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| re: Mickey Rooney is the most racist version of yellowface... | |
| Last Edit: BroadwayTonyJ 08:48 pm EST 02/16/21 | |
| Posted by: BroadwayTonyJ 08:41 pm EST 02/16/21 | |
| In reply to: Mickey Rooney is the most racist version of yellowface... - Singapore/Fling 01:08 am EST 02/15/21 | |
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| You speak with passion and even eloquence. I enjoy reading your posts. I don't necessarily disagree with the points you are making. There is no question in my mind in the 30's through 80's the people who made movies with Asian themes were not interested in ethnic authenticity. Actors were cast in leading and key roles because they were considered movie stars or box office draws. Regarding charges of racism, I don't believe that term should be thrown around as casually as it is on this board. I'm 72 years old and I don't believe in judging people I don't know personally. Yul Brynner had a 10 year career in regional theatre, TV, and even Broadway before The King and I. Despite the tall tales he told, every reliable source I know states that he was legitimately Asian on his mother's side (Russian, Mongol). Of course, he wasn't Siamese, but if he hadn't been cast as Mongkut on Broadway, the role would have gone to a white actor like Rex Harrison, Alfred Drake, or Noel Coward. Regarding the film, Brynner would have been a fool to turn it down. It made him a movie star. Hollywood was not an equal opportunity employer. If Brynner hadn't accepted the role, the film wouldn't have been made so no Thai actor was deprived of any opportunity to become a star. And what about the other actors of Asian descent who had significant or even small roles in the film? Was Patrick Adiarte wrong to accept the role of Chulalongkorn? Was Yuriko Kikuchi wrong to accept the role of Eliza? Both went on to have successful careers. Yuriko (like Brynner) played the role on both Broadway and in the film. She and her mother both spent years in a relocation camp during the second world war. Do you really think it would have been just to deny her the film role that she had created on stage? What about the other Asian actors cast in small roles? I can count at least 28 actors with Asian last names. Would you deny that many people the opportunity to appear in a quality, high-profile film? I have no idea what happened to them after the film was made, but certainly it was a good thing to have on their resume. Think about it. |
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| re: Mickey Rooney is the most racist version of yellowface... | |
| Last Edit: WaymanWong 04:01 am EST 02/17/21 | |
| Posted by: WaymanWong 03:45 am EST 02/17/21 | |
| In reply to: re: Mickey Rooney is the most racist version of yellowface... - BroadwayTonyJ 08:41 pm EST 02/16/21 | |
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| ''Actors were cast in leading and key roles because they were considered movie stars or box office draws.'' Among the ''key'' Asian roles are Lady Thiang, the Kralahome, Tuptim and Lun Tha, and they were cast with Caucasian actors (Terry Saunders, Martin Benson) and Latino ones (a young Rita Moreno and Carlos Rivas). I doubt they were ''considered movie stars or box office draws'' in 1956. ''If Brynner hadn't accepted the role, the film wouldn't have been made so no Thai actor was deprived of any opportunity to become a star.'' ''The King and I'' was originally created to be a star vehicle for Gertrude Lawrence. But could it also have become a hit if a Southeast Asian or Thai actor had been cast as the King? We'll never know because one was never given the opportunity. Ditto for the movie. And I think the film would've been made with, or without, Brynner. ''The King and I'' was Brynner's first lead film role, and Hollywood already was making big-screen versions of Rodgers & Hammerstein musicals in the '50s: ''Oklahoma!,'' ''Carousel.'' R&H were the primary selling point. ''And what about the other actors of Asian descent who had significant or even small roles in the film?'' And what about the other actors of Asian descent who could've played the larger, more featured roles, like Lady Thiang, Tuptim and Lun Tha? Patrick Adiarte (as Chungalongkorn) and Yuriko (as Eliza) deserved more opportunities, but like Asian actors of their era, were limited to what they could get. Adiarte's best big-screen appearance is re-creating Wang San from ''Flower Drum Song'' for the 1961 movie. It was a showcase for this dancing dynamo, and he never had another one. Adiarte didn't get to do another Broadway musical after that, either. And Yuriko's work in the film of ''The King and I,'' would be her only big-picture performance. ''What about the other Asian actors cast in small roles? I can count at least 28 actors with Asian last names.'' And those ''other Asian actors'' would largely consist of the unnamed flock of royal children and the royal wives. To count them, you'd probably have to go to IMDB.com because they were uncredited in the film, and that includes Yuriko. '' I have no idea what happened to them after the film was made.'' I imagine these Asians mostly returned to their ''normal'' lives because Hollywood didn't have the roles to sustain them as actors. To me, ''yellowface'' is just as racist and offensive as ''blackface,'' and it's appalling that it was allowed to continue so much longer. |
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| re: Mickey Rooney is the most racist version of yellowface... | |
| Posted by: BroadwayTonyJ 09:53 am EST 02/17/21 | |
| In reply to: re: Mickey Rooney is the most racist version of yellowface... - WaymanWong 03:45 am EST 02/17/21 | |
