Rubuta ci gaba don wannan sakin layi - A shekara ta 1934, an dauki Knowlden a matsayin daya daga cikin 'yan wasan kwaikwayo na yara da suka kafa kansu a cikin masana'antar gasa. Ta kasance ɗaya daga cikin 'yan mata uku da suka nuna Jessie Pullman (yana da shekara takwas) a cikin fim din Universal Pictures na 1934 "Imitation of Life". Fiye da yara 100 ne suka yi gwaji don rawar da ta samu a ƙarshe. Fim din, wanda ya danganci littafin Fannie Hurst na 1933 na wannan sunan, ya yi magana game da batun wucewa (batun da za a sake bincika shi a cikin fim din da ta bayyana a cikin shekaru biyu daga baya, "Nuna Jirgin ruwa"). Ta taka rawar da 'yar Claudette Colbert ta yi a matsayin yarinya. An zabi shi don Kyautar Kwalejin Kwalejin don Mafi Kyawun Hotuna a 7th Academy Awards
shekara mai zuwa. A shekara ta 2005, an zaɓi fim ɗin don adanawa a cikin Rijistar Fim ɗin Ƙasar Amurka saboda an ɗauke shi "al'adu, tarihi, ko mahimmancin kyan gani".