Genres

Visitors Review

artzau 2012-05-25 04:39:53

Not bad...Coulda been better...But, Not bad.

I've never forgiven the producers for not casting Pat Suzuki in the role ofLinda Low. She created it on Broadway and was really great. Nancy Kwanwas, well, OK, but didn't have the umph that Pat Suzuki would have broughtto that role. Now, when you consider that many of the cast wereJapanese-Americans, viz., Jack Soo, James Shigeta, Miyoshi Umeki, maybe theythought it might be overloading it a bit. But, Juanita Hall, famous forcreating Bloody Mary in South Pacific on B'way and in the film, isAfrican-American, so what's the big deal? In fact, isn't it great thatAsian-American actors got their day in the limelight? Lord knows they'vepaid their dues.This musical is rather typical Rogers and Hammerstein fare. The numbers arecompetent, the songs pleasant and the characters laudable. But, it neverreally clicked in a big way. Sure, there are great numbers, Grant Ave, SanFrancisco, California, USA...I Enjoy Being a Girl...A Hundred MillionMiracles, and others, but this play never connected the same way that otherRogers and Hammerstein works did. But, it's a pleasant show and pleasing to watch. Jack Soo was always greatand Nancy Kwan, in spite of my protests, was very cute. Check it out. Thereis video and DVD.

2012-05-24 11:51:01

Finally!!!!

I have loved thie movie ever since seeing it on late night tv. I had to search a long time to find it on video before dvd was an option and I have been waiting impatiently for release on dvd since my vhs is wearing out. The gradual awakening of young Ta to which girl is truly right for him and Sammy Fong's attempt to disillusion his picture bride are priceless although the latter was often cut out during late night broadcasts. The ballet is sublime even though you can tell when they switched from James Shigeta to a professional dancer. Afterall, it's the music and the story that make this great.

BenP 2012-05-23 11:42:24

Fun movie!

The dancing and the music are dazzling but goes the charm and the humor. The Asian actresses are drop dead gorgeous! There is a stereotyed docile obedient Chinese lady who in real life is Japanese! A must see!

2012-05-23 05:44:30

Pleasant but unremarkable R&H Musical Comedy

This is grade B Rodgers and Hammerstein, but that means it's VERY competent and certainly enjoyable to watch once or twice. After that it is just boring. Filmed in Panavision for Universal (the only R&H film not produced or distributed by Fox)the film's one saving grace is the borrowing of Alfred Newman/Ken Darby to orchestrate and score the musical and dance numbers (as they did for the Fox R&H musicals). The score is pleasant but the orchestrations make it seem far more memorable than it is. Unfortunately, no one in the film can act and the director is lethargic in his pacing. The show and the film are curios. What was timely in 1959 when the show premiered on Broadway for 600 performances and in 1961 when the film was released, is now very dated. R&H never had much success with contemporary themes in their musical comedies (virtually everything they wrote after THE KING AND I - 1951). The film DOES go on (for two and a quarter hours). The dream ballet is completely rethought (originally an act one finale equivalent to OKLHAHOMA!'s ballet where Laurey has to make up her mind), no longer Wang Ta making up his mind between Linda Low and Mei Lei, but a strife torn Helen Chao haunted by her impossible love for Ta. The ballet is well choreographed and danced (as is the delightful SUNDAY number). This is like the cliche about Chinese food - tastes great while your enjoying it but an hour later you're hungry again.The film earned five Oscar noms: Cinematography, Art Direction, Costumes, Sound, Scoring butlost out to WEST SIDE STORY.

2012-05-22 16:54:59

A hundred million miracles

I first saw this play in the 1950's in an open theater in southern California. All I remember was the song and sitting among palm trees. This play or musical is based on a novel by C.Y. Lee. Very well adapted for the screen by Joseph Fields and Oscar Hammerstein. They made everything look smooth and natural. Even the surrealistic scenes seemed like stepping into the persons head. There are several other dimensions to this movie such as the characters are played by well know actors such as Nancy Kwan, Myoshi Umeki, James Shigeta, Benson Fong, and Jack Soo. To add to that are many memorable songs such as "A Hundred Million Miracles", "I Enjoy Being a Girl", You Are Beautiful", and "Love Look Away." Most of the scenery is of stage play quality. The basic story is a lot of love triangle overlap In San Francisco's China Town where eastern and western culture clash. We also have generation clashes. Seems like everyone is mixed up as to who loves whom. So will they be able to straighten this out? Will we learn anything about love and family in the process?The special edition DVD has all the standard goodies as interviews with actors. The voice over commentary has mostly Nancy Kwan talking about her role in "The World of Suzie Wong."Flower Drum Song (1961 Film Soundtrack)

