I Passed for White

"I look white... I married white... Now I must live with a secret that can destroy us both!"

1960 1h 33m EN

👍

7.0

SOLID

⭐

6.2

IMDB

★7.0TMDB · 4★6.2IMDB · 348

Drama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A young woman falls in love and marries, but withholds from her husband information about her family.

“I look white... I married white... Now I must live with a secret that can destroy us both!”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Sonya Wilde
Bernice Lee
James Franciscus
Rick Leyton
Patricia Michon
Sally Roberts
Elizabeth Council
Ann Leyton
Griffin Crafts
Mr. Leyton
Isabel Cooley
Bertha
Jimmy Lydon
Jay Morgan
Thomas Browne Henry
Dr. Merritt

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Fred M. Wilcox
Writers: Fred M. Wilcox
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

ERA

Did you know

66 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Fred M. Wilcox, shot by George J. Folsey. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by John Williams. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Sonya Wilde and James Franciscus and Patricia Michon carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "I look white... I married white... Now I must live with a secret that can destroy us both!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0053933 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

Only 4 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Fred M. Wilcox directs. George J. Folsey behind the camera. John Williams scores. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

166 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Directed by Fred M. Wilcox, shot by George J. Folsey. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by John Williams. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Sonya Wilde and James Franciscus and Patricia Michon carry the top of the cast.
5Marketing tagline: "I look white... I married white... Now I must live with a secret that can destroy us both!".
6IMDB entry: tt0053933 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
7Only 4 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: George J. Folsey
Original score: John Williams
Runtime: 93 min · 1h 33m
Status: Released
Original language: EN
IMDB: I Passed for White (1960)
IMDB rating: 6.2/10 · 348 votes
MPAA: Approved

Also by

Fred M. Wilcox

Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2023-05-28
★ 5/10
"Bernice" (Sonya Wilde) falls in love with, and marries, the well-to-do "Rick" (James Franciscus) and she soon becomes pregnant. Thing is, though, she has one hell of a secret. His entirely white family do not know that she is, well, not... His mother (Elizabeth Council) begins to suspect something is afoot when "Bernice" can't provide her family at the impending birth and, indeed, the only evidence of her mother's existence comes from a photograph that is less than convincing. As is always the case, the web of lies becomes more and more complicated and harder for her to plausibly sustain - especially when the baby arrives and her curious reactions seriously test her relationship with her husband. My problem with this is the underpinning story is really rather weak and the issues it presents us with are all enveloped in scenarios that are a bit contrived. Neither leading actor here really brings much to the party - in fact, it's really only Council who, briefly, engages. The contentious subject matter was clearly all that was on anyone's mind here - the production and delivery of that potentially potent analysis of racism and bigotry is, however, completely lacklustre and this really smacks of a mid-budget television movie.

Production companies