Pinky (1949)

 Elia Kazan made 'A Gentleman's Agreement', one of the first Hollywood films to directly tackle the issue of anti-sematism. An Oscar winner, a landmark film really, despite its flaws, most notably never mentioning the Holocaust. Kazan was aiming to break similar ground two years later with 'Pinky', a film about a lite skinned black woman who can pass for white. Pinky is played by the red headed actress Jean Crain, thankfully the film is in black and white. I could never get past that casting, it bothered me, seemed insulting. If a more plausible actress had been cast this would have worked better, there is some real good stuff in it, like Ethel Waters and Ethel Barrymore (both Oscar nominated, as was Crain). There is also something to be admired in what Kazan was daring to say at the time, but this film has not aged well. **1/2