The Teahouse of the August Moon
Tags: satire

Plot synopsis:
Misfit Captain Fisby (Glenn Ford) is sent to Americanize the village of Tobiki on Okinawa, the largest of the Ryukyu Islands. His commanding officer, Colonel Wainwright Purdy III (Paul Ford), assigns him a wily local, Sakini (Marlon Brando), as interpreter.
Fisby tries to implement the military's plans by encouraging the villagers to build a school in the shape of a pentagon, but they want to build a teahouse instead. Fisby gradually becomes assimilated to the local customs and mores with the help of Sakini and Lotus Blossom, a young geisha (Machiko Kyō).
To revive the economy, he has the Okinawans manufacture small items to sell as souvenirs, but nobody wants to buy them. These include cricket cages and wooden Japanese footwear called geta. Then Fisby makes a happy discovery. The villagers distill a potent sweet potato brandy in a matter of days which finds a ready market in the American army. With the influx of money, the teahouse is built in next to no time.
When Purdy sends psychiatrist Captain McLean (Eddie Albert) to check up on Fisby, the newcomer is quickly won over. This, even after Fisby greets McLean wearing geta, an army bathrobe (which Fisby claims is his kimono) and what Fisby terms an "air-conditioned" straw hat (the latter being headwear worn by Okinawan farmers). McLean later proves to be enthusiastic about organic farming.
When Purdy doesn't hear from either officer, he shows up in person and surprises Fisby and McLean, the latter wearing a yukata (summer-weight kimono). They are leading a rowdy song at a party in full swing in the teahouse. Purdy orders the building and distillery destroyed. In a burst of foresight, the villagers break up old water urns rather than the brandy storage and only dismantle the teahouse, hiding the sections.
Ironically, the village is chosen by the Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers (SCAP) as an example of successful American-led democratization. This leads to Colonel Purdy's regretting his actions and to reassembling the teahouse.

Review: The wonderful cast - Glenn Ford, Paul Ford (ironic - no relation!), Eddie Albert, Marlon Brando and Harry Morgan - do a fine job of playing out the movie's humorous meditation on culture clash, and the ability of a strong but flexible people to maintain their Eastern ways in the face of Western "aid".
Brando, in particular, is surprising; this is about as far from Stanley Kowalksi or Terry Malloy as you can get, and one would not think him able to do much with a humorous, cross-racial characterization, yet the brilliant and convincing manner in which he pulls it off reminds us of the great thespian talent he once possessed and which he tended to squander as his life progressed.
I believe this film had its origins in a very successful stage play; we can thank the forces involved for committing this funny, charming, and ultimately heart-warming story to celluloid.
It has a very enjoyable mix of some excellently-cast actors, from the laid-back Glenn Ford, the frenetic Eddie Albert, and the pompous Paul Ford, to the host of beguiling Japanese actors.
Casting Marlon Brando as Sakini requires a little suspension of belief, but his contribution quickly adds to the seductive quality of the movie.
It turns out to be a good send-up of the officious, but largely benign, senior military leadership of the era, but largely revolves around Glenn Ford's character, Capt.
It is a very nice little comedy to be enjoyed, but it clearly is not meant to be a documentary representation of U.S. Military occupation forces, and if it is viewed as such, much of the magic of the movie will be lost.
this role was a real challenge for Brando and he is fabulous and steals movie although Glenn Ford is great too.
From the patently ludicrous comedy turn by Marlon Brando to the patented comic shtick by the wonderful Paul Ford.
With Glenn Ford and Eddie Albert sandwiched in the middle in a farcical romp that barely lets you stop laughing long enough to catch your breath.Ah, the mighty American conquerors, hornswoggled by the "simple peasants" of the beaten nation.
***** out of *****And by the way, when I sent this tape to my daughter she called me and said she liked the film but I told her Marlon Brando was in it, and he wasn't!
Casting Marlon Brando in this film as Sakini, a Japanese interpreter for American troops in post WW-II Japan is considered by many critics and film historians alike as one of the worst casting errors ever made in a film history.
In my opinion, though, Marlon Brando is the one responsible for turning this quite an average film into a hillarious comedy.
With a little bit of make up and great effort from actor's part to learn Japanese mannerism and language in order to get an accent in his speech we have here Marlon Brando in his most unimaginable role.
