Flower Drum Song

source: Flower Drum Song

All right, all right. Yes, "Flower Drum Song" is a bit dated, sexist, and even a little stereotypical. The score contains a few great numbers like "Love, Look Away" and "I Enjoy Being a Girl" (In spite of the sexist lyrics, it's a fun song), but overall is not as good as other Rodgers and Hammerstein scores. But there is still much to like and enjoy in this charming film version of R&H's Broadway hit. The cast is great, and includes several veterans of the Broadway show, most notably former Oscar-winner Miyoshi Umecki, who is utterly enchanting as Mei Li, completely rising above the characterization of a placid "picture bride" who just sort of goes with the flow and doesn't question any of her "superiors" (men) with a performance that is sweetly comical and even a little touching at times. Other Broadway veterans Patrick Adiarte (You would never guess he was the same guy who was that annoying Crown Prince in the movie of The King and I) and Juanita Hall (from South Pacific) are likewise great, and Jack Soo is hilarious as the hip, deadpan Sammy Fong. Of the actors chosen just for the film, James Shigeta has a pleasent voice and acting style as Wang Ta, and Benson Fong is good enough in the rather stereotypical role of the stubbornly traditionalist Chinese father. As for Nancy Kwan as Linda Low, she is rather wooden as an actress and must've been an even worse singer (As she was dubbed by BJ Baker), but does a great job dancing in the nightclub sequences. But yes, Pat Suzuki from the Broadway show would've been a much better choice, judging by the original cast recording. Reiko Sato is pretty good as Helen Chao and Marilyn Horne does a beautiful job of dubbing her in "Love, Look Away." Aside from the great cast, the orchestrations are wonderful and better than the Broadway arrangements, and the choreography by Hermes Pan is really, really good. This is one of the more faithful filmizations of a Broadway show, aside from cutting one song (The forgettable "Like a God"), re-ordering a few others and throwing in a few new scenes. And while perhaps Rodgers and Hammerstein couldn't quite bring the depth to this story of Chinese immigrants adjusting to life in San Francisco's Chinatown, they did it with great charm and overall respect. There are many delights in the score such as "A Hundred Million Miracles," the hilarious "Don't Marry Me," "Sunday," "Grant Avenue," and the lovely "You Are Beautiful." Even if these are not on a level with the other R&H scores, they are well-written and memorable. Truly an under-rated film that deserves another look. Right now in Los Angeles, a new revival of the stage version with a completely new book by Asian-American playwright David Henry Hwang is appearing, possibly on its way to Broadway. It makes sense to finally have this story told from a truly Asian-American perspective, and hopefully, though some of Hwang's choices sound a bit odd, (Putting in something about CHinese opera, cutting Sammy Fong and the whole "Other Generation" song and idea, which is pretty crucial to the original, and making Mei Li a refugee from Chinese Communism) hopefully this new version will further allow people to reconsider their view of this show and its film version.

I watched the film last night with 2 Chinese friends who knew nothing about it. They loved every minute of it and so did I, 45 years after my initial viewing. It still has a great message for all of us no matter where we live and you just get swept away by the wonderful score. The dance routines are charming and the interiors quite exquisite. Nancy Kwan has never looked lovelier as Linda Loo and Jack Soo is always a delight.Juanita Hall brings her great presence to the role of Madame Liang and Miyoshi Umeki and James Shigeta are two fine performers. Patrick Adriarte dances with great verve. A great night's viewing for all!

Chinese girl from the Old Country stows away on a ship along with her elderly father in order to come to America and find herself a husband in San Francisco's Chinatown. Hit Broadway musical for Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, this Ross Hunter-produced movie version (although set in the modern age) looks like a relic from the 1930s. The dialogue is so cloying, it's occasionally painful to hear ("I'm a dead duck--Peking style!"), not helped by the rusty staging of the songs (each one longer than the last). The cast is variable: Miyoshi Umeki is indeed very sweet in the central role; Nancy Kwan is hot stuff as a cabaret entertainer; James Shigeta is fine as the young man everyone is playing matchmaker for; but Jack Soo's over-zealous performance as hip restaurateur Sammy Fong is indicative of the director's vision (exaggerated, comic-book cuteness). I don't know how Juanita Hall--as Madame Liang, Shigeta's Chinese aunt--got involved with all this; striding alongside Benson Fong, Hall is like an Oriental Mrs. Butterworth: hard-working, loyal, beaming (she's out of place, but amusingly so). The colorful cinematography and costumes are lovely, the musical direction has some pizazz, yet nearly everything else sags with the weight of old-fashioned mustiness. ** from ****

How dated. Sexist. Racist. Stereotypical. Sometimes disgusting in the depiction of Asians coming to America. Adjusting to life in America. Reminds one of the stereotypical Puerto Ricans in West Side Story. America annoying in some ways, they said, but it beats bad conditions in the old country. Jack Soo refreshing to see. Deadpan. Future player on Barney Miller. Women put on makeup. We are no longer 'girls'. We still dress up for "dates", or dress down, for that matter. We don't always enjoy looking forward to living in the home of a free male. Ugh. Too many old movies had Caucasians playing other ethnic types, whether they be portraying Native Americans, African Americans, Asians, et al. This movie mostly had Asian actors, which is somewhat a plus. 5/10

