My son and I ordered from our local carryout and started singing not realizing we didn't hang up the phone, the guy who took our order started singing with us! 😂 When we went to pick up he gave us a free order of chop suey for reminding him how much his grandmother loved this movie!
It blew my MIND when I learned as a teen that the actress Juanita Hall here was a Black American! She was so utterly, thoroughly convincing as a person of Asian heritage, even Polynesian as well, as her Bloody Mary role in "South Pacific" showed. What a chameleon! And super talented.
That's what the studio wanted to do for Dorothy Dandridge, transition her into a star by putting her in roles where she played other races and the world got to know her. She was casted as Tuptim in "The King and I" but backed out to look for main roles. Rita Moreno was cast instead and went on to win an oscar for playing her OWN heritage!
This movie is still one of the best all asian American movies of all time. One of the few featuring singing and dancing asian Americans. After 60 plus years this is still incredible.
I love this R&H musical movie since I saw it on TV as a little girl. I know it's full of stereotypes, but I identified with it because I was a young Chinese girl growing up in San Francisco and visited Chinatown many times. This one of very few films with Asians dancing & singing incredibly well.
Show biz always in the family. My grandma is one of the dancers on this movie. She comes pretty clear on 3:05 with the purple dress ;). She was also on King and I and Breakfast at Tiffany's and so on.
That's so amazing! I've always loved this film, so cool to hear from someone who was involved in it (in this case your grandma). I was just visiting San Francisco and made a visit to Grant Ave, my own little Flower Drum Song :-)
OMG when the dancers let loose: the Hermes Pan choreography and precision of the dancers. Imagine the rehearsal time that must have gone into this. The work they put into movie musicals of that era. Love it! Thanks for posting!
@juanmonge8 Patrick Adiarte is my first cousin and what you said is true. I have a photo of Gene Kelly and Patrick rehearsing on stage for this movie. He was also in The King and I and, played the role as Prince Chulalonkorn (sorry for the spelling) son of Yul Brynner in the movie. He was in one of the episodes of Hawaii-five-O and also played a very small role in one of Bing Crosby's movies. This was when Crosby was a lot older. Can't remember the title. By the way, my aunt, Pat's mother was one of the dancers in the King and I. She was a ballet dancer.
On Saturday mornings my dad would put on the album of the broadway version of Flower Drum Song . Ive been a fan ever since. The play came out 5 days before I was born. This movie is great but the play is better. You cant beat Pat Suzuki. 100 million miracles has a native american rythim to it. My mom made a British version of chopsuey called pork and vegetable chop chop. It was great!!!!
Anna May Wong was originally cast for the role of Madame Liang in this movie but was unable to take it on due to her failing health. She died on Feb 3, 1961, the first Chinese American Movie Star in Hollywood history.
Everything is in this 1961 Rodgers and Hammerstein's classic movie musical - a lavish spectacle of campy-and-peppy musical numbers / edifying-and-satisfying narrative / galvanic-and-graphic characters / gushing-and-joshing moments / fad- and-rad stellar-headliners / bubbly-and-gnarly step designs / hefty-and-lofty production designs / hit-and-fit scoring and sound / congruous-and-precocious camera-works / capable-and-palpable scene-executions.This old-fashioned and impassioned musical number - the American-invented Chinese dish "Chop Suey" - is entirely groovy-and-savvy.The succulent song-duet of Ms Juanita Hall and Mr James Shigeta and the ebullient solo-dance of Mr Patrick Adiarte truly stand out. The well-blended "east-and-west" cultures in this musical sequence are brilliantly interpolated and manifested without misfire and disgrace to the moderatists and the modernists.I can't resist but diligently-and-frequently flip through this classic film clip for the reason that it is too chummy and so yummy.
One of the best Broadway to Hollywood transfers ever with several of the Broadway stars- Miyoshi Umeki, Juanita Hall, Patrick Adiarte, Jack Soo (though elevated to a larger role). It is a charming film.
