Customer Reviews

Flower Drum Song

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

When you think of great musicals, "Flower Drum Song" does not come to mind. "Minor work from the masters" is what does. But after viewing it, the only word that came to mind was "charming". It was a fun and truly charming film. And what's wrong with that?

'Flower Drum Song', although a dated movie, is great fun to watch. The music is extremely 'hummable' (is there such a word?) especially 'I enjoy being a girl' and 'Miracles'.
The conflict of the east and west cultures is handled in an amusing way, but with understanding. The dancing and singing complements the storyline, and the kids are excellent. For old-timers, Keye Luke (Wang Chi Yang) would bring back memories of Charlie Chan's 'Number one Son' and for younger folk, Jack Soo (Sammy Fong) went on to become Detective Yemana in 'Barney Miller'. Myoshi Omeki, so sweet as Mei-Li, was just as delightful as Mrs. Livingston in TV's 'The Courtship of Eddie's Father'. 'Flower Drum Song' is an enjoyable movie for the whole family.

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.

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.

This has a somewhat shakespearien feel to it as 2 pairs of lovers find they are engaged.... to the other's lover!! to which they've never formally met!! As the parents have thier own traditions to try to uphold to thier children, being chinese and all, this is still america.. and that said, this movie has an old fashioned "singing in the rain" vibe and when I hear Rogers and Hammerstein, I'm there. i'm a big fan of asian culture, and being the early 60's, where people weren't as open and racism was easier to come by... I think this piece was very well put together and the culture was portrayed beautifully. Lots of red and traditional asian wardrobe, and gardens.... I don't want to ruin it for you wondering about whether to get this movie, but i've been watching this movie since I was 8, and avidly awaiting having it in my possesion once again.

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.

With the recent reworking of the 1959 Broadway musical, the novel is being rediscovered. I only ever knew the show via the Original Cast recording and the film version. I've never fallen out of love with it, though the enthusiasm I've always had for the show has succumbed to seemingly unassailable charges that the show was cute, patronizing and politically incorrect.

I'm so happy that a recent Broadway revival has allegedly returned to the original novel as the source for its wholely revised libretto. I'm especially delighted that the film (which faithfully adapted the Broadway show) is at last out of the shadows and appreciated for the abundance of riches that it WAS. For far too long it has resided unfairly in shame for what it was not.

I still remember the highly emotive use of color and wide screen in the film. A DVD of it is long LONG overdue!

I remember seeing this musical during my early teens and the title has been stuck in my head all these years. Judging by the outrageous price of the used VHS version on EBAY, I would say that there is a large enough demand to start producing the DVD version. If you've seen this and agree, please post a comment.

The Timing of the release of Flower Drum Song just as the war iin Vietnam was heating up as well as the rise of "Militant Feminism" helped to relegate this adaptation of a very successful broadway play to the status of an "also ran." Without trying to indulge in political commentary, it is sad that so many people have not been able to partake of the worderful songs and plot of this musical.

Boy, did I love to watch this movie on TV when I was a littleGal! Usually it played in NY on a Sunday afternoon, so I saw it at my grandmother's and darn, we always had to leave before it was over! But with the magic of VCRs and DVDs, such disappointments are a thing of the past. Now you and I can enjoy this bouncy musical whenever we want.

"Flower Drum Song" is Rodgers and Hammerstein's 1960's musical, set in San Francisco's Chinatown with an all-Asian cast (except maybe Juanita Hall, I"m not really sure what she was). A young girl and her father have stowed away on a ship so that she can fulfill her destiny as a "picture bride" to nightclub owner Jack Soo. Soo's mother had placed the order, not him--this Rat Pack guy is much more interested in his showgirl girlfriend Linda, played by Nancy Kwan. Yet, Nancy tells us that her ring finger feels mighty cold, so she indulges in a fling with College Man James Shigeta. He'd be much better off with the illegal immigrant, but because he's at odds with his own old-world father who prefers her to the showgirl, stubbornly refuses to consider the match. A little like "Midsummer Night's Dream" where mismatched couples are running in the wrong directions. But there's a beautiful seamstress in the wings who longs for the College Man too, and sings the ballad, "Love, Look Away" to emphasize her feelings for the man she can't snatch away from either woman. Other great songs include Kwan's exuberant "I Enjoy Being a Girl"; Shigeta's realization of love for the picture bride, "You are Beautiful"; a few great dance numbers like "Grand Avenue, San Francisco", "The Other Generation" and "Chop Suey"; and the main number, "A Hundred Million Miracles", which is what the characters will need to sort out their romantic problems.

One reason why I get such a kick out of "FDS" is that it is a perfect time capsule of the Kennedy Era. I love the women's costumes, which look just like the photos of my mom and sisters at the World's Fair. Some reviewers have criticized the movie for being dated, but that's WHY I love it--it's as much a period piece as "It Happened One Night" for the 1930s or "Mildred Pierce" for the 1940s. I'm glad too that they used an all-Asian cast for the movie, unlike the Broadway play. Unlike "Carousel" or "South Pacific", there are no serious overtones to this movie--it's all bounce and go, and let me tell you, with such a great dance ensemble, there's plenty of bounce! Lots of talent showcased here.

If you've yet to sample this great dim sum of a movie, pick out a copy of "Flower Drum Song" tonight and prepare for a delightful time.