A young woman struggling with a sordid past finds that her biggest enemy had larger demons than she did.
When wild child Anna Lucasta (Kitt) is banished from the family home by her self-righteous father, she falls into a life of prostitution and into the arms of of streetwise sailor Danny Johnson (Davis). But after she shocks them all by finally finding true love with a well-heeled young suitor, her unforgiving father sets a vengeful plan in motion to remind his daughter of her sordid past and destroy her future forever.—Anonymous
In 1959, United Artists produced a film version of Anna Lucasta starring Eartha Kitt as Anna Lucasta. Anna is a sassy African American beauty who was forced to make a living on the streets near the San Diego naval station at a young age after her father had kicked her out. She spends her nights drinking and seducing men in the area. Meanwhile, her mother and father live in Los Angeles, along with their son and daughter and their respective spouses under one roof. Her father Joe, an aging alcoholic, receives a letter one day from his old friend Otis Slocum in Alabama. In his letter, Otis tells Joe he will be sending his son Rudolph, to California with four thousand dollars, in hopes that Joe can help Rudolph find a fine wife. Frank, Annas brother in law, and her brother Stanley see this as a scheming opportunity to get their share of the $4000. Her mother Theresa, thinks Anna would be a fine wife for Rudolph, and that it would be a great opportunity for her to get a fresh start. Joe becomes livid at the thought and refuses to speak her name.After being coerced by the family, he goes to San Diego to bring Anna home. He finds Anna at Noahs Wharf Café drinking and kissing sailor Danny Johnson, played by Sammy Davis Jr., who had just proposed Anna go away with him. Joe insists Anna come home, and since Dannys proposal did not include marriage, she decides to return home to Los Angeles with her father. Anna quickly catches on to Franks and Stanleys scheme. Rudolph arrives to the Lucasta residence and is instantly struck by Annas beauty. He courts her for a while and finally confesses his feelings to her. Anna reveals the reason she was in San Diego, why her father kicked her out and how she had to make a living on the streets to survive. Rudolph doesnt care about her past and proposes marriage to Anna. JJoe, who overheard the news, goes down to the college and tells the Dean that his new hires wife is a tramp. Just after the wedding, Danny shows up determined to take Anna away. After finding out her fathers plans to sabotage any chance of a good life with Rudolph, Anna flees with Danny. They party together in San Diego for a week, until Danny runs out of funds. Anna mentions she has trosseau money in her parents home. They decide to go back to the house to get the money so they could pay their fare to Brazil. When they get there, Anna finds her father in bed, moaning, calling Anna his little angel. She takes her fathers hand, and he dies. Anna breaks out into tears, and Danny leaves the house. As he is leaving, Rudolph and the family are returning from church. Rudolph sees Danny leaving and assumes Anna is back home and in excitement, runs into the house.
