princess Fara
	The Gene Krupa Story	Ethel Maguire	Alternative title: Drum Crazy
1960	All the Fine Young Cannibals	Catherine McDowall
1961	By Love Possessed	Helen Detweiler
1962	Freud: The Secret Passion	Martha Freud	Alternative title: Freud
Television
Year	Title	Role	Notes
1956	The Alcoa Hour	Joanna	1 episode
	Four Star Playhouse	Anita	1 episode
	Cavalcade of American		1 episode: "A Bed of Roses"
	Climax!		2 episodes: "Child of the Wind/Throw Away the Cane," segment "Child of the Wind"; "Ten Minutes to Curfew"
1956–1957	Schlitz Playhouse of Stars	Angela O'Neill; Lynn Howell	2 episodes: "Date for Tomorrow" as Angela O'Neill; "Dual Control" as Lynn Howell
1957	Matinee Theatre	Joanna Marshall	2 episodes: " - "Letter to a Stranger"; "Laugh a Little Tear"
	Wagon Train	Mokai	1 episode: "The Charles Avery Story"
	Suspicion	Gina	1 episode: "The Flight"
1958	Alfred Hitchcock Presents	Therese	1 episode: "The Return of the Hero"
1960	Playhouse 90	Rachel Heller	1 episode: "In the Presence of Mine Enemies"
1961	The DuPont Show with June Allyson	Clare Anderson	1 episode: "The Guilty Heart"
	Hong Kong	Elena	1 episode: "The Innocent Exile"
1961–1963	Route 66	Katy Webster; Midge Pierrepont	2 episodes: "The Quick and the Dead" as Katy Webster; "But What Do You Do in March" as Midge Pierrepont
1962	Checkmate	Vicki Angelo	1 episode: "Down the Gardenia Path"
	The Dick Powell Show	Miriam Marks	1 episode: "Tomorrow, the Man"
1963	The Doctors and the Nurses	Terry Collins	1 episode: "Root of Violence"
	Going My Way	Elaine Brady	1 episode: "One Small Unhappy Family"
	Temple Houston	Ellena Romolo	1 episode: "Toll the Bell Slowly"
1964	Rawhide	Abbie Bartlett	1 episode: "Incident at Ten Trees"
	Channing	Rena	1 episode: "A Bang and a Whimper"

Awards and nominations

Year	Award	Result	Category	Film
1959	Academy Award	Nominated	Best Supporting Actress	Imitation of Life
1959	Golden Globe Award	Won	Most Promising Newcomer - Female	-
1959			Best Supporting Actress	Imitation of Life
1962		Nominated	Best Supporting Actress	Freud: The Secret Passion
1958	Laurel Awards	Nominated	Top New Female Personality	-
1959		2nd Place	Top Female New Personality	-

See also

• John Weitz
• Chris Weitz
• Paul Weitz
• Lupita Tovar
• Paul Kohner

References

1. Schumach, Murray (23 February 1960). "Academy Names Oscar Finalists" (PDF). The New York Times. Retrieved 25 September 2015.
2. Horyn, Cathy (20 February 2000). "Legacy; Growing up Weitz". The New York Times. Retrieved 21 August 2015.
3. Kelley, Tina (4 October 2002). "John Weitz, 79, Fashion Designer Turned Historian, Dies". The New York Times. Retrieved 21 August 2015.
4. Yarrow, Andrew (19 March 1988). "Paul Kohner, Hollywood Agent And Film Producer, Is Dead at 85". The New York Times. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
5. Pfefferman, Naomi (13 March 2003). "About Two Boys: Late fashion designer John Weitz inspires his Academy Award-nominated sons, Paul and Chris". Jewish Journal. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
6. Pfefferman, Naomi (June 1, 2011). "An Immigrant Struggles for a 'Better Life' for His Son". Jewish Journal. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
7. Florido, Adrian (November 15, 2016). "Mexican Film Actress Lupita Tovar Dies At 106". National Public Radio. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
8. Lyttelton, Oliver (April 17, 2012). "5 Things You May Not Know About Douglas Sirk's 'Imitation Of Life'". IndieWire. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
9. "Susan Kohner mentioned in the record of John H Weitz and Susan Kohner". FamilySearch. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
10. Atkinson, Brooks (15 April 1958). "Theatre: On Wickedness" (PDF). The New York Times. Retrieved 25 September 2015.
11. Zolotow, Sam (10 December 1957). "Sponsor Collars 'Man in Dog Suit'" (PDF). The New York Times. Retrieved 25 September 2015.
12. Wilson, Earl (6 January 1963). "Earl Wilson Reports: Susan Kohner Favors Elders". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. Retrieved 25 September 2015.
13. "Vancouver Festival Books Nichols and Susan KohnerVancouve" (PDF). The New York Times. 10 April 1963. Retrieved 25 September 2015.

External links

• Susan Kohner on IMDb
• Susan Kohner at the Internet Broadway Database
• Susan Kohner at Internet Off-Broadway Database
• Susan Kohner at AllMovie