Ed 2012-05-21 22:07:33

New DVD Resuscitates R&H East-Meets-West Chestnut

As a Japanese-American raised in the 1960's, I always had mixed feelings about the 1961 film version of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Chinese-American musical comedy. Although it was refreshing to see so many Asian faces in a mainstream studio movie (granted several Japanese-American actors in Chinese roles), the portrayals always struck me as trite and catering to pre-existing stereotypes. Now that it has finally come out on DVD forty-five years after its initial release, I can appreciate it much more without raising my eyebrows as much, perhaps because it now seems so much a nostalgic product of Eisenhower-era sensibilities. Another reason is that the DVD contains a pristine print that balances the saturated use of color throughout. Moreover, there is the music, which while not grade-A material from the legendary team, has enough of their recognizably melodious style to make the whole affair quite entertaining now. Set in San Francisco's Chinatown in the late 1950's, the soufflé-light story, written by Joseph Fields, is a family-oriented, musical-chairs romantic comedy focused on East-West cultural differences primarily in the well-to-do Wang household headed by the ultra-traditional Master Wang. It starts with pretty Mei Li, who has stowed away on a Chinese steamer with her professor father to become a mail-order bride for nightclub owner Sammy Fong. En route, they end up staying in the Wang home where she develops a crush on eldest son Wang Ta. But he is infatuated with saucy showgirl Linda Low, who is intent on making Sammy jealous enough for him to propose after five years of non-commitment. Wang Ta and Linda turn out to be a mismatch, which would be good news if only Mei Li's marriage contract were not so binding. If that situation is not complicated enough, dressmaker Helen Chao has a lifelong crush on Wang Ta as well. An all-Asian cast was assembled, a rarity in itself back then, and it helps that most perform within the constraints of the movie quite well. Looking like a porcelain doll brought to life, Miyoshi Umeki lends her uniquely plaintive quality to the role of Mei Li, and she sings with quiet clarity on her trademark song, "A Hundred Million Miracles". As Wang Ta, James Shigeta, also a pleasant singer, is sincere with the matinee idol looks to match, although his naïve character seems excessively dim when it comes to women. Both, however, are overshadowed by the shenanigans provided by Nancy Kwan, at her pin-up cutie peak, as Linda, and Jack Soo in full Dean Martin mode as the cynical Sammy. Even though their stormy relationship seems to be lifted completely from Nathan and Adelaide's in "Guys and Dolls", they provide the lion's share of the entertainment with the domestic fantasy, "Sunday" a particular highlight. While dubbed, Kwan performs the boudoir classic, "I Enjoy Being a Girl", with sexy flair, and she dances with graceful exuberance on "Fan Tan Fannie" and especially on "Grand Avenue" with a virtual battalion of dancers. Benson Fong, who memorably played Charlie Chan's #3 son in his youth, brings the necessary bluster to Master Wang, while Juanita Hall, Bloody Mary from "South Pacific", stays mainly on the sidelines as the understanding Auntie Liang except when she solos on "Chop Suey". Of the supporting cast, two performers stand out - teenaged Patrick Adiarte dancing energetically as younger son Wang Tan, and as the lovelorn Helen, Reiko Sato leads a stunning ballet on the show's best song, "Love, Look Away" (her voice is dubbed by legendary soprano Marilyn Horne). The opening credits showcase a series of striking watercolor paintings from artist Dong Kingman, and Russell Metty's richly colorful cinematography can finally be appreciated with the DVD. The 2006 DVD extras are generous starting with a solid commentary track from Kwan and British film historian Nick Redman. Even though Kwan sometimes gets derailed by her life story, she and Redman partner well in bringing out intriguing aspects of the production and cast. There are five featurettes which feel like components of one feature-length documentary since the same participants show up in all five. The first one talks about the story's transition from the original novel by C.Y. Lee to the Broadway musical directed by Gene Kelly to the 1961 movie to the 2002 Broadway revival developed by David Henry Hwang. The other shorts focus on the casting, the score, sets and costumes, and a more personal look at Rodgers and Hammerstein. It's interesting how veteran filmmaker Henry Koster is barely mentioned since he directed the film, though his pedestrian direction is truly the least impressive part of the movie.