Chop Suey sounds silly on the surface but it is really an allegory for American people, from all sorts of nationalities and mixed into one dish. Typical of Rodgers and Hammerstein to have layered meaning in their song.
I'm sure there were many Chinese-Americans who hated this film, but the sentiment of this song -- that you can retain your culture while adopting what you like and admire about a new one -- is a positive.
@Biamedici this film was actually a huge huge social gain for Asians in America. Like many musicals, it was a head of its time and introduced the wordly ignorant Americans to aspects of culture in a multi cultural that was trying hard to break out of the one acceptable culture (white patriarch.... America) that the bigots wanted to continue. MUSICALS were revolutionary in their time.
I was going crazy tryn to find this clip because I was 6 or 7 at the time, but I remembered this song from a movie that I had no idea what the title of it was! I'm relieved that I wasn't just imagining this.
I haven't seen this film or this clip since I was probably a teenager but for some strange reason I still get this song in my head every so often! That's Rodgers and Hammerstein for you!
I only found out through a RUclips post with another video, that James Shigeta had passed away in 2014. For some reason, I missed the story of his passing. Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems as if death did not get that much coverage as other celebrities. This may be a little late by James Shigeta RIP.
I agree, but not just those days, all days. As an actor I can tell you, the more flexible your look is, the more work you get. Actors can't afford to be offended, if we were that sensitive, we'd starve.
When i was a Kid Visiting San Francisco with my Parents and Sister we went to eat at the Imperial Palace in China Town it had a Plaque in front saying this Restaurant was used for some of the Scenes in the Film Very Coll place with lots of Pictures of Movie Starts , Old School Style
A number of original Broadway cast members performed in the film, and in this clip, including Miyoshi Umeki, Jack Soo, Juanita Hall, and Patrick Adiarte. Juanita Hall was able to sing Chop Suey in the film version, unlike the movie South Pacific where she was dubbed, even though she originated the role of Bloody Mary on Broadway.
@NoirFan01 I noticed the way he walks off at the end too. He was probably just exhausted. I can't imagine how many takes he had to do...and he really danced his ass off. Amazing!
Chop suey, chop suey! living here is very much like chop suey. hula hoops and nuclear war, Doctor Salk and Zsa Zsa Gabor, Bobby Darin, Sandra Dee, and Dewey, Chop suey, --Chop suey!-- Stars are drifting overhead, birds and worms have gone to bed. men work late in laboratories, others read detective stories. Some are roaming 'round the country, others sit beneath just one tree. Tonight on TV's Late, Late Show You can look at Clara Bow! --Who?-- Chop suey, chop suey! good and bad, intelligent, mad, and screwy. violins and trumpets and drums, take it all the way that it comes, sad and funny, sour and honey dewy, Chop suey! Ballpoint pens and filter tips, lipsticks and potato chips. In the dampest kind of heat wave you can give your hair a neat wave. Hear that lovely La Paloma, lullabyed by Perry Como. dreaming in my Maiden-form-bra, dreamed I danced the cha-cha-cha. Chop suey, chop suey! mixed with all the hokum and bally hooey. something real and glowing grand. sheds a light all over the land. Boston, Austin, Wichita, and St. Louey, Chop suey. Chop suey, chop suey! Chop suey, chop suey written by Rodgers & Hammerstein II sung by Juanita Hall
Juanita Hall ,an african -american playing a chinese on broadway . It reminds one of Frank Silvera on mostly films playing other than was he was , an african -american .
Ms. Hall was repeating her Broadway role, but she was not the original choice for the film. The legendary Anna May Wong was, and signed for it, but died just before filming got underway. Can't imagine it being any better, though.
@MotownConnoisseur30 What's really crazy is that her singing was dubbed in the movie of SOUTH PACIFIC, even though she'd created (and, of course, sung) the role on Broadway. I don't think she's dubbed here, though I'm not certain. This song is one of my favorites on the original Broadway cast album (not the revisal from a few seasons ago); it has so much Hammerstein heart to it, some of which was lost in this version. However, they put so much else fun into it, I can't complain much.
