The Teahouse of the August Moon (1956)

Director:

Daniel Mann

Writers:

John Patrick (screenplay)
Vern J. Sneider (book)
(more)

Release Date:

December 1956 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

All The Riotous Fun Of The Prize-Winning Stage Comedy!

Plot:

A satire on America's very own drive of a world changer: One year after world war ii, Captain Fisby...

Plot Keywords:

Satire | Democracy | Village | Japanese Woman | Building

Awards:

Nominated for 6 Golden Globes. Another 3 nominations

Cast

Marlon Brando	...	Sakini
Glenn Ford	...	Capt. Fisby
Machiko Kyô	...	Lotus Blossom (as Machiko Kyo)
Eddie Albert	...	Capt. McLean
Paul Ford	...	Col. Wainwright Purdy III
Jun Negami	...	Mr. Seiko
Nijiko Kiyokawa	...	Miss Higa Jiga
Mitsuko Sawamura	...	Little Girl
Harry Morgan	...	Sgt. Gregovich (as Henry {Harry} Morgan)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Carlo Fiore	...	Soldier (uncredited)
John Grayson	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Harry Harvey Jr.	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Miyoshi Jingu	...	Old Woman on Jeep (uncredited)
Roger McGee	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Dansho Miyazaki	...	Sumata's Father (uncredited)
Minoru Nishida	...	Mr. Sumata (uncredited)
Aya Oyama	...	Daughter on Jeep (uncredited)
Kichizaemon Sarumaru	...	Mr. Hokaida (uncredited)
Shichizo Takeda	...	Ancient Man (uncredited)
Frank Tokunaga	...	Mr. Omura (uncredited)
Raynum K. Tsukamoto	...	Mr. Oshira (uncredited)
Yosan Tsuruta	...	Judge (uncredited)

Directed by
Daniel Mann

Writing credits
John Patrick		(screenplay)
Vern J. Sneider		(book)
John Patrick		(play)

Produced by
Jack Cummings	....	producer

Original Music by
Saul Chaplin		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
John Alton		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Harold F. Kress

Art Direction by
William A. Horning
Eddie Imazu

Set Decoration by
Hugh Hunt
Edwin B. Willis

Makeup Department
William Tuttle	....	makeup creator
Keester Sweeney	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Al Jennings	....	assistant director
William Shanks	....	assistant director
Hank Moonjean	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Robert E. Relyea	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Matty Azzarone	....	construction (uncredited)

Sound Department
Wesley C. Miller	....	recording supervisor (as Dr. Wesley C. Miller)
Van Allen James	....	sound editor (uncredited)
Alexander Kelly Jr.	....	sound editor (uncredited)
John Lipow	....	sound editor (uncredited)
Milo B. Lory	....	sound editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Warren Newcombe	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Russell Harlan	....	director of photography: Japan (uncredited)

Music Department
Saul Chaplin	....	musical supervisor
Robert Franklyn	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Maurice Evans	....	stage presenter
Masaya Fujima	....	choreographer

Thanks
Masaichi Nagata	....	grateful acknowledgment (as Mr. Masaichi Nagata)

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1956) (USA) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1964) (USA) (TV) (original airing) (pan/scan)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1990) (USA) (VHS) (pan/scan)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1957) (France) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Daiei Motion Picture Company  grateful acknowledgment

Also Known As:

Runtime:

123 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System) | 4-Track Stereo

Certification:

Finland:S | Argentina:Atp | Sweden:Btl | USA:Approved (certificate #18243) | Canada:G (video rating) | Australia:G

Filming Locations:

Okinawa, Japan

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Marlon Brando's part in the movie was so convincingly Oriental, that many theater managers reported moviegoers coming to them and demanding their money back because (to put it simply) Marlon never appeared on screen.

Quotes:

Captain Fisby:I used to worry a lot about not being a big success. I've made peace with myself somewhere between my ambitions and my limitations...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Hollywood Mouth 2 (2013)

Soundtrack:

Deep in the Heart of Texas

Fun and gentle view of cultures meeting

This film is an under-appreciated and charming little adventure set in the time immediately after World War II. 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. Fisby, finding his métier. Mainly it is a loving and alluring little fiction about two peoples getting to know and appreciate each other.

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. While it may contain a few minor instances of the attitudes of that day, some of which are no longer politically correct, there is no malice in the characterizations and the overall message is one of appreciation of both cultures. A very enjoyable way to escape the hassle and hustle of today.