Customer Reviews

Flower Drum Song [VHS]

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4 star:		(21)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Actually, there must be 101 million miracles happening every day, because FLOWER DRUM SONG is finally being released on DVD.

One of Rodgers and Hammerstein's most joyful musical offerings, the story (based on C.Y. Lee's novel "The Flower Drum Song") concerns a winsome young Chinese girl called Mei Li (Miyoshi Umeki) who enters the United States illegally, in order to submit into an arranged marriage with San Francisco nightclub owner Sammy Fong (Jack Soo). Complications arise when Madame Liang (Juanita Hall) decides that Mei Li would instead be better-suited to her nephew Ta (James Shigeta), but he is infatuated with nightclub star Linda Low (Nancy Kwan), who is also Sammy's on-again, off-again girlfriend.

This being one of the greatest Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals, you can count on a satisfying conclusion with lovers matched and happy endings for all. The score for FLOWER DRUM SONG was one of the most accomplished written by the duo, with numbers running the gamut of emotion (Mei Li's pragmatic "A Hundred Million Miracles" and the simple, inward melody of "I Am Going to Like It Here"). The songs of Mei Li contrast very effectively with the knowing and brassy numbers of Linda Low ("I Enjoy Being a Girl" and "Fan Tan Fanny"). The plight of the Chinese-American is perfectly analysed in "The Other Generation", and in "Chop Suey", the number Madame Liang performs at the party celebrating her American citizenship.

FLOWER DRUM SONG opened on Broadway in 1958, and ran for a very successful 600 performances. Miyoshi Umeki (who won an Academy Award for her touching performance as Katsumi Kelly in SAYONARA) thankfully got to reprise her Broadway role of Mei Li in the film, with Jack Soo, Juanita Hall and Patrick Adiarte the other main hold-overs from the stage cast. The singing voices of Nancy Kwan (Linda) and Reiko Sato (seamstress Helen Chao) were both dubbed; Kwan by B.J. Baker; and Sato, most notably, by the up-and-coming opera star Marilyn Horne.

The film version of FLOWER DRUM SONG greatly benefits from some fabulous musical numbers choreographed by Hermes Pan ("Fan Tan Fanny", "Grant Avenue" and the striking imagery of the "Love Look Away" Dream Ballet). Musical direction by Alfred Newman is also very fine (the Main Title music alone is worth the price of admission). The film also made history at the time, for featuring the most expensive in-studio set, and starring an all-Asian cast. This was the only Rodgers and Hammerstein movie musical made by Universal Studios, under the auspices of producer Ross Hunter.

Although FLOWER DRUM SONG has been cruelly dismissed throughout the ensuing years for it's un-PC attitudes and ideas, the musical itself is an endlessly enjoyable ride for the entire family. The DVD has been a long time coming, and now fans can complete their Rodgers and Hammerstein DVD collections with this rarest of jewels...FLOWER DRUM SONG.

Flower Drum Song is R&H's most underrated musical... not their best musical (that honor must go to "The King and I"), but a very enjoyable film for the whole family. Flower Drum Song is a lighthearted musical comedy set in San Francisco's Chinatown about old-fashioned Chinese and modern Chinese-Americans clashing over tradition and trying to find romance. It features Rodger's brassiest and jazziest score and the best choreography of any of their musicals. Some of the more memorable songs include: "I Enjoy Being a Girl" (with that famous three-way mirror scene), "Love Look Away", and "Don't Marry Me". In its "modern" language, hairstyles, costumes, and attitudes, the film also captures the look and feel, the optimism and exuberance of that early sixties/Kennedy era perfectly.

Flower Drum Song was unusual not only because it featured an (almost) all-Asian cast, but also because it depicted Chinese-Americans as _Americans_: a Chinese-American businessman, college student, banker, policeman, standup comic, yes, even a Chinese-American showgirl. Although the characterizations are not very deep or serious, the film is a fine showcase for some early Hollywood Asian acting talent: Nancy Kwan is gorgeous and is great in all those dance numbers; Jack Soo has a hilarious deadpan humor; James Shigeta is a real heart-throb, and Miyoshi Umeki is as sweet as can be.

Look for a brief cameo by Richard Rodgers during the "You be the Rock" number!

Based on a novel by C.Y. Lee, FLOWER DRUM SONG was a hit show by Rogers and Hammerstein on Broadway in 1958. It was adapted for the screen by Joseph Fields and Oscar Hammerstein with Ross Hunter as producer and Henry Koster as director. The movie featured a mostly Asian cast with the notable exception of the very talented Juanita Hall who was famous for her role as Bloody Mary in SOUTH PACIFIC.