Juanita Hall, an African American, played the Chinese 'Auntie' in the Broadway & film versions...while in the UK, the mixed race British singer Ida Shepley (born in Chesire in 1908 of a Trinidadian father & English mother) took the role. Not a lot of people know that, as Michael Caine would say!
How come there are no crackles like on the 1961 Album that I seem to have inherited. When I was 22 in the mid 80's I played this all the time and was never able to keep up and sing along..
I'll admit, I'm a sucker for songs that are mashups of pop cultural references. Examples include the "Conga" number from "Wonderful Town," Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire" - and this one.
I had a teacher trying to teach me Cantonese and I tried to teach her American English. She said it was harder to learn American English than proper English. Because American English is not one language. It's English, Spanish French and even Yiddish it really is chop suey.
Great Asian American cineimea like nowadays like u never would see a cast with all Asian Americans actors this is a truly beautiful film and I can't relate to sturgle of being stuck between white and Asian
The American twist on Asian cuisine... I take extra pineapple. Ball point pens and filter tips, Lipsticks and potato chips... you can give your hair a neat wave... cha cha cha... something real and growing and grand...
I think that's James Shigeta, playing Wang Ta ("Tom"), one of the main characters. My mom said she had a crush on him when this movie came out. :) (She's 80 now.)
They're so Vastly different, Japan and China. As long as eyes are different, Americans will never know. How embarrassing and how true. Thank you China for the story and the Japanese who performed it. Screaming Laughing!
@elderaarondavis1 She does look Asian, but she was African-American. She was born in New Jersey to African-American parents and studied at Julliard. I know she did some jazz/blues recordings in the 40's & 50's.
I remember when I watched this with my mom on AMC over 10 years ago (when they used to actually show classic movies) she found this song so ridiculous. She said it would be like a musical about Mexicans and they're going around singing "Burritos! Tacos!" haha
I know what you mean - I'm sure in some ways in retrospect it seems a bit silly, but I think it's still kind of cool that the production is so well done, in such amazing color and choreography - you have to admit that that's pretty wild.
Actually not so ridiculous. It very nicely points out the culture clash the older generation born elsewhere is experiencing and the cultural melding that the younger generation born here have easily done. Some elders are able to cross the gap, others not so much.
I need the lyrics to this song. My family finds this song hilarious because my brother remembered it from a long time ago. I can't believe we actually found it.
@xelanesqueHQ i can see it now . wow, must have been nice to have been able to pass for another race on screen back then so she didnt have to play a role that was as degrading as it would have been.
@MotownConnoisseur30 that is really interesting to think about... thanks to you I went to look at her bio because I love any musical stuff so good point...
Sort of interesting how most of the main lead characters are played by Japanese or Japanese-American actors (Umeki, Shigeta, Soo), or in Juanita Hall's case, African-American.
+William Craig I watched a bio of Jack Soo some years ago, He wanted to use his real last name Suzuki on this film. But was told by TPTB that he couldn't because most of the actors were not of Chinese descent.
From the scene on this video clip, it is hard to really identify Juanita Hall's real ethnicity. In this video clip, she did not look black, although she did not look particularly Chinese..... She looked more like a Hawaiian/Polynesian, or even a Filipina.
It matters if they can't pass for what they're playing. You tell most Asians there's no difference between Japanese and Chinese you'll probably get slapped.
I always thought she was Asian, because of this musical and South Pacific. I Googled her name some time ago and discovered that she was indeed African American, and a very good jazz and blues singer!
I guess it really doesn't matter, and as much as I like this movie, it just bothers me that they couldn't come up with enough actual Chinese actors/actresses, dancers, to fill the roles. In addiiton to Juanita Hall (African American), almost all of the leads are of Japanese ancestry (James Shigeta, Jack Soo, Miyoshi Umeki, Reiko Sato), Patrick Adiarte is Filipino and Nancy Kwan was half English. And as was pointed out earlier, some of the minor characters are clearly not Asian at all.
