Flower Drum Song Overview:

Flower Drum Song (1961) was a Comedy - Musical Film directed by Henry Koster and produced by Ross Hunter and Joseph Fields.

Flower Drum Song was inducted into the National Film Registry in 2008.

Academy Awards 1961 --- Ceremony Number 34 (source: AMPAS)

AwardRecipientResult
Best Art DirectionArt Direction: Alexander Golitzen, Joseph Wright; Set Decoration: Howard BristolNominated
Best CinematographyRussell MettyNominated
Best Costume DesignIrene SharaffNominated
Best Music - ScoringAlfred Newman, Ken DarbyNominated
.

BlogHub Articles:

Rodgers and Hammerstein's Flower Drum Song

By Rick29 on Jun 1, 2020 From Classic Film & TV Cafe

Miyoshi Umeki as Mei Li. My elementary school chorus teacher introduced me to the Broadway musicals of Rodgers and Hammerstein. To be specific, she favored the catchy songs from The Sound of Music and The King and I. Hence, I always experience some built-in nostalgia whenever I watch those movie ad... Read full article


Musical Monday: Flower Drum Song (1961)

on May 18, 2020 From Comet Over Hollywood

It?s no secret that the Hollywood Comet loves musicals. In 2010, I revealed I had seen 400 movie musicals over the course of eight years. Now that number is over 600. To celebrate and share this musical love, here is my weekly feature about musicals. This week?s musical: Flower Drum Song (1961) ? M... Read full article


Flower Drum Song (1961)

By Beatrice on Apr 19, 2017 From Flickers in Time

Flower Drum Song Directed by Henry Koster Written by Joseph Fields from a musical play by Fields and Oscar Hammerstein III and a novel by C.Y. Lee 1961/USA Universal International Pictures/Fields Productions/Hunter-Fields Repeat viewing/Netflix rental This?stood up well to fond memories from my m... Read full article


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Quotes from

Wang Chi-Yang: [to Madame Liang] For five years you have gone to that Citizenship School and all you have learned is: "This is not China!".


Bank Manager: No, no, no. Everybody, everybody, back, back. The gentleman made a mistake. Mister.
Madame 'Auntie' Liang: My sister's husband.
Wang Chi-Yang: My congratulations! This is indeed an excellent system!


Wang San: [singing] You be the rock.
Linda Low: [singing] I be the roll.
Wang San: [singing] You be the soup.
Linda Low: [singing] I be the bowl.
Wang San: [singing] You be the furnace.
Linda Low: [singing] I'll be the coal.
Wang San, Linda Low: [singing] Rock, rock, rock, roll, roll, roll.


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Facts about

This was the only film version of a Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II musical not released by 20th Century-Fox. (The 70mm Todd-AO version of Oklahoma! had been released by RKO, but the 35mm Cinemascope version was released by 20th Century-Fox.) Flower Drum Song was produced and released by Universal-International.
Average Shot Length = ~11.1 seconds. Median Shot Length = ~11.0 seconds.
The character of Helen (Reiko Sato)is not given a resolution to her storyline in the film. In the original novel she commits suicide, but Rodgers and Hammerstein felt the ending was too depressing for such a strong character.
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Best Costume Design Oscar 1961










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National Film Registry

Flower Drum Song

Released 1961
Inducted 2008
(Sound)




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Also directed by Henry Koster




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Also produced by Ross Hunter




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Also released in 1961




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More "Based on Play" films



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More "Book-Based" films



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