Sayonara (1957)

A US air force major in Kobe confronts his own opposition to marriages between American servicemen and Japanese women when he falls for a beautiful performer.

Director:

Joshua Logan

Writers:

Paul Osborn (screen play), James A. Michener (based on the novel by)

Stars:

Marlon Brando, Ricardo Montalban, Patricia Owens

Won 4 Oscars. Another 4 wins & 18 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Marlon Brando	...	Major Lloyd 'Ace' Gruver
Patricia Owens	...	Eileen Webster
James Garner	...	Captain Bailey
Martha Scott	...	Mrs. Webster
Miiko Taka	...	Hana-Ogi
Miyoshi Umeki	...	Katsumi
Red Buttons	...	Airman Joe Kelly
Kent Smith	...	General Mark Webster
Douglass Watson	...	Colonel Crawford (as Douglas Watson)
Reiko Kuba	...	Fumiko-San
Soo Yong	...	Teruko-San
Shochiku Kagekidan Girls Revue	...	Theatrical Revue
Ricardo Montalban	...	Nakamura

Storyline

Major Lloyd Gruver, a Korean War flying ace reassigned to Japan, staunchly supports the military's opposition to marriages between American troops and Japanese women. But that's before Gruver experiences a love that challenges his own deeply set prejudices... and plunges him into conflict with the U.S. Air Force and Japan's own cultural taboos.

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Plot Keywords:

cultural differences | interracial marriage | interracial relationship | bare chested male | hairy chest | 

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Taglines:

Worlds apart...theirs was the daring love affair violating every rule, every custom, every centuries-old belief!

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Japanese

Release Date:

20 December 1957 (Japan)

Also Known As:

Сайонара

Filming Locations:

Kyoto, Japan

Box Office

Gross USA:

$26,300,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Pennebaker Productions,William Goetz Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

147 min

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Also according to Turner Classic Movies, Marlon Brando insisted on playing Ace Gruver with a Southern accent, against the will of the director and producers. Brando adopted a nondescript Southern accent for Gruver, despite the objections of director Joshua Logan, who didn't think that a general's son who was West Point-educated would speak that way.

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Goofs

When Eileen and Major Gruver visit Nakamura backstage, Gruver says he thought the kabuki performance could have used Marilyn Monroe, and Nakamura allows that he too is a fan of Miss Monroe. In 1957, when the movie was filmed, this conversation would have made sense. But it takes place in 1951, at a time when Marilyn Monroe was still a small-part player, little known to the public. It is highly unlikely that even Gruver would have known who she was, and impossible that Nakamura would have, that early in her career.

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Quotes

Joe Kelly: [Major Gruver is entering Joe Kelly's Japanese home for the first time] Hey, off with the shoes. You don't wear shoes in a Japanese house.
Major Gruver: Okay, comin' off... What about the pants?

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Connections

Referenced in What's My Line?: Two Mystery Guests: author Lee Thayer; actress Miyoshi Umeki (1958)

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Soundtracks

Hanayome Ningyo
(1913) (uncredited)
Words and Music by Haseo Sugiyama and Koji Fukiya

User Reviews

One of Brando's best

I really enjoyed this movie about the relationships that sometimes developed between American servicemen and Japanese women in post-war Japan--as well as the obstacles that prejudices created for them. Brando goes from having contempt for the Japanese (which is natural considering WW2) to falling in love with a Japanese woman and wanting to marry her. His performance is okay (I am not a major fan of his acting style) and the movie is marvelous throughout. Red Buttons received an Oscar for his touching performance of another GI who falls in love in Japan (though the Japanese women who plays opposite him also did a remarkable job).

I don't want to spoil it but the movie is a good one to watch with a box of tissues.

This movie manages to say SOMETHING and be entertaining at the same time. A mostly underrated gem.