04-01-2022, 11:24 PM
I didn't quite understand this when I saw it as a kid. I was watching a lot of Kung Fu, Kaiju and Tokusatsu, so I'd seen plenty of Asians on screen and didn't make the distinction that this was the first major Hollywood production. It's groundbreaking and still an amazing watch, albeit dated in its attitudes towards women. The whole 'find a husband' trip is annoying now but such were the times. And that's the thing - this was made before I was born and features an all Asian cast.
The music is so Rogers & Hammerstein, not overly memorable, their showtune style of horn attacks and conga-influences percussion. The Female song and the chop suey song are cringeworthy. There's also an obsession with weird foods - tiger bone wine, snake, 1000 year old eggs 'and make sure their fresh'...
But the dance numbers are excellent. The dream sequences - the mirror number, the masked dancers, the Sunday scene - so surreal and wonderful. Kwan kills the parade dance and the fan dances.
Nancy Kwan is hawt, although she doesn't do her own singing, but she can dance. James Shigeta reminds me a bit of Daniel Wu physically. Jack Soo is a revelation - so funny and quirky - I remember him for Yemana on Barney Miller. Patrick Adiarte - what a dancer. And a very young James Hong.
Such a loving postcard to SF Chinatown, even though it's all sets except for some stock footage, like the New Years parade. Made me think of when I was in the parade and I'm sad that there's no photos of that. That was a crazy gig.
Not particularly D00M recommended unless you like old musicals and SF.
Seen on Kanopy.
The music is so Rogers & Hammerstein, not overly memorable, their showtune style of horn attacks and conga-influences percussion. The Female song and the chop suey song are cringeworthy. There's also an obsession with weird foods - tiger bone wine, snake, 1000 year old eggs 'and make sure their fresh'...
But the dance numbers are excellent. The dream sequences - the mirror number, the masked dancers, the Sunday scene - so surreal and wonderful. Kwan kills the parade dance and the fan dances.
Nancy Kwan is hawt, although she doesn't do her own singing, but she can dance. James Shigeta reminds me a bit of Daniel Wu physically. Jack Soo is a revelation - so funny and quirky - I remember him for Yemana on Barney Miller. Patrick Adiarte - what a dancer. And a very young James Hong.
Such a loving postcard to SF Chinatown, even though it's all sets except for some stock footage, like the New Years parade. Made me think of when I was in the parade and I'm sad that there's no photos of that. That was a crazy gig.
Not particularly D00M recommended unless you like old musicals and SF.
Seen on Kanopy.
Shadow boxing the apocalypse