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Susan Kohner
Kohner in Imitation of Life (1959)
Born	Susanna Kohner (1936-11-11) November 11, 1936 (age 88) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Other names	Susan Weitz
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1955–1964
Known for	Imitation of Life All the Fine Young Cannibals Freud: The Secret Passion
Spouse	John Weitz ​ ​(m. 1964; died 2002)​
Children	Paul Weitz Chris Weitz
Parents	Paul Kohner (father) Lupita Tovar (mother)
Awards	Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress - Motion Picture

Susanna "Susan" Kohner (born November 11, 1936) is an American actress who worked in film and television. She played Sarah Jane, a young African-American woman, in Imitation of Life (1959), for which she was nominated for an Oscar as Best Supporting Actress. She won two Golden Globe awards for her performance.

Kohner married menswear designer and writer John Weitz in 1964. Their two sons, Paul Weitz and Chris Weitz, both became film directors and producers, screenwriters, and occasional actors.

Early life

Kohner was born in Los Angeles, California, 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. Her mother was Roman Catholic, and of Irish and Mexican descent; her father was Bohemian Jewish.

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 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 the second film adaptation of the 1933 book of the same name. The plot had major changes to better reflect its own time. The first film adaptation was released in 1934.

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. She won a Golden Globe as Best Supporting Actress and another 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." 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. 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 they produced 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. Broadway debut.
• 1962: Pullman Car Hiawatha by Thornton Wilder at Circle in the Square Theatre. Role: Harriet Milbury.
• 1963: Saint Joan by George Bernard Shaw at Vancouver Theater Festival. With Mike Nichols.

Filmography

Awards and nominations

See also

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

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.

External links

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

• Living people
• 1936 births
• 20th-century American actresses
• Actresses from Los Angeles
• American actresses of Mexican descent
• American film actresses
• American people of Czech-Jewish descent
• American people of Irish descent
• American television actresses
• Best Supporting Actress Golden Globe (film) winners
• Jewish American actresses
• Kohner family
• New Star of the Year (Actress) Golden Globe winners
• 21st-century American Jews
• 21st-century American women