But look at it in historical context and it was a Huge huge move in the right direction. Roger and Hammerstein pushed many social issues of their times! Broadway was once again ahead of most of the country.
My son and I ordered from our local carryout and started singing not realizing we didn't hang up the phone, the guy who took our order started singing with us! 😂 When we went to pick up he gave us a free order of chop suey for reminding him how much his grandmother loved this movie!
So funny. Thanks for sharing.
I love this. It's a great illustration of how, no matter what race we are, we are ALL Americans. 💖
It blew my MIND when I learned as a teen that the actress Juanita Hall here was a Black American! She was so utterly, thoroughly convincing as a person of Asian heritage, even Polynesian as well, as her Bloody Mary role in "South Pacific" showed. What a chameleon! And super talented.
she could pass as an Polynesian, from (New) Jersey...
That's what the studio wanted to do for Dorothy Dandridge, transition her into a star by putting her in roles where she played other races and the world got to know her. She was casted as Tuptim in "The King and I" but backed out to look for main roles. Rita Moreno was cast instead and went on to win an oscar for playing her OWN heritage!
this New Jersey woman could pass, as being a Polynesian (aka a "Pacific Islander" according to the U.S. Census bureau)..
Kind of like Kamala.
I was thinking she could be my Filipina Tita haha!
This movie is still one of the best all asian American movies of all time. One of the few featuring singing and dancing asian Americans. After 60 plus years this is still incredible.
I love this R&H musical movie since I saw it on TV as a little girl. I know it's full of stereotypes, but I identified with it because I was a young Chinese girl growing up in San Francisco and visited Chinatown many times. This one of very few films with Asians dancing & singing incredibly well.
Show biz always in the family. My grandma is one of the dancers on this movie. She comes pretty clear on 3:05 with the purple dress ;). She was also on King and I and Breakfast at Tiffany's and so on.
That's so amazing! I've always loved this film, so cool to hear from someone who was involved in it (in this case your grandma). I was just visiting San Francisco and made a visit to Grant Ave, my own little Flower Drum Song :-)
Aww thank you ;). She was happy to see I was so proud of her.
Saw her, I think. How wonderful -- those are all such wonderful movies. I remember going to see Flower Drum Song with my parents. Loved it.
Aurora Quevedo. She is still alive ;)
That is so cool! All awesome movies. This is my fave era for film.
OMG when the dancers let loose: the Hermes Pan choreography and precision of the dancers. Imagine the rehearsal time that must have gone into this. The work they put into movie musicals of that era. Love it! Thanks for posting!
Patrick Adiarte was a protege of Gene Kelly. He also danced on the musical show “Hullabaloo”.
@juanmonge8 Patrick Adiarte is my first cousin and what you said is true. I have a photo of Gene Kelly and Patrick rehearsing on stage for this movie. He was also in The King and I and, played the role as Prince Chulalonkorn (sorry for the spelling) son of Yul Brynner in the movie. He was in one of the episodes of Hawaii-five-O and also played a very small role in one of Bing Crosby's movies. This was when Crosby was a lot older. Can't remember the title. By the way, my aunt, Pat's mother was one of the dancers in the King and I. She was a ballet dancer.
Juanita Hall had an African-American father an an Irish-American mother. Playing Bloody Mary in South Pacific earned her a Tony Award.
The original Crazy Rich Asians
Paul Lee haha!
Juanita Hall is also in South Pacific and sings Bali Hai, beautiful.
I love that the square dance guy is calling in Chinglish, specifically Cantonese and English.
What is he saying?
On Saturday mornings my dad would put on the album of the broadway version of Flower Drum Song . Ive been a fan ever since. The play came out 5 days before I was born. This movie is great but the play is better. You cant beat Pat Suzuki. 100 million miracles has a native american rythim to it. My mom made a British version of chopsuey called pork and vegetable chop chop. It was great!!!!
Anna May Wong was originally cast for the role of Madame Liang in this movie but was unable to take it on due to her failing health. She died on Feb 3, 1961, the first Chinese American Movie Star in Hollywood history.