The rest of the cast is also quite good, namely Paul Ford as Colonel Waiwright Purdy III, a somehow cliche figure of stubborn, narrow minded US military officer and Glenn Ford by his side as Captain Fisby, for whom Brando's character Sakini ends up working as an interpreter and, of cause, unforgettable Machiko Kyo, as a spirited geisha, whom lovers of Japanese cinema must remember from Akira Kurosawa's films.
Directed by Daniel Mann (Butterfield 8, Come Back, Little Sheba) and based on John Patrick's stage play that was a big hit on Broadway at it's time, The Teahouse of the August Moon is slow in parts and in terms of some aspects of the story considerably aged and outdated but still funny and entertaining movie.
This movie was the first chance to see Marlon Brando in a truly comical role, not the "He Man"-unbelievably good!
Marlon Brando is excellent as Sakini, Eddie Albert is fantastic as Capt.
Marlon Brando stars as a Japanese interpreter and Glenn Ford plays a captain who has been in almost every branch in the military.
Ford is ordered to go to a Japanese village to teach the people about democracy and to build a schoolhouse in the shape of the pentagon.
I thought Glenn Ford was great here and Brando also did a good job..
If I hadn't been told ahead of time that it was Marlon Brando, there is no way you could have convinced me that it wasn't a native Japanese actor doing the part.
He pushed for the movie to be made and insisted that he be given the role of "Sakini" so it was Brando himself who did that casting!
The story line is extremely humorous and the cast (including Paul Ford, Glenn Ford, Eddie Albert) is perfect.
The first time I watched the film, at the end on the credits I read Marlon Brando, I could not believe my eyes, who on earth was Marlon Brando on the film(I did not know at first he was on the credits), I realize them he was Sakiri the Japanese servant, to my taste, it is one of the best characters he has ever played, he speaks, walks, smiles and act like a real Japanese village guy.
Glen Ford also does a five star performance, specially when he had to drive his jeep with at least 10 unexpected passengers including a goat, also when he meets for the first time his geisha and she dress him up with a kimono, wooden Japanese sandals and straw hat.
Vern J Sneider author and John Patrick playwright Starring Glen Ford, Marlon Brando.This film is the one most people will recall as the one that features Brando playing an oriental coolie.
Marlon Brando commands attention every moment he is on screen, but its Glen Ford whose performance I most enjoy.
It is still an enchanting comedy with bright touches of satire, a few old- fashioned jokes and moving realizations by ordinary people –both American and Japanese-, which compensate for its artificiality, verbosity and Marlon Brando's forced characterization of the Japanese narrator.
It does so with film editing that gives good rhythm to the plot (which has by itself a lot of vitality in the way it was directed); fine and fluid camera-work and funny performances by Glenn Ford and Machiko Kyo (who also dances a beautiful choreography).
Leads David Wayne and John Forsythe were dropped from the film version as MGM wanted film names and they signed Marlon Brando as Sakino and Glenn Ford as Captain Fisby.
It did allow the Paul Ford who had originated the role of Colonel Purdy on Broadway to repeat it for the screen and for the sake of the film I can't see how Calhern would have been better.To say that the occupation of Japan went a whole lot better than what's going on now in Iraq is an understatement.
But in occupation duty it serves him well as it turns out.Ford with Okinawan interpreter Marlon Brando is assigned to a small village where he throws away the plan because the villagers very democratically decide they have their own ideas.
Suffice it to say that Ford recognizes this and instead of a schoolhouse as per the manual, allows the Okinawans to build a teahouse.Marlon Brando's role functions in the play and also as a Greek chorus narrator.
Obviously, nowadays it makes us cringe that Marlon Brando plays a Japanese person, but "The Teahouse of the August Moon" is still a laugh riot.
Glenn Ford is also very accomplished as the butt of the main joke(s) and plays off very well in his scenes with Brando.