2012-05-20 15:51:58

A hundred million miracles

Like Rodgers & Hammerstein's better-known The King and I (50th Anniversary Edition), this is a story about culture clash--but within a culture rather than between two of them. Wealthy and very old-fashioned Master Wang Chi-Yang (Benson Fong) lives in San Francisco with his two sons, Ta (James Shigeta), who's just about to graduate college, and San (Patrick Adiarte), about 15, plus his late wife's sister, Mme. Liang (Juanita Hall). San is 100% Americanized, Ta describes himself as half-and-half, and Mme. Liang seems happy to take the best from both cultures. To the family's door comes Samuel Adams "Sammy" Fong (Jack Soo), manager of the Celestial Garden night club, who has a delicate problem: Mei Li (Miyoshi Umeki), the picture bride arranged for by his mother (Soo Yong), has arrived from Mainland China much sooner than he had expected, complete with her father (Kam Tong), formerly of the faculty of the University of Peking. But Sammy already has a girl, Linda Low (Nancy Kwan), the star of his floor show--they've been an item for five years--and he really doesn't want an old-country bride. He knows that Master Wang, while quite willing to finance Ta's education almost unto infinity, wants to see the young man married, so he suggests that the Wangs take over the contract for Mei Li--and get her securely wed to Ta before Mme. Fong finds out she's in the country. ("Dad left her the business, if I cross her she'll cut me off without a fried noodle!" he later explains to Linda.) Meanwhile, Linda, weary of waiting for a wedding ring, has met Ta on a blind date and decided to maneuver *him* into marriage. And Helen Chao (Reiko Sato), a struggling seamstress, pines for Ta, whom she's secretly loved for years, while he barely knows she's alive. At Mme. Liang's insistence, Master Wang agrees to give Ta and Mei Li one week to fall in love "naturally, American style," and the film follows the ensuing confusions and heartbreak to a triumphant and happy climax engineered by the clever Mei Li.Given its early-1960's date, not to mention the original source (C. Y. Lee's novel Flower Drum Song), the book is naturally rather more chauvinistic than modern audiences might be comfortable with--all the women, except perhaps the older widows Mme. Liang and Mme. Fong, seem to want nothing but to be married; but it has a great intrinsic charm and lots of great R&H music (including Umeki's sweet rendition of "A Hundred Million Miracles," which, in a way, sets the tone for the entire movie, Kwan's brassy "Grant Avenue," the ensemble's "Chop Suey," and Sato's yearning "Love, Look Away"), as well as several good dance numbers. (It's also notable that the DVD seems to be able to handle the loud Chinese reds of the sets and costumes better than the VHS version did!) Chinese culture is treated with respect, if somewhat humorously (as we might expect in a musical), and Master Wang even gets the chance to maintain at least some of his traditional style. Though purists might object to the casting of so many Japanese actors in Chinese roles (to say nothing of Hall, who was neither), they seem to be able to handle the task convincingly, and although the exterior street sets are very obviously soundstage copies, they occur so seldom that you can ignore the jar. At over two hours it's a bit longer than most modern films, but not excessively so. A fine adaptation of the successful stage show (Hall, Adiarte, and Umeki recreate their original roles, while Soo is promoted from his part as the Celestial Gardens MC), with much to recommend it.

Puddin' 2012-05-20 07:56:30

Chinese-american Musical

It is fun movie to watch. I just happen to catch the movie on the AMC channel. The music is by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein. My songs from the movie is "Chop Suey" & "It Fun Being A Girl. A movie for the whole family. It is a good american musical with a chinese twist.

2012-05-19 02:52:06

BEAUTIFUL MUSICAL MEMORIES FOREVER

This review is from: Flower Drum Song (DVD) THIS WAS ONE OF THE MORE PLEASANT DVD'S I HAVE PURCHASED, AS THIS SHOW HAS NEVER BEEN REDONE . ITHAS A CAST THAT COULD NEVER BE REPACED, AS BOTH BENSON FONG AND JACK SOO HAVE PASSED AWAY. BOTH THE MUSIC AND THE HUMOR OF THE STORY LINE LEAVE YOU WITH A FEELING OF HAPPINESS. ALSO, I BELIEVE IT IS THE ONLY ORIENTAL MUSICAL EVER PRODUCE FOR THE MODERN STAGE AND THE BEAUTY OF THE STAGE AND SCENIC BACKGROUND IS GREAT. THIS DVD IS WORTH EVERY PENNY SPENT.

Daniel Kelly 2012-05-18 15:39:03

Updated Broadway version, my foot.. give me the original!