As an ABC myself, l love this song.....Chop Suey, Chop Suey, Chop Suey.....❤
The great silent film star Anna Mae Wong was supposed to come out of retirement to play the Aunt but died unexpectedly.
Never knew that! That might have been interesting, but then we wouldn't have had the great Juanita Hall.
Everything is in this 1961 Rodgers and Hammerstein's classic movie musical - a lavish spectacle of campy-and-peppy musical numbers / edifying-and-satisfying narrative / galvanic-and-graphic characters / gushing-and-joshing moments / fad- and-rad stellar-headliners / bubbly-and-gnarly step designs / hefty-and-lofty production designs / hit-and-fit scoring and sound / congruous-and-precocious camera-works / capable-and-palpable scene-executions.This old-fashioned and impassioned musical number - the American-invented Chinese dish "Chop Suey" - is entirely groovy-and-savvy.The succulent song-duet of Ms Juanita Hall and Mr James Shigeta and the ebullient solo-dance of Mr Patrick Adiarte truly stand out. The well-blended "east-and-west" cultures in this musical sequence are brilliantly interpolated and manifested without misfire and disgrace to the moderatists and the modernists.I can't resist but diligently-and-frequently flip through this classic film clip for the reason that it is too chummy and so yummy.
One of the best Broadway to Hollywood transfers ever with several of the Broadway stars- Miyoshi Umeki, Juanita Hall, Patrick Adiarte, Jack Soo (though elevated to a larger role). It is a charming film.
Juanita Hall is a very talented woman--look at South Pacific and this movie. She could do anything. Thanks for this post.
Chop Suey sounds silly on the surface but it is really an allegory for American people, from all sorts of nationalities and mixed into one dish. Typical of Rodgers and Hammerstein to have layered meaning in their song.
+quitequiet1 Yes! Rodgers and Hammerstein restate our nation's original motto: E Pluribus Unum (Out of many Peoples, One Nation).
R&H are geniuses because of this.
It’s a gross dish so it make sense
I'm sure there were many Chinese-Americans who hated this film, but the sentiment of this song -- that you can retain your culture while adopting what you like and admire about a new one -- is a positive.
@Biamedici this film was actually a huge huge social gain for Asians in America. Like many musicals, it was a head of its time and introduced the wordly ignorant Americans to aspects of culture in a multi cultural that was trying hard to break out of the one acceptable culture (white patriarch.... America) that the bigots wanted to continue. MUSICALS were revolutionary in their time.
i love this Hollywood musical shown in the 1960's.
I was going crazy tryn to find this clip because I was 6 or 7 at the time, but I remembered this song from a movie that I had no idea what the title of it was! I'm relieved that I wasn't just imagining this.
cha cha cha cha.. Chopsuey. Life indeed is like Chopsuey. Colors of life. Beautiful!!
This 1 song never gets old.....excellent.....l can relate for sure.......❤
1:40 thats my grandma in the white dress and white bow :D
she’s gorgeous! :)
Your Grandma can dance and is featured later in this number!
Tell her I loved the movie and that I have the DVD!! So wonderful to have been a part of this!
I haven't seen this film or this clip since I was probably a teenager but for some strange reason I still get this song in my head every so often! That's Rodgers and Hammerstein for you!
same I watched it as a child and it was stuck in my head since then
Rodgers and Hammerstein--The BIG Ampersand.
One of my favorite musicals!
A favorite film since childhood. Love them all! Superb performances!
My mom would play this entire album when she would make her chop suey.
You were lucky to have such a mother.
At 1:42… The girl on the right in the orange dress…OMG, she is beautiful!❤️
I only found out through a RUclips post with another video, that James Shigeta had passed away in 2014. For some reason, I missed the story of his passing. Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems as if death did not get that much coverage as other celebrities. This may be a little late by James Shigeta RIP.
So handsome, suave.
I agree, but not just those days, all days. As an actor I can tell you, the more flexible your look is, the more work you get. Actors can't afford to be offended, if we were that sensitive, we'd starve.