Not only did the studio pick an actor who looked COMPLETELY non-Japanese, but his part looked like a live-action version of the old Hoshimoto cartoons (as for his 'method acting', I think Marlon Brando watched dozens of these before attempting the part).
tried it again recently on tcm; so bad couldn't stay but dipped in again later and still terrible: story of recent post-war GIs goofed by locals is hackneyed; so is script; it tries to be funny but isn't really, and then loses it trying to show the perils of occupation- and how human the Japanese really are; yeah, if you want to forget the little tidbits like officers practicing beheadings of GI prisoners at the stern of a ship; great funny stuff for the movie?
oh, not quite; and movie-wise it is almost a stage play filmed, incredibly static, phony backdrops, just dreadful; so lets say you tuned in just for brando- normally a good enough reason; holy cow- between the makeup, done as much as they could native Japanese, the put on accent, afraid it's akin to jolsen in blackface.
I love Marlon Brando and I love comedy movies.
A few years after the end of the American occupation in Japan, one of many films about this time was produced; however, Hollywood decided to give this one had a comedic twist.
Daniel Mann's The Teahouse of the August Moon takes place in the village of Topiki in Okinawa during the American occupation of Japan, and stars some of the 1950s most popular actors of the time, including Glenn Ford who plays the clumsy military Captain Fisby, Paul Ford (no relation) who portrays Colonel Purdy,and Eddie Albert, who plays psychiatrist Captain McLean.
Although he is on screen for most of the film, Marlon Brando was unrecognizable to many audiences in his role as Sakini, the Japanese interpreter.
Based off of the play of the same name, The Teahouse of August Moon sends many mixed messages about Japanese and American relations after World War II.
The film came out shortly after the occupation had ended, and, without the access of the current twenty-first century media, Teahouse was one of the only ways that Americans were to obtain images and feelings toward and Japanese people and their history and culture.
For instance, in the beginning of the film during a scene between Sakini and Colonel Purdy, and later Captain Fisby, Purdy offhandedly murmurs comments such as "Can't you natives ever learn anything about custom?" and later when Fisby offers to learn the language, Purdy replies "No need; we won the war!" These comments, which were intended to and do have audiences laughing, are putting the image of Japanese people being dumb and unable to learn, and insignificant and that people shouldn't and don't have to learn about their culture.Although the film is stained with the fore mentioned vulgarities, some of the actor's performances and beautiful, although most likely inaccurate, set designs cannot go unnoticed.
Her, as well as Eddie Albert, Glenn Ford, and, unfortunately, Marlon Brando all received Golden Globe nominations, but all failed to bring home the award.Although many people in today's society may roll their eyes at yet another attack of political correctness, it is essential to note that films, in both the past and present, shape people's perceptions of the world.
Marlon Brando has never been as ridiculous as in this one.Casting him as a Japanese translating his "compatriots" into pidgin English was a bad idea gone wrong.One wonders why the Japanese chose him for their interpret whereas the tribe's old man spoke better Shakespeare 's language than he did.Glenn Ford is ill-at -ease in the comic genre and his fighting with the geisha who tries to take off his clothes is sinister slapstick comedy.The direction is as static as it can be ,and it 's really filmed stage production.The screenplay in not that much original and finds some of its inspiration in Billy Wilder's "A foreign affair"(1947),the Japanese replacing the German.Daniel Mann is no match for Wilder as far as directing and writing are concerned and the she-goat easily steals the show..
This is an excellent film on many levels, but one overlooked aspect is the role of the organic health food addict/Army shrink and performance by Eddie Albert.
Brando and his people are genius in getting the U.S. military (via Ford and later Eddie Albert) to get what they want in their village, not what the U.S. was to build.Brando in full make-up and faux Japanese speech is hilarious.
After winning World War II, the United States sends enthusiastic Glenn Ford (as Captain Fisby) to Okinawa, Japan.
Translating for Mr. Ford is savvy Asian-mannered Marlon Brando (as Sakini).
They want the Americans to build them a traditional teahouse, instead, with geisha girls like beautiful Machiko Kyo (as Lotus Blossom).
Comedy results from the Americans unexpectedly succumbing to Japanese culture...Director Daniel Mann enjoyed much success bringing stage dramas to the motion picture screen, but was less successful with comedy...This one may dip due to the lack of bigger comedians in the roles, but Marlon Brando and Glenn Ford are closer to original Broadway players David Wayne and John Forsythe than they would be to Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin.
The sly humor works, but scenes go on too long without amusing; most of this material should be shorter and snappier on film.***** The Teahouse of the August Moon (11/20/56) Daniel Mann ~ Marlon Brando, Glenn Ford, Eddie Albert, Paul Ford.
