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Fannie Hurst

Fannie Hurst

Writing

Biography

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Fannie Hurst (October 19, 1885 – February 23, 1968) was an American novelist and short-story writer whose works were highly popular during the post-World War I era. Her work combined sentimental, romantic themes with social issues of the day, such as women's rights and race relations. She was one of the most widely read female authors of the 20th century, and for a time in the 1920s she was one of the highest-paid American writers, along with Booth Tarkington. Hurst also actively supported a number of social causes, including feminism, African American equality, and New Deal programs. Although her novels, including Lummox (1923), Back Street (1931), and Imitation of Life (1933), lost popularity over time and were mostly out-of-print as of the 2000s, they were bestsellers when first published and were translated into many languages. She also published over 300 short stories during her lifetime. Hurst is known for the film adaptations of her works, including Imitation of Life (1934), starring Claudette Colbert, Louise Beavers, Fredi Washington, and Warren William; Imitation of Life (1959), starring Lana Turner; Humoresque (1946), starring Joan Crawford; and Young at Heart (1954), starring Frank Sinatra.

Known For

Imitation of Life
7.5

In 1940s New York, a white widow who dreams of being on Broadway has a chance encounter with a black single mother, who becomes her maid.

Imitation of Life

1959
Back Pay
4.9

Bored with small town life, a woman leaves for the big city and winds up becoming the mistress of a ruthless businessman.

Back Pay

1930
Black Angels
8.0

Starring Mexican star Pedro Infante, "Black Angels" is about a couple formed by a beautiful woman and a singer, both white, who are parents of a black girl. The woman blames him, but the girl will suffer the racist treatment from her own mother. Mexican version of the famous novel by Fannie Hurst "Imitation of Life"

Black Angels

1948
Four Daughters
6.6

Musician Adam Lemp and his four equally musical daughters, Emma, Ann, Kay, and Thea, live happily together. Each daughter has an upstanding young man for whom she cares. However, the arrival of a cynical, slovenly young composer named Mickey Borden turns the household upside-down, and romantic and tragic complications ensue.

Four Daughters

1938
Imitation of Life
7.0

A struggling widow and her daughter take in a black housekeeper and her fair-skinned daughter. The two women start a successful business but face familial, identity, and racial issues along the way.

Imitation of Life

1934
Humoresque
7.0

A classical musician from a working class background is sidetracked by his love for a wealthy, neurotic socialite.

Humoresque

1947
Young at Heart
6.0

The lives and romances of three sisters in a musical family; the youngest daughter's life is complicated by the subsequent arrival of a charming composer and a cynical music arranger.

Young at Heart

1954
Four Wives
5.5

In this sequel to Four Daughters, Ann struggles to move on after the death of her husband as she falls in love with Felix, but on the day of her engagement discovers that she carries Mickey's child.

Four Wives

1939
Four Mothers
6.8

Four married sisters face motherhood, financial, marital and family issues together.

Four Mothers

1941
Back Street
6.4

A woman's love for and devotion to a married man results in her being relegated to the "back streets" of his life.

Back Street

1932
Back Street
7.3

In turn-of-the-century Cincinnati, vibrant shop girl Ray Smith falls in love with banker Walter Saxel, who is engaged to a socially prominent woman. Inadvertently prevented from running away with Walter, Ray remains single but reunites with him five years later. Despite Walter being married and having a son, Ray becomes his mistress, and over the years suffers social ostracism and long stretches of solitude while waiting for their brief interludes together.

Back Street

1941
Back Street
5.6

Ambitious but thwarted, Rae Smith meets handsome Marine Paul Saxon, (of the Saxon department store chain), as he passes through Lincoln, Nebraska, on his way home from World War II. There's a definite spark between them but circumstances intervene and he leaves town without her. Later she learns he's married. Determined to make it as a fashion designer, Rae moves to New York and becomes a great success. One day she happens to meet Paul again and again there's that spark but he's still married so, as a form of escape, Rae moves to Rome to set up shop. Once again she meets Paul and finally they begin an actual affair since Paul's shrewish, drunken wife, Liz, won't give him a divorce. Time passes, the affair continues whenever time and place permit, but then, Paul's young son finds out about Rae and Rae's back-street world begins to crumble.

Back Street

1961
Hello, Everybody!
7.0

The setting is a farm. Kate Smith and Sally Blane play sisters; assorted relatives live with the sisters, but everyone at home, and in the whole town, depends on Kate to hold everything together. The power company wants to build a dam which will require flooding many of the farms; Kate is holding out; if Kate sells, everyone else will sell; if Kate refuses, the rest of the town will refuse as well. Randolph Scott meets Kate's beautiful sister, Sally Blane, at a dance. Randolph Scott, as it turns out, is an agent for the power company. Kate thinks he's just using Sally; Sally believes that he truly likes her. Randolph comes to the farm and appears to woo Kate. Kate remains unconvinced about selling out, but falls for Randolph.

Hello, Everybody!

1933
Mannequin
10.0

Adapted from the Fannie Hurst story of the same name, Mannequin is the story of Joan Herrick, kidnapped in infancy from her wealthy parents and raised by a slatternly slum woman. The film is still extant.

Mannequin

1926
Symphony of Six Million
5.7

A young doctor escapes the slums of New York City to make his fortune as a Park Avenue doctor. When a fatal mistake results in tragedy his resolve to continue working is severely tested. Based on a novel by Fannie Hurst.

Symphony of Six Million

1932
Wheel of Chance
8.0

A Russian family, the Turkeltaubs, emigrates to the US before the Communist revolution that overthrew the Czar. One of their twin sons, Schulke, disappears and is believed dead before they leave. After they settle into their new country, the family does well: the surviving twin, Nicholai, becomes a crusading District Attorney. One of the cases he is assigned to prosecute is that of small-time gangster Jacob Talinef, who has killed a former girlfriend of Nicholai's. Further investigation of the case, though, reveals a shocking secret.

Wheel of Chance

1928
Seven Kadın Unutmaz
4.0

Türkan, a young woman, works as a secretary in a bank. Kemal works alongside his wealthy uncle. There is a big secret that Kemal kept from Türkan.

Seven Kadın Unutmaz

1965
The Untamed Lady
9.0

A spoiled rich girl is brought down to earth by the man who loves her.

The Untamed Lady

1926
Lummox
8.0

Lummox is a 1930 American Pre-Code sound film directed by Herbert Brenon, released through United Artists, and based on a 1923 novel by Fannie Hurst. The story of Bertha, a young immigrant woman who cleans the homes of the rich and is largely ignored by them, except for a young poet who considers her a muse.

Lummox

1930
Five and Ten
6.1

John owns the largest chain of five and ten cent stores in the country. He moves his family to New York from Kansas City and their life, though grand, is falling apart due to his constant working. Wife and mother Jenny is lonely. Son Avery hates his job. Daughter Jennifer is snubbed by classmate Muriel and her friends. At a charity bazaar, Jennifer meets Berry and sparks are evident. However, he is engaged to Muriel and Muriel will make sure that she, and only she, marries Berry. After the marriage, Berry still thinks of Jennifer as Jennifer thinks of Berry. Avery laments about the state of his family since they were happy in Kansas City.

Five and Ten

1931