boyshyshy Well, this is not a too bad movie, but I don't think it is a really good as so many people here have praised. First of all, the casting is really horrible. This is a story with Chinese back ground. Why they have to take a Japanese woman in the age of 32 to play as a Chinese young girl. If they have an eye on Nancy Kwan, they should also know that there are thousands of Chinese oriented young talented actresses, who can play that role of Mei Li. Obviously the producer and the director have known nothing about Chinese culture. Such kind of family arranged marriage in that period is usually for young girl who is between the age of 18-25. Also the character of Wang Tai is a young man who has just almost finished his study. Here we can see the result,Mei Li (Miyoshi Umeki) simply looks like an young aunt of Wang Tai (James Shigeta). Whatever, it is simply awful to see a Japanese actress playing a role of Chinese. That is not the worst cast. For what reason that they need to take Jack Soo (was 44 years old at that time) as a matching role for our cute sexy Nancy Kwan (was only 22 years old at that time)? I don't doubt about the acting talent of Mr. Soo, but we are talking a musical film. I don't think he suits this role, not convincing at all. For all Western musical films they always take handsome men and beautiful women to take the roles. I find that it is really ridiculous to cast Mr. Soo for this role.About the dress, the ugly so called Chinese dress/outfit including the shoes of the role Mei Li is really horrible. Even jumping back to the Ching Dinasty no one would have dressed in that way. For the dress/outfit of this role, sorry I really don't buy it! The male dancer wearing a stupid ugly mask form traditional Chinese Opera in one dance scene is awful too. Here we can really see how the West looks to the Chinese and Chinese traditons in a stupid way. That is not the most horrible thing. The flaw "flower drum song" which has been sung in this film is the most horrible nightmare. Can these Rodgers & Hammerstein first spend some time to study or reaserach a bit to make some real Chinese flower drum song music instead of writing that horrible song in this musical film? If you have once heard real flower drum song music, you will surely agree with me, really!The story itself in the movie is terrible too. How come such a lovely young lady will run from one man to another man and back again (--- Sammy Fong --- Wang Tai --- Sammy Fong --- Wang Tai) without any hesitation or second thought about real love? I have not read the book, I don't know the real story. However the film simply is rather weak in this point. You can't call it romantic at all. I have seen similar topic type of Hong Kong filmsn from the '60s. For the plot and story line developing which they have done are much better than this one. This one is supposed to be a romantic musical comedy, I don't see any part of the story being romantic or comic. They have such a budget, and the film is a long one that is long enough to be well crafted to a real combination of musical and romantic comedy.The only thing I appreciate is the attitude and the acting of all the actors and actresses. I also enjoy all the dancing scene too (except the ugly mask). They all have contributed their best to their part. The color and the beautiful cinema-scope widescreen are really nice too. Nowadays even big Hollywood productions do not use such sharp beautiful color anymore. Films of today are like shooting in a basement. So I give it 6 stars for respecting the actors/actress and the dancers.To make it short, this film could be made better. However I am afraid this is exactly the way how the West wants to make Eastern oriental background films. Have you ever once seen a real good Hollywood production on such Eastern oriental background films? No, right? Exactly, you know what I mean!

crossbow0106 You don't even need a review for this film, just watch and enjoy. Based on the Broadawy musical, this film stars what was then a cavalcade of great Asian American actors: The beautiful and talented Nancy Kwan (also star of "The World Of Susie Wong"), James Shigeta, the sweet and so pretty Miyoshi Umeki (she just left us. Rest in peace, Ms. Umeki) and Jack Soo (who can forget his great comic turn as Nick on "Barney Miller". He was integral to the show until he unfortunately passed fairly young). The story is simple, about a picture bride (Ms. Umeki), who enters the United States to marry Sammy Fong (Mr. Soo). He'd rather be with Nancy Kwan, so he arranges for Mr. Shigeta to meet her. Throughout, they all sing, and they sound wonderful. You want everyone to be happy in this film. To hear Ms. Umeki sing "One Hundred Million Miracles" is just sublime. This film was a high water mark for Asian American actors, and you get the feeling that the United States film industry really missed the mark in not furthering the careers of any of these great actors. I feel bad for that, but at least we have this great, fun, sweet and lavish musical. Its an absolute joy to watch.