According to Wikipedia at least, the book, play, and film were enormously popular for about 25 years, when political correctness set in, and liberals were oh-so-terribly aghast at Marlon Brando playing an Okinawan with a heavy accent.
But it's Brando's character who is the most admirable in the movie -- sharp, perceptive, and cunning, but also warm, generous, and forgiving.All told, it's the Okinawans who come off well -- it is we Americans who seem rather ridiculous, with our notions of winning hearts and minds and spreading democracy.
I've known that there was a film with the title "The Teahouse of the August Moon" for years but never had any interest in viewing it.
I probably had it confused with "Sayonara", Marlon Brando's other post WWII Japan film.
As "The Teahouse of the August Moon" illustrates, there seems to be a national compulsion to change the world and a chronic failure to realistically evaluate the complexities of these little adventures.On the flip side, many of those who attack the film as racist are also critical of "Eurotrip" for its stereotyped portrayal of Europe; failing to recognize that the target of both films is America and its simplistic view of the rest of the world.Anyway, "Teahouse" takes place shortly after the end of WWII as Captain Fisby, a Army Civil Affairs officer (Glenn Ford), is detailed to an Okinawan village to teach the natives about "democracy".
Marlon Brando plays a native interpreter and carries it off quite nicely, in fact the whole cast is solid with Kyo unexpectedly effective and very charming.
Brando disappears into the role of Sakini, an interpreter assigned to Captain Fisby, Glenn Ford.
Basically it's a story of Glen Ford going native, seduced by Marlon Brando, Machiko Kyo, a horde of Okinawan villagers, with Eddie Albert as a closet hydroponicist who gets sucked in along the way.It has its weaker moments when it becomes a little cute, the way sitcoms are cute, and the ending is a feel-good addendum that tries to graft a happy ending onto an unhappy situation.
The ending is less organic than Eddie Albert's vegetables.Marlon Brando -- well, he's not Japanese.
Worth watching for Brando's performance as a Japanese villager.
Dear Marlon Brando,you were an unusual casting choice for the role of Sakini, a sort of a Japanese man Friday to occupying American forces looking to spread democracy across Japan.
I would love to hear the story behind your casting as a Japanese villager.The film is a farcical and feel good social satire about American attempts to spread their values and way of life in the village of Tobiki, Okinawa after World War 2.
Glenn Ford is the good hearted solider who is trying to impart the merits of democracy to the unsuspecting villagers with the help of Sakini.
The Americans poke gentle fun at themselves,Paul Ford does his good-natured bumbler schtick and Marlon Brando has great fun with those actor's friends the funny accent and make - up.There is some cod Japanese philosophy and the average American's ignorance of the rest of the world is lampooned.
At 17 I thought Brando's portrayal of a Japanese interpreter was brilliant and hilarious.Nearly fifty years later and I can't think of any other European/American actor who could have pulled it off.
It is probably not a film for today;it may well be rediscovered in a more gentle age when the thought police are no longer trying to apply 21st century sensibilities on fifty year old movies.
SYNOPSIS: Captain Fisby (Glenn Ford) is sent by Colonel Purdy (Paul Ford) to an Okinawan village to aid its recovery and welfare.
An American Army officer (Glenn Ford) is sent to establish the recovery and welfare of an Okinawan village, with a rascally Japanese interpreter (Marlon Brando) as an assistant.
Maybe I was more prepared for it, as I had already seen Mickey Rooney as a Japanese in Breakfast at Tiffany's.I am also a great fan of Glenn Ford and Eddie Albert, both of whom give great performances in this picture as the two G.I.'s who are charged with transforming the Japanese village of Topeki into a showpiece of American post WW2 occupation, but do they successfully transform the village, or do the villagers transform them?I think that Teahouse of the August Moon is a brilliant film, with several great actors driving it.
The classic twist in this film is that the "Conquered" Japanese race ends up getting their own way in the end, after playing the Yanks like a fiddle all the way along.I'm looking out for the DVD, as my VCR wouldn't record when I tried to catch it today; oh well !!
And then I wonder what might have possessed the man to take on a role like that of Sakini, a Japanese interpreter for the U.S. military.
Glenn Ford looked a little out of his element here as Captain Fisby, but his character seemed to be written that way so it worked.