When i was a Kid Visiting San Francisco with my Parents and Sister we went to eat at the Imperial Palace in China Town it had a Plaque in front saying this Restaurant was used for some of the Scenes in the Film Very Coll place with lots of Pictures of Movie Starts , Old School Style
... and Irish-American. with a voice that was commanding yet soothing, so beautiful.
A number of original Broadway cast members performed in the film, and in this clip, including Miyoshi Umeki, Jack Soo, Juanita Hall, and Patrick Adiarte. Juanita Hall was able to sing Chop Suey in the film version, unlike the movie South Pacific where she was dubbed, even though she originated the role of Bloody Mary on Broadway.
cdman88 Good version of the play, but Larry Blyden's powerful voice was missed.
Echoes of 'Oklahoma!' to emphasize the Americanization the characters were striving for. And love that square-dance caller!
Love this song and Asian Americans singing. James Shigeta had a wonderful voice. Miss him as an actor. He was underrated.
When I was in school, square dancing was Required too.
@NoirFan01 I noticed the way he walks off at the end too. He was probably just exhausted. I can't imagine how many takes he had to do...and he really danced his ass off. Amazing!
Chop suey, chop suey!
living here is very much like chop suey.
hula hoops and nuclear war,
Doctor Salk and Zsa Zsa Gabor,
Bobby Darin, Sandra Dee, and Dewey,
Chop suey, --Chop suey!--
Stars are drifting overhead,
birds and worms have gone to bed.
men work late in laboratories,
others read detective stories.
Some are roaming 'round the country,
others sit beneath just one tree.
Tonight on TV's Late, Late Show
You can look at Clara Bow! --Who?--
Chop suey, chop suey!
good and bad, intelligent, mad, and screwy.
violins and trumpets and drums,
take it all the way that it comes,
sad and funny, sour and honey dewy,
Chop suey!
Ballpoint pens and filter tips,
lipsticks and potato chips.
In the dampest kind of heat wave
you can give your hair a neat wave.
Hear that lovely La Paloma,
lullabyed by Perry Como.
dreaming in my Maiden-form-bra,
dreamed I danced the cha-cha-cha.
Chop suey, chop suey!
mixed with all the hokum and bally hooey.
something real and glowing grand.
sheds a light all over the land.
Boston, Austin, Wichita, and St. Louey,
Chop suey.
Chop suey, chop suey!
Chop suey, chop suey
written by Rodgers & Hammerstein II
sung by Juanita Hall
This role was going to go to Anna Mae Wong, but she passed away.
He's awesome! His name is Patrick Adiarte and in this film plays the leading man's brother, Wang San.
Patrick was Ho-Jon in the first season of M*A*S*H.
He was also the crown prince in the film version of THE KING AND I and also played Wang San on Broadway.
Juanita Hall ,an african -american playing a chinese on broadway . It reminds one of Frank Silvera on mostly films playing other than was he was , an african -american .
Ms. Hall was repeating her Broadway role, but she was not the original choice for the film. The legendary Anna May Wong was, and signed for it, but died just before filming got underway. Can't imagine it being any better, though.
Whenever i eat chopsuey i remember this song 😂😂😂
i love chapsuey :-) and who likes donald trump say i if you like him
Juanita Hall, God bless her, was probably like most people in show biz--thriled to death to have a job.
Happy 112th Birthday Juanita !
@MotownConnoisseur30 What's really crazy is that her singing was dubbed in the movie of SOUTH PACIFIC, even though she'd created (and, of course, sung) the role on Broadway. I don't think she's dubbed here, though I'm not certain. This song is one of my favorites on the original Broadway cast album (not the revisal from a few seasons ago); it has so much Hammerstein heart to it, some of which was lost in this version. However, they put so much else fun into it, I can't complain much.
Wow. I'm Chinese American and didn't realize Ms. Hall's not Chinese 😅
@Nova Starr Yes, she is light skin black. Back in those days, they got anyone they could who looked "ethnic".