I have seen the revival of the 1958 R&H musical and did not appreciate itone bit. The original story is so charming, with a lovely score andsympathetic and enchanting characters. I don't understand all of thisnonsense about stereotypes. In the film, all of the characters are fullyrealized, three dimensional characters. I agree with what the formerposterhas to say about the 1961 film. Very true to the original play, though Iwould opine that the original cast orchestrations are better than those ofthe film. Fine performances by a darling Miyoshi Umeki, seemingly servile,but full of pluck and guts and insight, in her own quiet way. Nancy Kwanlooks beautiful as Linda Low and Jack Shoo and the handsome James Shigataasthe romantic lead are wonderfully cast. Juanita Hall steals every scenesheis in and Benson Fong is superb, as the traditional, but very wise father,who really does have his son's interest and happiness atheart.Seems to me that these are universals, not endemic to any one group. Ijustdo not understand all of the fuss about updating the book. "The OtherGeneration" is cut from the updated version. Was that song a slur againstChinese Americans in the late 1950's? Seems to me that in another Broadwayclassic, "Bye, Bye Birdie", which opened in the spring of 1960, whitebreadAmerican parents lamented the "other generation" in a diddy called,"Kids."It was the zeitgeist of the late Eisenhower era and the fall out from rockand roll and the huge impact a fellow called Elvis made in these UnitedStates.Ancient Chinese saying goes, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." In thesetroubled times, Broadway audiences would have appreciated a slightlytweakedand updated version of this 1958 gem of a show. David Hwang Ho has reallytaken it to the extreme. So, if you want to real flavor the original,stickwith the film and the wonderful characters who inhabit the wonderfulChinatown and Grant Avenue, San Francisco, California, USA, in thosehalcyonKennedy years.

Guy Young 2012-05-17 21:03:13

Great film that stands the test of time

I watched the film last night with 2 Chinese friends who knew nothingabout it. They loved every minute of it and so did I, 45 years after myinitial viewing. It still has a great message for all of us no matterwhere we live and you just get swept away by the wonderful score. Thedance routines are charming and the interiors quite exquisite. NancyKwan has never looked lovelier as Linda Loo and Jack Soo is always adelight.Juanita Hall brings her great presence to the role of MadameLiang and Miyoshi Umeki and James Shigeta are two fine performers.Patrick Adriarte dances with great verve. A great night's viewing forall!

2012-05-17 19:14:13

Great Film

This Film is 100% family fun, nancy Kwan shines Love It Watched it over and over, Great to sing Along with!

2012-05-17 01:44:28

I was nine when I first saw this movie in Boston with my

mother. She always picked the really good movies. This was when the movie theatres were elaborate and there were matrons in the ladies rooms. And the theatre carpet didn't smell like feet. I fell in love with James Sigata and I thought Nancy Kwan was the most beautiful woman. When I got home I got my little paper fan and pretended I was Nancy singing "I enjoy being a girl" to my mirror. I'm glad that I bought the CD and I hope they put this movie on DVD or reissue it on VHS. I'd love to have it. And a little trivia-Miyoshi Umeki was Mrs. Livingston on the TV series The Courtship of Eddie's Father.

2012-05-16 18:13:20

Sharing the thoughts of many others

I cannot believe this is not on DVD yet. There is a song by Kwan that is presented in widescreen on the VHS, but the scene of the boy dancing in the baseball uniform is pan and scan. Horrible to take away the scenery and perspective.PLEASE MAKE A WIDESCREEN DVD!!I consider this movie to be one of the top three musicals in my heart.

2012-05-16 00:34:49

Happy Harry

This review is from: Flower Drum Song (DVD) Only a short time ago, I purchased my first item from AmazonPICTURE PUBLISHER 7 and had some trouble installing it on my X64-based computer but the program was an older version. A pleasant surprise was the reaction from the Amazon team to help. I purchased 4 more items since.

wes-connors 2012-05-15 10:58:58

"Don't Take Any Wooden Chopsticks"

Mail-order bride Miyoshi Umeki (as Mei Li) arrives in San Franciscofrom Hong Kong, to marry nightclub owner Jack Soo (as Sammy Fong). But,the older man doesn't want to stop seeing sexy star attraction NancyKwan (as Linda Low). They decide to unload Ms. Umeki on James Shigeta(as Wang Ta), but he prefers locking lips with Ms. Kwan. This long,ludicrous Rodgers and Hammerstein musical could be compared to "ChopSuey" (herein a song by Juanita Hall). It isn't one of the legendaryduo's best."The Other Generation" was reincarnated as "(How Do You Solve a ProblemLike) Maria" for "The Sound of Music" (1965). The silly "I Enjoy Beinga Girl" (sung here by Betty Jane Baker) is almost a companion to "IFeel Pretty" (from that other 1961 musical). They help make thesoundtrack appealing, but Umeki's "A Hundred Million Miracles" is awinner on its own. At least, filmmakers earn points for castingcharming originals like Umeki and Mr. Soo, then not pairing them withSandra Dee and Bobby Darin. Baseball playing little brother PatrickAdiarte utters the film's best line, "Don't Take Any WoodenChopsticks." ***** Flower Drum Song (11/9/61) Henry Koster ~ Miyoshi Umeki, NancyKwan, James Shigeta, Jack Soo

