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

Linda Low: [singing] Grant Avenue, San Francisco, California, U.S.A. / Looks down from Chinatown over a foggy bay./ You travel there in a trolley, in a trolley there up you climb. / Dong! Dong! You're in Hong Kong, having yourself a time. / You can eat, if you are in the mood.
Chorus: [singing] Shark-fin soup, bean cake fish.
Linda Low: [singing] The girl who serves you all your food is another tasty dish.
Chorus: [singing] You know you.
Linda Low: [singing] You can't have a new way of living till you're living all the way on / Grand Avenue.
Chorus: Where's that?
Linda Low: [singing] San Francisco. That's where's that! California USA.


Mei Li: [to Wang Chi-Yang] This is beautiful and very outspoken.


[last lines]
Mei Li: [singing] A hundred million miracles.
Linda Low: [singing] A hundred million miracles.
All Cast: [singing] A hundred million miracles. a hundred million miracles are happening everyday.


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Facts about

The original Broadway cast album of "Flower Drum Song", issued in early 1959, was the first Broadway cast album of a Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II show to be issued in stereo. (The stereo versions of the film soundtracks of "Oklahoma!", "Carousel", "The King and I", and "South Pacific", were all issued in 1958.)
Miyoshi Umeki, while appearing to be very demure, was known for her sense of humor. When asked what the Japanese word for money was she replied "loot."
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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