Product Details

• Actors: Marlon Brando, Glenn Ford, Machiko Kyô, Eddie Albert, Paul Ford
• Directors: Daniel Mann
• Writers: John Patrick, Vern J. Sneider
• Producers: Jack Cummings
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, HiFi Sound, NTSC
• Language: English
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: MGM (Warner)
• VHS Release Date: September 1, 1998
• Run Time: 123 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6301978633
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,746 in Video (See Bestsellers in Video)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #15 in	Video > Comedy > By Year > 1950-1959
  #16 in	Video > Comedy > Military & War

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

54 of 56 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliantly Written Comedy, June 3, 2002

By	Keisuke Hoashi "The Scarlet Manuka" (Sherman Oaks, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Genetically, I am Japanese, so I was all set to hate this film for Marlon Brando's casting as an Okinawan. I was astonished to find myself loving his performance; I feel he perfectly captured the sardonically innocent attitude of Sakini, and suddenly developed a huge respect for his acting talents. Next, I started listening to the dialogue, and was amazed at its wittiness, intelligence, and perceptiveness. In fact, the title ("The Teahouse of the August Moon") never remotely suggested "comedy" to me; I was expecting another dreary wartime American Soldier / Japanese Geisha tale. Discovering this film to be among the best-written comedies in American Theatre history was the nicest shock I've had for a while. This is on a par with "MASH" in its smart skewering of the American military mind. But more important to me was the film's debunking of oriental stereotypes. A handful of Okinawans prove, in the end, to be more intelligent, resourceful, realistic, and adaptable than the entire US Government, simply by being themselves. To all so-called "Asian Americans": get over your (understandable) objections to "yellowface" and watch this film. I do agree that putting Marlon Brando in Oriental makeup would be unforgivably racist now, but I accept the reality that that was how things were routinely done in 1950s American film and theatre. Look past the makeup and you'll discover an absolutely wonderful film.

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars May August moon give gentle joy!, January 27, 2000

By	John Vance Snow (Calgary, Alberta, Canada) - See all my reviews

This is the film of John Patrick's 1954 Pulitizer-prize winning adaptation of Vern Sneider's 1951 novel. It is a joy from start to finish. Brando turns in one of his most striking performances -- you can see him having a great time in the role of the "alchemist" Sakini, forever making things turn out right. The Japanese cast members acquit themselves excellently, with special mention due to Machiko Kyo as the geisha Lotus Blossom. The work is beautifully filmed and a real pleasure. Look for Eddie Albert and Harry Morgan (MASH) in supporting roles. The Teahouse of the August Moon gives gentle joy, and, fifty years on, shows very little sign of age. It is a fragile but strong structure, one of the happiest films I know.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars DVD???, February 5, 2004

By A Customer

When will we see a DVD??? (in widescreen please) Loved the movie but watching it on fullscreen VHS does ruin things a bit. Hope Warner Brothers will see what a gem theyve got in this movie and release a DVD soon.