mark.waltz And make sure you head down to Grant Avenue, 'cause the girl who brings your food is another tasty dish! Some critics called this (one of the few musicals to focus on Asians) "A World of Woozy Song", but if there is anything woozy about it, I certainly didn't feel it. In fact, I think this (after "Carousel") is perhaps one of Rodgers and Hammerstein's loveliest scores, and certainly as profound as "South Pacific" and "The King and I". But with a song like "Love Look Away", you have one of the most heart-wrenching ballads in a Broadway show, sung tenderly by a rather minor character you truly feel empathy for. "A Hundred Million Miracles" is certainly filled with indefinite promise, and "Chop Suey" gives us a taste of what Americans have taken from the Chinese culture and transformed into their own flavor. Long before "Kids" from "Bye Bye Birdie", there was "The Other Generation", sung first by the adults who certainly don't understand the teens then later by the teens who have become Americanized and don't understand the adults, new Americans from another country. "I Enjoy Being a Girl" would also be re-formatted for "Birdie" as "How Lovely to Be a Woman". Unlike the rock and roll world of "Birdie", this is a definite salute to the changing traditions of Asian Americans (or any offspring of immigrants from any culture), it combines modern dance trends and the cultural influence on the young from their more traditional seniors. Like the Puerto Ricans of "West Side Story", all these youngsters want is a chance, and that is a theme that any culture can identify with.A decade ago, someone came along and turned "Flower Drum Song" into a shell of itself with a "revisal" story for Broadway that was part "Cinderella" and more woozy than Goldilocks after eating the porridge. Claiming that some of the original portrayals of Asian Americans were "offensive", they took out the family element of the original source, which defeated the whole purpose of the generational conflict. Even by giving its heroine a "Miss Saigon" type drama with her escape from Communist China, the remainder of that revival cheated itself in spite of an interesting prologue that ended up being more "stereotypical" by totally changing the structure of the established characters.Miyoshi Umeki plays the young "wetback" (as she refers herself to be in an amusing manner) is an innocent young girl amazed by the differences she finds, and loves her new home. Then, there's sassy Linda (a fun Nancy Kwan-the Chinese Rita Moreno) who knows she's adorable and enjoys it tremendously. The difference between shyness and sassiness makes their acquaintance really sweet as well as those of the men they love.Then, there's the older generation, lead by Benson Fong and Juanita Hall, repeating her Broadway role, and unlike the movie version of "South Pacific", getting to sing as she had on stage. The light-skinned African American Hall is the heart and soul here, as she was in "South Pacific". I've heard some critics called this generation a dated view of the Asian culture but anybody of a certain age can certainly identify with how the different generations relate. Patrick Adiarte as the baseball playing teen, adds a nice charm to his teen-aged character, having already gone down Rodgers and Hammerstein territory with his performance as the prince in "The King and I" on screen. (Years later, he would enter TV immortality as the Hawaiian acquaintance of Greg on "The Brady Bunch".) Reiko Sato, who sings the haunting "Love Look Away", is only on screen for a few minutes, but will steal your heart. Jack Soo ("Hawaii Five-O", "Thoroughly Modern Millie") adds some humor to his performance of the rascal who begs the sweet Umeki "Don't Marry Me". The lavish production really helps make this a fun movie experience, which unfortunately the Rodgers and Hammerstein organization have sold short thanks to pressures from outside groups.

moonspinner55 A Chinese girl from the Old Country stows away on a ship along with her elderly father in order to come to America and find herself a husband in San Francisco's Chinatown. A hit Broadway musical for Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, this Ross Hunter-produced movie version (although set in the modern age) looks like a relic from the 1930s. The dialogue is so cloying, it's occasionally painful to hear ("I'm a dead duck--Peking style!"), not helped by the rusty staging of the songs (each one longer than the last). The cast is variable: Miyoshi Umeki is indeed very sweet in the central role; Nancy Kwan is hot stuff as a cabaret entertainer; James Shigeta is fine as the young man everyone is playing matchmaker for; but Jack Soo's wild-eyed performance as hip restaurateur Sammy Fong is indicative of the director's vision (exaggerated, comic-book cuteness). I don't know how Juanita Hall--as Madame Liang, Shigeta's Chinese aunt--got involved with all this; striding alongside Benson Fong, Hall is like an Orientel Mrs. Butterworth, hard-working, loyal, beaming (she's out of place, but amusingly so). The colorful cinematography and costumes are lovely, the musical direction has some pizazz, yet nearly everything else sags with the weight of old-fashioned mustiness. ** from ****

capricorn9 Finally the last of the R & H filmed musicals comes to DVD and available to all. What a lovely romantic story this one is, and as they say on the commentary, it is the only 'musical comedy' the pair wrote. The others are considered 'musical plays' and they're right. Right from the start this one oozes with jokes and aside looks that go right to the heart. My favourite is after the father gets robbed he is asked to describe his assailant and his reply? "How do I know - all white men look alike!" The cast is top rate, though not all Chinese, but they fill their parts beautifully, especially Miyoshi Umeki. She just has to look up at the camera and you melt. It is colourful and bright and even more so now in the widescreen DVD. My only complaint is that it is a little too long and just when the story is coming to a close you get this silly but interesting ballet for the "Sunday" song. But that can be overlooked when you take a total look at it and thank Universal for FINALLY putting this one out there for us fans.

Guy Young I watched the film last night with 2 Chinese friends who knew nothing about it. They loved every minute of it and so did I, 45 years after my initial viewing. It still has a great message for all of us no matter where we live and you just get swept away by the wonderful score. The dance routines are charming and the interiors quite exquisite. Nancy Kwan has never looked lovelier as Linda Loo and Jack Soo is always a delight.Juanita Hall brings her great presence to the role of Madame Liang and Miyoshi Umeki and James Shigeta are two fine performers. Patrick Adriarte dances with great verve. A great night's viewing for all!