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| Well, the point of my post (which was a response to Singapore/Fling) was to acknowledge the contributions of two rarely talked about actors, Patrick Adiarte and Yuriko Kikuchi, whose performances in The King and I were delightful and added (admittedly not enough) authenticity to the film. As a pre-teen, I enjoyed the film. Although as I got older, I certainly was aware that it was pretty much just a romanticized fairy tale, concocted by a Jewish duo who made popular musicals, but didn't have a clue about the real milieu behind their invention. I seriously doubt that either Adiarte or Kikuchi expected anything more out of the experience than the opportunity to appear in a big budget movie musical, something that both richly deserved and had earned by their talent and hard work. While neither became a major star, Kikuchi has enjoyed a long, productive life, and Adiarte did have a fairly significant career on TV that lasted over a decade. In many ways they were groundbreaking performers who set an example for future performers. Adiarte over the years has seemed like a really gracious guy, who has said a lot of very positive things about his relationship with Yul Brynner and his experience in making the film. I don't think there is any question that if any of the films from the past (with Asian themes) like The Good Earth, Dragon Seed, The Teahouse of the August Moon, The King and I, and possibly others are remade, every single Asian role will be cast with an Asian actor (although some of them may not meet your particular Asian litmus test). |
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| re: Mickey Rooney is the most racist version of yellowface... | |
| Last Edit: WaymanWong 08:13 pm EST 02/17/21 | |
| Posted by: WaymanWong 08:03 pm EST 02/17/21 | |
| In reply to: re: Mickey Rooney is the most racist version of yellowface... - BroadwayTonyJ 09:53 am EST 02/17/21 | |
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| Well, the point of my post was to comment on your response to Singapore/Fling, which read to me like a defense of Brynner's casting in ''The King and I,'' which, of course, you're entitled to champion. But the post also seemed to be a rationalization for ''yellowface'': in essence, ''Hollywood was not an equal opportunity employer,'' so Asian actors should be grateful for the scraps and small parts they were thrown. I guess I'm not so forgiving of a Hollywood system that was ''not interested in ethnic authenticity.'' For decades, Caucasian actors could play Caucasians, PLUS Asians, Latinos, Native Americans, etc. So Hollywood brought us John Wayne as Genghis Khan, Marlon Brando as Emilio Zapata, Jeffrey Hunter as Cochise, etc. Talk about white privilege. On the other hand, good movie roles were rare, especially for Asians, Latinos and Native Americans; sometimes, they didn't get to play roles of their own race, robbing them of their chances to showcase their skills and find fame. Thanks for spotlighting Adiarte and Yukiko. They deserved better. IMDB.com lists Eliza as Yukiko's only real role as an actress, and Adiarte's most notable TV stint looks like it was playing a cabin boy on ''M*A*S*H.'' What a shame Hollywood didn't value actors of color, like them, more. I've little interest in remaking or recasting old ''Asian-themed''films, especially those that did yellowface. I'd rather focus on today's new shows, like ''Soft Power,'' or movies, like ''Crazy Rich Asians,'' ''Parasite'' and ''Minari,'' which showcase stories about Asians, created by and cast with Asians. |
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| re: Mickey Rooney is the most racist version of yellowface... | |
| Last Edit: BroadwayTonyJ 09:43 pm EST 02/18/21 | |
| Posted by: BroadwayTonyJ 09:37 pm EST 02/18/21 | |
| In reply to: re: Mickey Rooney is the most racist version of yellowface... - WaymanWong 08:03 pm EST 02/17/21 | |
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| I was in a cranky mood last night. When I read your post, it made me pretty angry, but I was tired out (shoveling snow a lot) and wisely decided to wait a day before responding. After shoveling more snow this afternoon, I re-read your post and then re-read my post to Singapore/Fling to see if I accidentally misspoke. Your post is entirely reasonable and respectful (although I don't agree with everything you say). However, I think I understand where you are coming from. My post is not a defense of Brynner's casting. I was 8 years old when my parents took me to see The King and I. The film blew me away. I loved the sumptuousness of it all, the beautiful music, and the performances. However, I was just a child and had no understanding of the casting process or any underlying racial issues. I just knew that I loved the film. I wasn't trying to defend the Hollywood system of casting white actors in non-white roles. I said that I didn't like the way the word racism is so casually thrown around on this board, but that I could not judge others unless I knew them personally. The OP had praised Brynner's portrayal, but said that he should have declined the role because the film was racist. I pointed out that actors like Adiarte and Yuriko Kikuchi had worked hard and earned the right to appear in the film. The entertainment business, but especially movie making in the 30's through the 50's, was one of crassest, unfair operations in this nation. It's purpose was to make money. Fairness, social engineering, and equal opportunity were not part of the program. The decision makers were a bunch of white guys or white Jewish guys. Asian actors, but especially southeast Asians, pretty much were not considered for lead roles in "A" pictures. Nevertheless, no one put a gun to any actor's head (regardless of race). Those who went into the business during those years were fools if they didn't know what they were up against. I don't know why IMDb describes Adiarte's role in M*A*S*H as a cabin boy. He actually played a soldier in the South Korean army who had been wounded and ended up being treated by Alda and Rogers. After he recovered, they assisted him from being re-conscripted. He became one of their scavengers (he was called a swampboy, I believe) -- he became highly adept at "lifting" equipment from other units to help out Alda and Rogers' medical operation. It was a small role, but a good opportunity for Adiarte to show his versatile acting skills. Anyway, that's my recollection. I was a big fan of the series (and, yeah, I had a huge boy-crush on Adiarte). |
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| re: Mickey Rooney is the most racist version of yellowface... | |
| Posted by: larry13 09:35 pm EST 02/16/21 | |
| In reply to: re: Mickey Rooney is the most racist version of yellowface... - BroadwayTonyJ 08:41 pm EST 02/16/21 | |
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| Just a note about Yuriko, whom I had the pleasure of seeing dance several major roles(some created on her)in the '60s with the Martha Graham company, for which she worked for decades. She directed the 1977 Brynner revival of KING & I(the one with Constance Towers). Two weeks ago she celebrated her 101st birthday. |
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