Juanita Hall is African American and Irish. Not Asian at all.
Nikol S. Ervant no more sausages for you
Juanita Hall, an African American, played the Chinese 'Auntie' in the Broadway & film versions...while in the UK, the mixed race British singer Ida Shepley (born in Chesire in 1908 of a Trinidadian father & English mother) took the role. Not a lot of people know that, as Michael Caine would say!
+TheLizzie12 Thank you. Love little known facts.
She looks and acts like a very asian aunt in this musical. Good job Juanita.
Juanita Hall also did a good job in the musical "South Pacific" playing Pacific Islander, Bloody Mary.
Anthropology currently theorize that people of asia originated from Africa.
How come there are no crackles like on the 1961 Album that I seem to have inherited. When I was 22 in the mid 80's I played this all the time and was never able to keep up and sing along..
Thrilled to have a job like any actor I imagine.
my school is doing this musical and this is the audition song. super excited ^.^
I'll admit, I'm a sucker for songs that are mashups of pop cultural references. Examples include the "Conga" number from "Wonderful Town," Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire" - and this one.
Also "Drop That Name" from "Bells are Ringing"
Love this number in the film. It builds in such a clever way and man oh man those kids throw DOWN at the end.
one of my Favorite Movie
Ahhh sigh if only this still happened today and Chinese people were this fun :P
I had a teacher trying to teach me Cantonese and I tried to teach her American English. She said it was harder to learn American English than proper English. Because American English is not one language. It's English, Spanish French and even Yiddish it really is chop suey.
Great Asian American cineimea like nowadays like u never would see a cast with all Asian Americans actors this is a truly beautiful film and I can't relate to sturgle of being stuck between white and Asian
The American twist on Asian cuisine... I take extra pineapple. Ball point pens and filter tips, Lipsticks and potato chips... you can give your hair a neat wave... cha cha cha... something real and growing and grand...
Ever notice how Patrick seems to be glad it's over as he walks off screen at the end?
Who is the HOT asian guy in the black suit dancing at the end?? That guy can MOVE!!!!
I think that's James Shigeta, playing Wang Ta ("Tom"), one of the main characters. My mom said she had a crush on him when this movie came out. :) (She's 80 now.)
I love this movie So Much!
Most of the actors were actually Japanese. LOL! Still one of my favorite musicals!
They're so Vastly different, Japan and China. As long as eyes are different, Americans will never know. How embarrassing and how true. Thank you China for the story and the Japanese who performed it. Screaming Laughing!
This movie was fantastic!Top rate!
@elderaarondavis1 She does look Asian, but she was African-American. She was born in New Jersey to African-American parents and studied at Julliard. I know she did some jazz/blues recordings in the 40's & 50's.
I wonder how Juanita Hall felt about being always casted as Asians characters even though she was Africa-American.
i love this song
Ka-ching! That's probably all she cared back in those days.
I love all races!
Patrick Adiarte slays again.
"Living here is very much like chop suey.." :-))
I remember when I watched this with my mom on AMC over 10 years ago (when they used to actually show classic movies) she found this song so ridiculous. She said it would be like a musical about Mexicans and they're going around singing "Burritos! Tacos!" haha
I know what you mean - I'm sure in some ways in retrospect it seems a bit silly, but I think it's still kind of cool that the production is so well done, in such amazing color and choreography - you have to admit that that's pretty wild.
Actually not so ridiculous. It very nicely points out the culture clash the older generation born elsewhere is experiencing and the cultural melding that the younger generation born here have easily done. Some elders are able to cross the gap, others not so much.
Marvin Melhorn I literally laughed out loud reading this comment... 🎵 SPAGHETTI! 🎶 RAVIOLI! 🎵
+Giuseppe LoGiurato interesting since noodles come from china! gotta love this world!
But that's the whole point of the number, a send-up of everything that makes up America. It's the self-deprecation that makes it so heartwarming!
@atrac88 Oh, it's Patrick Adiarte! Wow, best looking asian guy I've seen on film since Rain!