skiddoo 2012-05-15 06:52:59

not my favorite but okay

My parents enjoyed this when it first came out and had the album but Inever listened to it. I hadn't researched it before I saw it. I didn'tknow the controversy or that it was based on a book--which sounds likesomething I'd like to read. Only the artwork was familiar from thealbum cover.I felt the plot was sketchy. I didn't know what the back story was withHelen Chao so her actions seemed abrupt and strange. I didn't think MeiLi and Wang Ta had any chemistry together. She only came alive in thenumber Don't Marry Me with Sammy Fong and I felt disappointed when Isaw her in the kissing scene with Wang Ta afterward. That was myfavorite song of the musical and I loved that they didn't dub it so Icould hear it in Soo's own distinctive voice. He reminded me of MarlonBrando singing Luck Be a Lady and added a touch of reality to theproceedings. If Mei Li and Sammy could have made a go of it they mighthave rubbed off on each other a little and she wouldn't have spent therest of her life humbly conversing in low tones. He might have evenmade her angry enough to yell at him! Sammy had his faults, heaven knows, but at least he had some zip to himwhich was sadly lacking in everyone else. I don't know if the flatnessof the feeling overall was supposed to reflect the restraint of theChinese culture or if it came from casting and directing.My biggest problem with this movie wasn't its doing. I kept picturingthese actors in other, later roles, and in some cases speaking morefamous lines.It seems to me a movie of and about its time. A lot of people couldidentify with the Old Country/New Country theme. The generation gaptheme wasn't as fully realized and was mostly about bop slang. Ithought it was done better in Bye, Bye, Birdie. The main character wastorn between two cultures, and apparently too sheltered (strict father,nose to the grindstone at school?) to understand women, but he didn'tseem to be a rebel and didn't stop the wedding. Some romantic hero HEturned out to be! :) It was up to the submissive little woman to savethe day. That was my second favorite part of the movie! I'm guessingthat was what appealed to my mother the most.

2012-05-14 19:48:33

Middling Rodgers and Hammerstein

This pedestrian version of the R&H Broadway musical highlights the drawbacks of the original while sacrificing most of its charm. "Flower Drum Song" was not one of the teams masterworks, although it contains several songs that rank with their best. Unfortunately, the score (which admittedly contains a couple of clinkers) was tied to a superficial and trivial book that sometimes deteriorated into stereotype. That said, the original cast album is a charming document of the stage show, while this film is a crass fiasco. At 133 minutes, it's overlong by half, but it still feels like the characters' relationships are rushed and poorly realized. The garish technicolor has not aged well, nor has the pre-feminist, slightly stereotyped storyline. What lasts is the mostly fine score, the standouts of which include "A Hundred Million Miracles", "I Enjoy Being a Girl", You Are Beautiful" and the gorgeous "Love Look Away". While these are hardly definitive versions, they are lovely to hear. The cast tries hard but they can't defeat the lackluster surroundings. Miyoshi Umeki repeats her stage role but, unfortunately, she seems to have been directed to act like a cross between a simpleton and a doormat. It's a one-note performance. Nancy Kwan, the star attraction, brings vitality and charm to her role, but she is paired with the bland James Shigeta, who barely registers in the male lead. Juanita Hall seems to be reprising her Bloody Mary role in "South Pacific", and what's with Patrick Adiarte as the younger brother? Dressed in a baseball uniform, he still manages to come across as the feyest shortstop in the league. This ultimately lugubrious enterprise is a mixed bag at best. If you like R&H and can sit still through the slow parts, you'll enjoy the music. For everyone else, stick with the cast recording.

2012-05-13 23:36:14

Flower Drum Song

This is a sweet, funny, and entertaining story. And the music is outstanding. I enjoyed the movie 30 years ago, and ordered it recently after viewing it again on Christmas day with my seven-year-old granddaughter. Nancy Kwan and all of the other actors and actresses are great!Diane Peth

2012-05-13 17:48:32

Abysmal, childish, silly (not humorous)...

This review is from: Flower Drum Song (DVD) I have never viewed a musical as bad as this. The story line, plot, script and music are, IMHO, annoying, demeaning, juvenile and, well, just plain ghastly. And I say this because my retarded/cerebral palsy sister watches it about twice per week, and I cannot help but be exposed to it since she is also hearing-impaired. It's a sickening exercise in stupidity, condescending cultural racism, and really bad music. It belongs to a prior era's sensibilities and biases -barely.