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Summary

Pinky, a light skinned black woman, returns to her grandmother's house in the South after graduating from a Northern nursing school. Pinky tells her grandmother that she has been "passing" for white while at school in the North. In addition, she has fallen in love with a young white doctor, who knows nothing about her black heritage.

Cast

Jeanne Crain

Patricia "Pinky" Johnson

Ethel Barrymore

Miss Em

Ethel Waters

Dicey Johnson

William Lundigan

Dr. Thomas Adams

Basil Ruysdael

Judge Walker

Kenny Washington

Dr. Canady

Nina Mae McKinney

Rozelia

Griff Barnett

Dr. Joe McGill

Frederick O'Neal

Jake Walters

Evelyn Varden

Melba Wooley

Raymond Greenleaf

Judge Shoreham

Fred Aldrich

Townsman (uncredited)

Shelby Bacon

Boy (uncredited)

Rene Beard

Teejore (uncredited)

Arthur Berkeley

Townsman (uncredited)

Mildred Boyd

Nurse (uncredited)

Margaret Brayton

Nurse (uncredited)

Paul Brinegar

Western Union Clerk (uncredited)

Noble 'Kid' Chissell

Man (uncredited)

Tom Coleman

Townsman (uncredited)

Eve Conrad

Woman (uncredited)

Bert Conway

Loafer (uncredited)

Jack Curtis

Townsman (uncredited)

Josette Deegan

Woman (uncredited)

Dick Dickinson

Man (uncredited)

Kay Garrett

Townsman (uncredited)

Everett Glass

Jeffers Wooley (uncredited)

William Hansen

Mr. Goolby (uncredited)

Jimmie Horan

Townsman (uncredited)

Arthur Hunnicutt

Police Chief Anderson (uncredited)

Jean Inness

Viola (Goolby's Saleslady) (uncredited)

Wilfred Jackson

Boy (uncredited)

Frank Jaquet

Bailiff (uncredited)

Michael Jeffers

Man (uncredited)

Beverly Ruth Jordan

Girl (uncredited)

Geraldine Jordan

Girl (uncredited)

Pat Kane

Man (uncredited)

Philip Kieffer

Man (uncredited)

Read Killgore

Loafer (uncredited)

Al Kunde

Townsman (uncredited)

Warren Mace

Intern (uncredited)

Tiger Joe Marsh

George (Wooleys' Chauffeur) (uncredited)

Russell Meeker

Townsman (uncredited)

Juanita Moore

Nurse (uncredited)

Robert Osterloh

Police Officer (uncredited)

Ruth Rickaby

Matron (uncredited)

Dan Riss

Mr. Stanley (Wooleys' Attorney) (uncredited)

Katherine Sparks

Woman (uncredited)

George Spaulding

Medical Director (uncredited)

Harry Tenbrook

Townsman (uncredited)

Jim Toney

Baggage Man (uncredited)

Bess Wade

Woman (uncredited)

Pat Walshe

Young Man (uncredited)

Blue Washington

Man (uncredited)

Jasper Weldon

Man (uncredited)

Crew

Director

Elia Kazan

Novel

Cid Ricketts Sumner

Screenplay

Dudley Nichols

Screenplay

Philip Dunne

Reviews

Geronimo1967

July 9, 2022

Jeanne Crain is the eponymousous young nurse - of mixed race - trying to get by in her grandmother's Southern town. She takes a shine to local (white) doctor "Adams" (William Lundigan) but when her ethnicity becomes better knows, however, that all goes awry. Determined to head back to the more enlightened territories in the North, she is persuaded to stay and tend to a wealthy infirm lady "Miss Em" (Ethel Barrymore). Initially frosty, the two women gradually start to respect one and other, and she also begins to earn the appreciation of her doctor "McGill" (Griff Barnett). The old lady's death and subsequent will leaves "Pinky" and the whole town in a quandary that highlights bigotry and greed in equal measure. This is a powerful story with a strong ensemble cast. I could have done with some more of Barrymore - if only to further exemplify how these two characterful women developed their relationship, but there are good contributions from Ethel Walters and Even Varden as the rather odious "Melba" to compensate a little. The production is fine, it flows well with succinct dialogue and Elia Kazan makes the most of the original Sumner novel. The racism that this reflects is writ large and makes for a powerful piece of cinema.