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 Gruver
Patricia Owens	...	Eileen Webster
James Garner	...	Captain Mike Bailey
Martha Scott	...	Mrs. Webster
Miiko Taka	...	Hana-Ogi
Miyoshi Umeki	...	Katsumi
Red Buttons	...	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 | female impersonator | 

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Taglines:

"I am not allowed to love. But I will love you if that is your desire..." Marlon Brando and an exquisite new Japanese star. They LIVE James A. Michener's story of defiant desire. It is called "Sayonara"

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

Debut of actress Miiko Taka.

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Goofs

At about 27:30 into the movie, Gruver passionately kisses Eileen, who is wearing a heavy coating of bright red lipstick. Though they kiss lips to lips, when Gruver's face is shown just a second after the kiss, not one bit of lipstick is on his lips.

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Quotes

Major Gruver: Are you gonna sit there with your bare face hangin' out and tell me you never heard of Tanabata?

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Connections

Referenced in Rhoda: The Weekend (1977)

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Soundtracks

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

User Reviews

Touching Marlon Brando movie

This movie is very interesting in which it concerns the relationships between Japanese and American servicemen after the Second World War in Japan. Especially Marlon Brando's character goes from reservations (especially considering the period the movie is set) to falling in love with a Japanese woman and hopes to marry her. Brando shines in this movie, and I put it among his best movies. The standout of the cast is Red Buttons, who at the time was still unkown as an actor, but in his debut revealed that he was destined for greatness. His performance of Joe Kelly, an American airman, is incredibly believable and touching, and Buttons won the Academy Award for best Supporting Actor for this film, and he truly deserved it.

An interesting movie for the subject and the actors' performances, well directed and also very entertaining. And I think it's deeply underrated today.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Japanese

Release Date:

20 December 1957 (Japan)

Also Known As:

Sayonara

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