The Ugly American (1963)

An intelligent, articulate scholar, Harrison MacWhite, survives a hostile Senate confirmation hearing at the hands of conservatives to become ambassador to Sarkan, a southeast Asian country... See full summary »

Director:

George Englund

Writers:

William J. Lederer (novel), Eugene Burdick (novel),

Stars:

Marlon Brando, Eiji Okada, Sandra Church

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Marlon Brando	...	Ambassador Harrison Carter MacWhite
Eiji Okada	...	Deong
Sandra Church	...	Marion MacWhite
Pat Hingle	...	Homer Atkins
Arthur Hill	...	Grainger
Jocelyn Brando	...	Emma Atkins
Kukrit Pramoj	...	Prime Minister Kwen Sai
Judson Pratt	...	Joe Bing
Reiko Sato	...	Rachani, Deong's Wife
George Shibata	...	Munsang
Judson Laire	...	Senator Brenner
Philip Ober	...	Ambassador Sears
Yee Tak Yip	...	Sawad, Deong's Assistant
Carl Benton Reid	...	Senator at Confirmation Hearing
Simon Scott

Storyline

An intelligent, articulate scholar, Harrison MacWhite, survives a hostile Senate confirmation hearing at the hands of conservatives to become ambassador to Sarkan, a southeast Asian country where civil war threatens a tense peace. Despite his knowledge, once he's there, MacWhite sees only a dichotomy between the U.S. and Communism. He can't accept that anti-American sentiment might be a longing for self-determination and nationalism. So, he breaks from his friend Deong, a local opposition leader, ignores a foreman's advice about slowing the building of a road, and tries to muscle ahead. What price must the country and his friends pay for him to get some sense?

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Plot Keywords:

civil war | communism | self determination | nationalism | senate confirmation hearing | 

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Taglines:

HIS MOST POWERFUL ROLE! [ Marlon Brando ]

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 April 1963 (USA)

Also Known As:

Der häßliche Amerikaner

Filming Locations:

Courthouse Square, Backlot, Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal International Pictures (UI)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Emma Atkins is played by Marlon Brando's sister, Jocelyn Brando.

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Goofs

The steering wheel of the taxi cab is on the wrong side.

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Connections

Referenced in Another Gay Movie (2006)

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Soundtracks

"America the Beautiful"
(uncredited)
Music by Samuel A. Ward and lyrics by Katharine Lee Bates
Heard when the Ambassador arrives and over the closing credits

User Reviews

An intelligently crafted and written movie...but not too exciting on a cinematic level

Marlon Brando gives a fair performance as the new American Ambassador elected to Sarkhan in Southeast Asia, which had been a peaceful, friendly nation fifteen years prior but is now being taken over by radical Communists distrustful of outside development. Adapted from the novel by William J. Lederer and Eugene Burdick, the dramatic, talkative picture (filmed mostly in Thailand) is a thoughtful rabble-rouser about conflicting political views. Brando's one native confidante in Sarkhan (wonderfully portrayed by Eiji Okada) admits to working both sides of the proverbial fence, which allows for a stimulating discussion of personal values in which common sense no longer comes into play. Although beautifully photographed by Clifford Stine, the results are literate and intriguing without being intrinsically exciting (at its core, the nature of the film is a tug-of-war, with the participants often engaged in a shouting match). Moving in fits and starts, one must sit through a great deal of pontificating before arriving at the conclusion, however the film's strongest scenes remain forceful and memorable. ** from ****