The Teahouse of the August Moon
Directed by Daniel Mann
Written by John Patrick from his play and a book by Vern J. Sneider
1956/USA
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
First viewing/Netflix rental
[box] Sakini: She say she can’t be equal, Boss, until she has everything Lotus Blossom have.
Captain Fisby: What Lotus Blossom has, the government doesn’t issue![/box]
I was actually dreading watching Marlon Brando in Yellow Face. Instead, I was charmed and entertained. Go figure.
The movie takes place on Okinawa during the American Occupation of Japan. Sakini (Brando) is the Okinawan interpreter for the fusty Col. Wainwright Purdy (Paul Ford), a man whose main activity seems to be posting signs banning fraternization between officers and GI’s. Purdy is aiming for a promotion to General, all for the benefit of his wife of course.
Purdy is impressed to be getting an intelligence officer assigned to his unit, which is in charge of the Democratization of Okinawa. Unfortunately for him, he gets Capt. Fisby (Glenn Ford), who has been moved from one assignment to the next for incompetence. He sends Fisby to the village of Tobiki to spread democracy and build the locals a school house. Tobiki is Sakini’s native village and he accompanies Fisby.
The amount of mischief Sakini gets up to is astounding. His greatest triumph is probably getting a geisha, Lotus Blossom (Machiko Kyô), for the unwilling Fisby. Then the villagers demand a tea house instead of a school and things go downhill from there. Within a few weeks, Fisby has gone native. Col. Wainwright sends a psychiatrist Capt. McLean (Eddie Albert) to investigate. McClean succumbs to the charms of the villagers even faster than Fisby did. Clearly, the U.S. is set to lose this particular battle with the Japanese. With Harry Morgan as the Colonel’s sergeant.
I really enjoyed this comedy of culture shock and Americanization run riot. I don’t know that I’ve seen Brando do comedy before. He is actually warm, funny, and the best thing about a movie full of other good performances. Plus we get the great Machiko Kyô showing her versatility in an over-the-top farcical role. Give it a try if you dare.
Trailer
I quite agree with your comments. I enjoyed Brando’s performance and thought he did a fine job. The films is overlong and slow by current standards. I’ve had the DVD sitting in my collection and decided to actually watch it. I’d seen it when it originally played theatrically but not since. Interesting to see how they used the CinemaScope format.
It was fun to think about this film again. Thanks for commenting!
This film and Sayonara were produced with encouragement of Uncle Sam to convince Americans that the Japanese were now the nice guys, not the wartime barbarians of earlier propaganda, who we desperately needed as allies in the fight against Chinese aggression and expansion and in this light Brando and the movie was a great success.
Agreed. Yellow-face is so uncool but I doubt if there was a Japanese actor who could beat Brando in that specific part and movie. Thanks for commenting!