Susan Kohner
Image from trailer of the 1959 film, Imitation of Life
Kohner in Imitation of Life (1959)
Born
Susanna Kohner

(1936-11-11) November 11, 1936
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Other namesSusan Weitz
OccupationActress
Years active1955–1964
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1964; died 2002)​
Children
Parents

Susanna "Susan" Kohner (born November 11, 1936)[1] is an American retired actress who worked in film and television. She played Sarah Jane in Imitation of Life (1959), for which she was nominated for an Oscar[2] and won a Golden Globe award.[3]

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.[4]

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.[5] Her mother was Roman Catholic, and of both Mexican and Irish descent, and her father was Jewish.[6][7][8][9]

Career

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

In her best known 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 hit. 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.

Kohner's TV debut was on February 4, 1956, in the "Long After Summer" episode of The Alcoa Hour. A review in the trade publication Billboard said that she "failed to impress."[10] 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, costarring 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.[11] She retired from acting to devote time to her family. The couple 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

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 Doniere Season 3 Episode 22: "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
Golden Globe Award Won Most Promising Newcomer – Female
-
Best Supporting Actress Imitation of Life
1962 Nominated Best Supporting Actress Freud: The Secret Passion
1958 Laurel Awards Top New Female Personality
-
1959 2nd Place
-

See also

References

  1. ↑ Keller, Gary (1997). A Biographical Handbook of Hispanics and United States Film. Tempe, AZ: Bilingual Press. p. 93. ISBN 0-927534-65-7.
  2. ↑ Schumach, Murray (February 23, 1960). "Academy Names Oscar Finalists" (PDF). The New York Times. Retrieved September 25, 2015.
  3. ↑ Horyn, Cathy (February 20, 2000). "Legacy; Growing up Weitz". The New York Times. Retrieved August 21, 2015.
  4. ↑ Kelley, Tina (October 4, 2002). "John Weitz, 79, Fashion Designer Turned Historian, Dies". The New York Times. Retrieved August 21, 2015.
  5. ↑ Yarrow, Andrew (March 19, 1988). "Paul Kohner, Hollywood Agent And Film Producer, Is Dead at 85". The New York Times. Retrieved August 23, 2015.
  6. ↑ Pfefferman, Naomi (March 13, 2003). "About Two Boys: Late fashion designer John Weitz inspires his Academy Award-nominated sons, Paul and Chris". Jewish Journal. Retrieved August 23, 2015.
  7. ↑ Pfefferman, Naomi (June 1, 2011). "An Immigrant Struggles for a 'Better Life' for His Son". Jewish Journal. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  8. ↑ Florido, Adrian (November 15, 2016). "Mexican Film Actress Lupita Tovar Dies At 106". National Public Radio. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  9. ↑ Lyttelton, Oliver (April 17, 2012). "5 Things You May Not Know About Douglas Sirk's 'Imitation Of Life'". IndieWire. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  10. ↑ Morse, Leon (February 18, 1956). "Alcoa Hour (TV)". Billboard. p. 13. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
  11. ↑ "Susan Kohner mentioned in the record of John H Weitz and Susan Kohner". FamilySearch. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
  12. ↑ Atkinson, Brooks (April 15, 1958). "Theatre: On Wickedness" (PDF). The New York Times. Retrieved September 25, 2015.
  13. ↑ Zolotow, Sam (December 10, 1957). "Sponsor Collars 'Man in Dog Suit'" (PDF). The New York Times. Retrieved September 25, 2015.
  14. ↑ Wilson, Earl (January 6, 1963). "Earl Wilson Reports: Susan Kohner Favors Elders". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. Retrieved September 25, 2015.
  15. ↑ "Vancouver Festival Books Nichols and Susan KohnerVancouve" (PDF). The New York Times. April 10, 1963. Retrieved September 25, 2015.
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