I have seen the revival of the 1958 R&H musical and did not appreciate it one bit. The original story is so charming, with a lovely score and sympathetic and enchanting characters. I don't understand all of this nonsense about stereotypes. In the film, all of the characters are fully realized, three dimensional characters. I agree with what the former poster has to say about the 1961 film. Very true to the original play, though I would opine that the original cast orchestrations are better than those of the film. Fine performances by a darling Miyoshi Umeki, seemingly servile, but full of pluck and guts and insight, in her own quiet way. Nancy Kwan looks beautiful as Linda Low and Jack Shoo and the handsome James Shigata as the romantic lead are wonderfully cast. Juanita Hall steals every scene she is in and Benson Fong is superb, as the traditional, but very wise father, who really does have his son's interest and happiness at heart. Seems to me that these are universals, not endemic to any one group. I just do not understand all of the fuss about updating the book. "The Other Generation" is cut from the updated version. Was that song a slur against Chinese Americans in the late 1950's? Seems to me that in another Broadway classic, "Bye, Bye Birdie", which opened in the spring of 1960, white bread American parents lamented the "other generation" in a diddy called, "Kids." It was the zeitgeist of the late Eisenhower era and the fall out from rock and roll and the huge impact a fellow called Elvis made in these United States. Ancient Chinese saying goes, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." In these troubled times, Broadway audiences would have appreciated a slightly tweaked and updated version of this 1958 gem of a show. David Hwang Ho has really taken it to the extreme. So, if you want to real flavor the original, stick with the film and the wonderful characters who inhabit the wonderful Chinatown and Grant Avenue, San Francisco, California, USA, in those halcyon Kennedy years.

When I saw this movie, it caught me in the right mood to really enjoy this film. In fact, I was almost misty eyed when Helen turns to lament the song "Love Look Away". Only "Where is Love?" from OLIVER is a more moving emotional song that fits directly into the story and the movie. I think the acting is superb and can't understand why this R & H musical doesn't attract more attention.

Nearly all the Asian actors in this film playing Chinese-Americans are in fact Japanese. This says a lot about the towns in which it was made. Now I am not a super-politically correct sort of guy...like the one reviewer who insanely wants the movie banned. But the film suffers badly from a very paternalistic and sad view of the Chinese...the sort of stuff that was considered just fine until recent years. Plus, it would have been considered insulting to have Japanese playing Chinese people to Chinese folks...and they are NOT one in the same culturally and WWII created a lot of ill feelings! My complaint though is less about political correctness and more about how silly all this looks today. The characters talk much like Charlie Chan and some use very stilted and unrealistic language, such as saying "My Father" or "My Wife's Sister" again and again....and I cannot imagine anyone talking like that. The story itself is about a Chinese girl (Miyoshi Umeki) and her father who snuck into the country illegally and are trying to get her married to a rich Chinese-American man's son (James Shigeta). But he has eyes on another girl...the very modern and non-traditional Linda (Nancy Kwan). Who will he end up with...and how will the traditional father take it? And, will modern audiences actually see this thing to the finish or turn it off and choose another picture? While the songs were written by Rogers and Hammerstein, they are pretty forgettable and occasionally patronizing (such as "Chop Suey"). Other Rogers and Hammerstein films (such as "South Pacific", "State Fair" and "The Sound of Music") produced a lot of memorable and singable tunes...but not in this one. Overall, a terribly dated film that I disliked less because it is offensive (which it is) but because it's just bad. A clear misfire from start to finish.

This one takes me right back to the sixties when we were young and full of hope for the future. We saw it as a first run movie at Graumann's Chinese Theater in Hollywood and loved it. Even today, on the television set, it holds up well and the overture just jumps out at you. Soon, you hear "A Hundred Million Miracles, with doll-like Miyoshi Umeki, and other great songs like "Love Look Away," and "Sunday." The choreography is as impressive as the music, in particular the erotic dance sequence for "Love Look Away," with beautiful Reiko Sato as Helen. Her unrequited love for Ta (James Shigeta) is never neatly resolved, unlike the film's other romantic relationships, and unfortunately, she died in real life only twenty years later. Nancy Kwan as Linda Low, of course, looks great, sings well, and slinks around very nicely, as do the many other lovely Asian dancers who grace this testament to Chinese American culture and oriental beauty. The funniest and best acting came from old man Wang, played by Benson Fong. He complained to his wife's sister (Juanita Hall) that after five long years of citizenship school, the only thing she could say about America was, "This isn't China!" And when asked to describe the mugger who had robbed him on his doorstep, he replied simply, "How should I know. All white men look alike." James Shigeta and Jack Soo handed in memorable performances, as well. The former became one of the most successful and consistently employed oriental actors in American film and television, while the latter went on to play Nick Yemana on "Barney Miller." Although there are some corny aspects to "Flower Drum Song," these are more than counterbalanced by the many interesting elements that occur throughout the movie. In short, it's a sort of "Joy Luck Club" of the early sixties, on a similar level and released about the same time as "South Pacific" and "West Side Story." A couple of years later, America was again impacted by the Orient. The beautiful song "Sukiyaki," an imported hit from Japan, went to number one on the American pop charts. We had our problems in those days, but culturally speaking, it was a great time to be alive.

This has got to be the worst of the lot when it comes to Rodgers and Hammerstein stage musicals that made it to the screen. First of all, none of the songs have the memorable qualities one would expect from an R&H musical and certainly none compare favorably to the melodies from SOUTH PACIFIC, OKLAHOMA, CAROUSEL or THE KING AND I. Secondly, MIYOSHI YUMEKI, while a living doll, is naive and funny when she's called upon to be the innocent, but mawkish and unbearable whenever she has to draw sentimental tears. And NANCY KWAN seems phony and totally unreal, even when singing "I Enjoy Being A Girl" which is about the snappiest number in the whole musical. Thirdly, all of the characters are terrible stereotypes exploited for what little humor there is in this story of an immigrant girl looking for a good match as a husband. Neither the slight story nor the characters, all very one-dimensional and predictable, are worth caring about. For me, someone who loves a good musical, this belongs on the bottom tier of the musical genre.