silverscreen888 The authenticity of "Flower Drum Song" stems, I assert, from C.Y. Lee's clever blending of Eastern and 1960s San Francisco U.S. cultural elements. In the attempt to transfer the ethereal charm of Rodgers' and Hammerstein's' musical play made from the Lee's book to the screen, the difficult obviously lay in not losing the intimacy, the almost magical details, the subtlety and humor of the musical; but at the same time it was necessary for the filmmakers, Director Henry Koster and screenwriter Joseph Fields, to "open out" what on stage had been suggested. Fields and Ross Hunter produced; and Edward Muhl of Universal made a largely successful attempt here to create an MGM style musical at his smaller studio. So many moments, numbers, physical gestures, actions, dialogs and dance numbers work very well in the film that it is hard to quarrel with the adapters' approach; the occasional sluggishness in the film, which is undoubtedly present, I suggest is due to the very real nature of what people and doing in their relationships; realism takes longer, but ultimately here, as usual, it produces a very memorable set of characters and a beautiful experience. The cast is headed by talented Jack Soo, portraying what someone has called a "Nathan Detroit" like figure; his brilliant characterization is matched by James Shigeta's as a nice but callow young student 'prince' of San Francisco's Chinatown and Miyoshi Umecki's as elfin Mei Li, the brave 'picture bride" who sneaks into the country with her father, Kam Tong, in order not to have to wait five more years to be allowed in on a quota so she can get married. Nancy Kwan as the girl whom Soo loves and who pursues Shigeta is brassy, dynamic but not quite right in her pivotal role. Others in the very well-trained cast of underemployed Oriental professionals include powerful Benson Fong, playing above his age as Shigeta's very Chinese father, charming Juanita Hall as his wisecracking sister-in-law, dancer Reiko Sato as the tragic Helen, lithe dancer Patrick Adiarte as Fong's Americanized number two son, plus Victor Sen- Yung, Madame Soo Yong, James Hong and many others. The film is also notable for Irene Sharaff's costumes, bright cinematography by Russell Mettey, inspired art direction by Alexander Golitzen and Joseph C. Wright plus unusually elaborate and difficult set decorations by Howard Bristol. Dong Kingman provided the atmospheric paintings used in the credits, and Hermes Pan was responsible for the choreographing of a series of small, medium and large-scale dance numbers including the unforgettable "Love Look Away" dream ballet, which comes after a wonderful rendition of this lovely song by Marilyn Horne. This is a woman's musical, with its emphasis on relationships, monitorings of behaviors, and the many females in the cast who are presented more powerfully than are the males. But it is surprisingly even in its pacing, and only diffuses its power a little to accommodate the many characters within its cast plus a Chinatown parade, a graduation party, a large wedding and several numbers at the Celestial Gardens Nightclub. Memorable songs include, "Sunday,", "Don't Marry Me", "Chop Suey", "The Other Generation", "A Hundred Million Miracles" , "You Are Beautiful, ""Fan Tan Fanny", I Enjoy Being a Girl", "Hliding Through My Memory" and "I Am Going to Like It Here". This I assert is an affecting and unhurried film, but one whose intimate moments work brilliantly, and whose more opulent numbers only slow the pace a little here and there.

capricorn9 Finally the last of the R & H filmed musicals comes to DVD and available to all. What a lovely romantic story this one is, and as they say on the commentary, it is the only 'musical comedy' the pair wrote. The others are considered 'musical plays' and they're right. Right from the start this one oozes with jokes and aside looks that go right to the heart. My favourite is after the father gets robbed he is asked to describe his assailant and his reply? "How do I know - all white men look alike!" The cast is top rate, though not all Chinese, but they fill their parts beautifully, especially Miyoshi Umeki. She just has to look up at the camera and you melt. It is colourful and bright and even more so now in the widescreen DVD. My only complaint is that it is a little too long and just when the story is coming to a close you get this silly but interesting ballet for the "Sunday" song. But that can be overlooked when you take a total look at it and thank Universal for FINALLY putting this one out there for us fans.