12/27/2022 0 Comments Flower drum song rating mpaa![]() Even so, the tune “Grant Avenue” amounts to a real show-stopper as performed by Nancy Kwan and B.J. Parker’s rendition of “I Enjoy Being a Girl” in front of a three-way mirror is a real treat, as is Jack Soo’s comical crooning on the very funny tune “Don’t Marry Me.” But they’re not all wonderful: the group song “Chop Suey” sounds as uninspired as it is grating on the ears, and Miyoshi Umeki’s warbling on “A Hundred Million Miracles” may slowly drive you insane. Nancy Kwan’s dancing to her voice double B.J. While the American songwriting duo of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein can claim responsibility for such classic musicals as The Sound of Music, Oklahoma!, and The King and I, the music they composed for Flower Drum Song is not nearly as good, although there are some diamonds in the rough to be had. As one might expect, more misunderstandings than your average episode of Three’s Company ensue and accrue, until the whole shebang gets resolved with – what else? – a spontaneous group sing-a-long. If these various love misconnections weren’t enough, the film throws in a fifth character to spice things up – Linda’s seamstress and Ta’s long-suffering childhood friend Helen Chow (Reiko Sato), who has for many years been secretly carrying a torch for Wang Ta. Unbeknownst to Wang Ta, Sammy has successfully pawned off his picture bride to Ta’s father, Master Wang (Benson Fong), who views Mei Li as the perfect mate for his headstrong, Chinese American son. Apparently, Sammy and Linda have been seeing each other on the side prior to Mei Li’s arrival, but commitment issues on his part have driven Linda into the arms of Wang Ta (James Shigeta), a handsome college boy who lives with his well-to-do family in the heart of San Francisco’s Chinatown. ![]() In contrast to the meek and mild Mei Li, Linda Low is assertive, strong-willed and sex personified. Li (Kam Tong) and his daughter Mei Li (Miyoshi Umeki) illegally entering the country to meet her supposed future husband Sammy Fong (Jack Soo), a Dean Martinesque nightclub owner with designs on his star performer Linda Low (Nancy Kwan). Do the parents know best? Or the children? This age-old battle will play out – set to the appropriate music, of course. Amidst this conflict a pair of mismatched couples attempt to find love, American style. Set against the backdrop of San Francisco’s Chinatown, the film centers on the clash between the conservative mores of the older generation and the free-wheeling ways of the new. Lee’s 1957 novel and Rodgers and Hammerstein’s subsequent Broadway play, Flower Drum Song ranks as the first Hollywood film to feature a mostly Asian American cast. Despite some creaky dialogue, questionably dated attitudes, and a few lackluster songs, Flower Drum Song remains a landmark film in Asian American history and a fun romp from first to last.Īdapted from C.Y. ![]() This film version of the Rodgers and Hammerstein Broadway show features a largely Asian American cast, several rousing musical numbers, and a romantically-tangled comedy plot/resolution straight out of Shakespeare. ![]() ![]() Nancy Kwan, James Shigeta, Miyoshi Umeki, Jack Soo, Benson Fong, James Hong, Juanita Hall, Reiko Sato, Patrick Adiarte, Kam Tong, Victor Sen Yung, Soo Yong,Ĝhing Wah Lee Lee (original novel), Oscar Hammerstein II (adapted play) ![]()
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