The young Asian performers are Nancy Kwan, Myoshi Umeki, James Shigeta and Jack Soo. Because of the venerable Chinese custom of arranged marriages, it appears that Nancy Kwan, a nightclub dancer, may marry the youthful James Shigeta while the innocent Myoshi Umeki will end up in the arms of Jack Soo, a worldly nightclub owner. Can this tragedy possibly be avoided and everybody discover their own true loves? We finally learn the answer to this question about 133 minutes later.

Don't miss Benson Fong who will be remembered as Tommy Chan in a few of the Charlie Chan films of the 1940's such as THE SHANGHAI COBRA. He appears here as James Shigeta's father.

FLOWER DRUM SONG was overshadowed by WEST SIDE STORY in 1961 but it did still manage to receive Oscar nominations for Best Color Cinematography, Color Costume Design, Color Art Direction, Scoring of a Musical Picture and Sound.

Producer Ross Hunter lavished some pretty expensive-looking production values and some very capable talent on this film and, as was almost de rigueur back then, mounted it in Panavision and, of course, color. Let's have a DVD with the original ratio preserved, please! Hermes Pan's dance numbers especially (one of this enjoyable film's chief assets) cannot be fully appreciated unless they're seen on the widescreen (or its video equivalent). A panned-and-scanned VHS tape just doesn't do justice to a film which was a fine example of Hollywood professionals working their magic. I saw it first-run, way back when, and despite some reservations, thought it was pretty slick entertainment and would add a properly presented DVD version to my library without any hesitation.

The Broadway show of "Flower Drum Song" was considered minor Rodgers and Hammerstein but when it hit Hollywood it exploded across the screen like a string of Chinese firecrackers. Lavish and lovingly mounted musical numbers were so tasty that choosing the tastiest was as daunting as standing in front of a display case at Godiva Chocolatiers. The story may seem to be feathery light but with colorful sets and costumes and the impeccable cast and the delightful score, the movie is eye and ear candy for all.

Miyoshi Umeki as Mei-Li the mail order bride sings "A Hundred Million Miracles" and "I Am Going To Like It Here" winsomely and lovely but she proves she can be a cut-up when she plays the perfect foil to Jack Soo during the "Don't Marry Me" comic duet. Nancy Kwan as the gal with the heart of tin, although her voice is dubbed, is all perky and bright as she performs her big numbers "I Enjoy Being A Girl" "Fan Tan Fanny" "Grant Avenue" and the hilarious dream sequence with Jack Soo, "Sunday"

Reiko Sato as Helen Chow whose secret crush is unaware of her feelings sings(dubbed) and dances the heartbreakingly beautiful "Love Look Away" and Ballet.

There is also a comedy number called "Chop Suey" which details the varities and confusions of life in America for newly arrived immigrants and segues into a sort of Asian dosey-doe square dance.

"Flower Drum Song" remains one of the best and most faithful transfers of Broadway to Hollywood and I give thanks to the "Gods" who were responsible for finally releasing this joyful gem on DVD.

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.

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 and doormat 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.

I agree with a previous comment that said this is one of Rodgers and Hammrsteins most underated musicals,and its too bad it had to be released the same year as West Side Story! Although almost 40 years later, Flower Drum Song may appear dated and just slightly chauvinistic, it is none the less a charming 'multi-cultural' piece. I am a huge James Shigeta fan from way back and prefere him as a leading man instead of a WW II villian. Myioshi Umeki(sp) is absoulutely delightful as the mail order bride,and Jack Soo and Nancy Kwan as the comic/romantic team are super.... My favorite number is "Don't marry me",but "You are beautiful"...well... I am sorry I dont remember the names of all the super supporting cast, other than Patrick Adiarte and the younger son.(And didnt he play the Prince in "the king and I". A real gem of a musical that somehow gets lost in the shuffle... Definitly in my top ten list!

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.

An ethnic musical by the great Rodgers and Hammerstein! Begins with Mei Li and her father stowing away on a ship from China to the USA to meet her husband-to-be, Sammy Fong. Song "A Hundred Million Miracles" in the park is sweet - and funny situation with the Cop being unable to read Chinese and having to get help from the crowd.
Linda Low is very A-typical Chinese Girl (according to the stereotype of the time) and changes her focus from long-time love, Sammy Fong, to Ta when Sammy won't produce a ring!
Dance scene at Graduation party is good! Lots of great dancers - thought some of the curly hairstyles (typical of late 50's early 60's for non-Asians) were a little out-of-place...but only a minor detail.
Ta's father is typical "Old Chinese" and his coughing spells to get his way are hilarious!
Mei Li's watching TV to learn English is cute (actually reminds me of "Splash") and her innocence is believable!
Childrens' dancing in courtyard is great, but sure wish it wasn't so much just panning the kids and would show more scenery - DVD Widescreen Edition, PLEASE!!!
Let's pop the corn and watch together! A GREAT movie to watch with the family!
Pam Crenwelge (Wayne's Wife), Katy, TX