| Flower Drum Song | 
 enlarge | Director: Henry Koster
Actors: Nancy Kwan, James Shigeta, Benson Fong, Jack Soo, Juanita Hall
Studio: Universal Studios
Category: DVD
List Price: $14.98
Buy New: $6.83
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Avg. Customer Rating:  97 reviews
Sales Rank: 3088
Format: Color, Dolby, Dvd-video, Special Edition, Subtitled, Widescreen, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), French (Subtitled)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 133
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.4 x 0.4
MPN: MCAD24190D
UPC: 025192419027
EAN: 0025192419027
ASIN: B000H1RFPA
Theatrical Release Date: November 9, 1961
Release Date: November 7, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: BRAND NEW, Factory Sealed items direct from the Studios. 30 Day Satisfaction Guarantee. Quick International Airmail!
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
Rodgers and Hammerstein made BIG musicals--sweeping song and dance numbers, elaborate stagings, sweet heroines, and love struck but confused heroes. Flower Drum Song has all these elements, so why is it so little known? Perhaps because it had the misfortune to be released the same year (1961) as West Side Story, or maybe because at 133 minutes it's overlong, or did the audience have trouble accepting an all-Asian cast in an Asian-themed musical? Whatever the reasons, it's time to recognize Flower Drum Song for the gem it is. Picture bride Mei Li (Miyoshi Umeki) and her father arrive in San Francisco, having smuggled themselves into the country so Mei Li can marry nightclub owner Sammy Fong (whose mother arranged the whole deal). Mei Li is fascinated by the city and immediately charms its denizens with a delicate rendition of "One Hundred Million Miracles." Fong (Jack Soo), who is having an affair with his star singer, the sexy and scheming Linda Low (Nancy Kwan), pawns Mei Li off on the Wang family, whose eldest son, Ta (James Shigeta), needs a wife (at least that's what his father has decided). Old Chinese culture and new American ideals clash at every turn, with the elders struggling to understand their Americanized children and the children struggling to accept and honor their heritage. Though the movie is dated in some respects, the theme of assimilation vs. separation holds up remarkably well and rings true. "The Other Generation" beautifully illustrates the generation gap. As this is a romantic musical, you know from the beginning which couples will end up together. The most famous song is "I Enjoy Being a Girl," sung by Linda Low as she dresses to seduce Wang Ta. Though too many triangulations and misunderstandings prolong the inevitable conclusion, Flower Drum Song is a very enjoyable and often funny ride. --Dana Van Nest
Product Description
Studio: Uni Dist Corp. (mca) Release Date: 05/06/2008 Run time: 132 minutes Rating: Nr
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| Customer Reviews: Read 92 more reviews...
 Very Disturbing November 16, 2008
I'm not Chinese, and even I was insulted. I can't believe that at one point in our country's history this was considered art.
 Light and Fun October 12, 2008
I hadn't thought about The Flower Drum Song in years. What a pleasant surprise to learn that this colorful and light hearted, fun musical comedy was available after all this time! It's a movie that puts a smile on your lips. I had forgotten the songs, and was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked them. Cute story, too.
Generation Gap July 3, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
"The Flower Drum Song" hasn't always been treated kindly by history. Its (almost) all-Asian cast, though not all Chinese, and its mishmash of cultural authenticity and blatant stereotypes have meant that it never really took its place on stage with the famous Rogers and Hammerstein musicals. It took a long time for this one to get a DVD release, long after Oklahoma! and The Sound of Music had already gotten the deluxe treatment.
And admittedly, it is a little odd. The story of a Chinese mail-order bride stowing away on a freighter ship, only to find that her promised husband is a swinging hip cat with an eye for showgirls, is a decent foundation. The clash between cultures, with the old generation still demanding their rights and the Americanized youth wanting to just play baseball and be hip, is an old story and one that all immigrant populations face. A serious topic in films like Dim Sum - A Little Bit of Heart, it isn't the usual setting for an all-singing, all-dancing extravaganza, but somehow it works just fine.
Umeki Miyoshi is Mei Li, the bride in question. Umeki was the first Asian to win an Oscar, for her role in Sayonara, and is unquestionably a star. She is dressed up like a China Doll, and plays the smiling traditional Chinese girl that the older generation thinks of as perfect. Her counterpart, Linda Low, played by the sexy Nancy Kwan hot off her turn as a prostitute in The World of Suzie Wong, is a striptease dancing girl who likes using her beauty to get money. For two girls there must be two boys, and we get Jack Soo, of Barney Miller fame, as Sammy Fong, the nightclub hipster who does his best Dean Martin impression, and James Shigata as Wang Ta, the shy and traditional boy. Of course, all the girls are in love with the wrong boys, and all the boys are in love with the wrong girls, and that is where the hijinks ensue.
As a musical, "The Flower Drum Song" has some great numbers, and some so-so ones. The stand out tune is "I Enjoy Being a Girl", done to perfection by a voice-dubbed Nancy Kwan dancing before her bedroom mirrors. This song is quite famous, although divorced from this musical, and has become a standard for drag queens everywhere. Another famous tune, "Chop Suey", sung by Juanita Hall in full yellowface, just didn't do it for me. "The Other Generation" sounds like it was supsiciously recyclled for The Sound of Music's "How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?". Considering the subject matter, one would think that there would have been more of an Asian influence on the music, but it is all just pure showtune glory.
Allthough it took a long time for "The Flower Drum Song" to get a DVD release, they made up for it by giving it all the extras. A pristine transfer that balances all the colors beautifully, and a bunch of interviews and bonus materials all make for a nice package.
musicals July 1, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
this is a great musical....if you like musicals, this one has it all....it is one of our favorites of all time!!!
A Unknown Gem June 23, 2008
This is one of the lesser-known Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals. It had a modest run on Broadway and, fortunately, was preserved on film in a relativly accurate version. Miyoshi Umeki makes a charming Mei Li and her portrayal as the mail-order bride is charming. Jack Soo is great as the scheming Sammy Fong. Nancy Kwan and Juanita hall round out a fine cast. With one exception (the song "Chop Suey") the score is well-written. It has great art direction and costumes and these, as well as other aspects of the film were nominated for Academy Awards (they lost to West Side Story). The commentary is also very interesting. A fun film to watch and recommended for R & H fans and musical fans, as well.
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