IT REALLY GETS COOKING AFTER MAIDENFORM BRA BOY DOES HIS BIT.
For a second, I thought she was going to start singing "Chop Suey!" by System of a Down
Same
Still better than the Crazy Rich Asians.
I need the lyrics to this song. My family finds this song hilarious because my brother remembered it from a long time ago. I can't believe we actually found it.
@Jawstaysun
Maidenform ran a series of those (In My Maidenform bra) ads through the late 50's-60's. They were a bit odd and funny even then.
You can't lose with a Chinese square dance caller!
I've been looking for this song for like 10 years....
Luffydaman91 damn.
Some might consider it racist nowadays, but I think that for it's time it was very inclusive. And boy, could that young man dance!
I wonder where Patrick Adiarte is now. I know he's about 70 years old. I saw him as Prince Chulalongkorn in The King and I.
Flower Drum SONG ... San Francisco, Ca Chinatown.. Miss Nancy Kwan? You Still A Beautiful Lady..
Delicious Miyoshi Umeki, the true female lead with all my respects to Nancy Kwan who is one of my favorite actresses.
i like that! chop suey~ chop suey~~~~~
this makes me feel proud to be asian! (i ddnt say chinese cuz im only part chinese)
My mother sometimes would be cooking and singing Chop Suey.
MADAME LIANG:
I like that!
CHOP SUEY!
CHOP SUEY!
LIVING HERE IS VERY MUCH SCREWY!
I hate this place!
@MotownConnoisseur30 She probably enjoyed herself in spite of the casting. She got to work, and didn't play a maid.
well, not really system of a down..but hey, it still rocks!
@xelanesqueHQ i can see it now . wow, must have been nice to have been able to pass for another race on screen back then so she didnt have to play a role that was as degrading as it would have been.
@MotownConnoisseur30 that is really interesting to think about... thanks to you I went to look at her bio because I love any musical stuff so good point...
living here is very much like chop suey
Sort of interesting how most of the main lead characters are played by Japanese or Japanese-American actors (Umeki, Shigeta, Soo), or in Juanita Hall's case, African-American.
+William Craig I watched a bio of Jack Soo some years ago, He wanted to use his real last name Suzuki on this film. But was told by TPTB that he couldn't because most of the actors were not of Chinese descent.
From the scene on this video clip, it is hard to really identify Juanita Hall's real ethnicity. In this video clip, she did not look black, although she did not look particularly Chinese..... She looked more like a Hawaiian/Polynesian, or even a Filipina.
She was African-American.
Does it really matter? White Americans play people of varying European ethnicities all the time.
It matters if they can't pass for what they're playing. You tell most Asians there's no difference between Japanese and Chinese you'll probably get slapped.
Heck, I'm sure she was glad for the work, and glad she was able to pass as Asian!
Nancy Kwan keeps referring to FDS as an all Asian cast. Juanita Hall must be an honorary Asian (forgetting she is African American).
I always thought she was Asian, because of this musical and South Pacific. I Googled her name some time ago and discovered that she was indeed African American, and a very good jazz and blues singer!
Awwww daddy, who's your baby???? TEEHEE!
What a happy number!
I guess it really doesn't matter, and as much as I like this movie, it just bothers me that they couldn't come up with enough actual Chinese actors/actresses, dancers, to fill the roles. In addiiton to Juanita Hall (African American), almost all of the leads are of Japanese ancestry (James Shigeta, Jack Soo, Miyoshi Umeki, Reiko Sato), Patrick Adiarte is Filipino and Nancy Kwan was half English. And as was pointed out earlier, some of the minor characters are clearly not Asian at all.
But look at it in historical context and it was a Huge huge move in the right direction. Roger and Hammerstein pushed many social issues of their times! Broadway was once again ahead of most of the country.
I love this movie. Ironically, the vast majority of cast were Japanese. Americans couldn't tell the difference. Shhh! Excellent movie!
Not true. You had a mix of all asian Americans in this movie.
Who else laughed their head off the first time they heard this song?