Before the buzz of “Crazy Rich Asians,” there was another Hollywood film that dared to showcase a nearly all-Asian cast: “Flower Drum Song.” Released in 1961, this movie musical, adapted from the Broadway hit by Rodgers and Hammerstein, holds a significant place in cinematic history as one of the first major Hollywood studio films to center around Asian American stories and feature Asian American actors in leading roles. Based on the novel by C.Y. Lee, “Flower Drum Song” offered a glimpse into San Francisco’s Chinatown, exploring themes of love, family expectations, and cultural clashes with a backdrop of vibrant musical numbers.
While audiences today celebrate the recent strides in Asian representation in media, looking back at the “Flower Drum Song” cast reveals a pioneering effort that, despite its complexities, paved the way for future generations of Asian actors in Hollywood. The film brought together a talented ensemble of performers who not only captivated audiences with their performances but also navigated the challenges and opportunities presented by this landmark production.
Set in the heart of San Francisco’s Chinatown, “Flower Drum Song” tells the story of Mei Li, a young woman newly arrived from China for an arranged marriage. Her intended groom, however, is already involved with Linda Low, a charismatic showgirl at a local nightclub. This sets the stage for a romantic comedy filled with tangled relationships, parental expectations, and the pursuit of love amidst cultural differences, all expressed through the memorable songs of Rodgers and Hammerstein. The film, as highlighted in its original trailer, perfectly captured the “ancient traditions clash head on with modern romance” theme.
Despite mixed reviews from critics who didn’t consider it Rodgers and Hammerstein’s finest work, “Flower Drum Song” resonated deeply with audiences and became a pop culture phenomenon. Heidi Kim, an associate professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, notes its enduring impact, stating it was “still unbelievably popular and powerful.” The film’s success propelled its cast – Miyoshi Umeki, Nancy Kwan, Jack Soo, and James Shigeta – into the spotlight, launching them into successful and noteworthy careers in the entertainment industry.
Flower Drum Song Broadway Musical
According to Kim, “It was probably the portrayal of Chinese Americans that more Americans saw than anything else” during that era. For many Americans, “Flower Drum Song” offered a rare, if not singular, glimpse into the lives of Chinese Americans, shaping perceptions and sparking conversations about representation.
David Henry Hwang, the playwright who revisited the musical for a 2002 Broadway revival, remembers his complex relationship with the film as a child. He confessed to avoiding media with Asian characters, anticipating negative portrayals. However, “Flower Drum Song” was different. “It was a virtually all-Asian cast and it had an actual romance between an Asian man and an Asian woman, which we still don’t see much of today,” Hwang pointed out. He also emphasized the significance of “an Asian male romantic lead, which we still don’t see much of today,” highlighting the film’s progressive elements.
Yet, as Peter X Feng, an associate professor at the University of Delaware, explains, over time, some Asian Americans developed more critical perspectives on the film’s portrayal of Chinese Americans. Feng argues that the musical presented “a very simplistic version of assimilation,” contrasting the immigrant generation as entirely Chinese with the American-born generation as completely detached from their heritage and overly eager to assimilate. He noted that while the original novel offered more nuance, the film leaned into prevalent assimilation narratives of the time.
Nancy Wang Yuen, author of “Reel Inequality: Hollywood Actors and Racism,” draws parallels between “Flower Drum Song” and “The Jazz Singer,” seeing both as stories of immigrant identity and the negotiation between old traditions and new American identities. She states, “And the movie ’Flower Drum Song‘ was an exploration of what it means to be American again,” placing it within a broader context of American immigrant narratives.
Hwang’s deeper analysis of “Flower Drum Song” in college led him to recognize stereotypical elements, particularly in its depiction of Chinatown from an outsider’s perspective. He critiques the song “Grant Avenue” for embodying a “tourist point of view of Chinatown,” reinforcing exoticized and superficial understandings of the community.
Despite these criticisms, the film held a special place for many Asian Americans. Kim suggests it was considered a “guilty pleasure,” acknowledging stereotypes but celebrating the unprecedented visibility of an all-Asian American cast. The sheer joy of seeing Asian Americans singing, dancing, and speaking fluent English on screen was a powerful and affirming experience.
In his revival, Hwang directly addressed these issues, transforming the musical into a critique of race relations. He reimagined the song “Chop Suey,” for instance, as satire, mocking the stereotypical expectations of white tourists in Chinatown, rather than a celebration of assimilation.
Despite its lightheartedness and simplified portrayal, the original “Flower Drum Song” film touched upon serious themes, including the immigrant experience and even undocumented immigration, a plot point noted by Kim as a significant addition by Rodgers and Hammerstein. This inclusion, Kim argues, is “really fascinating” considering the creators’ awareness of the film’s potential impact as a major representation of Asian Americans.
Ultimately, the “Flower Drum Song” cast and film remain important for their groundbreaking nature. As Kim concludes, “For a long time I think people would think about it as a guilty pleasure for Asian Americans, that even though it had a lot of stereotypes, there was just this joy to seeing a film with a nearly all Asian-American cast.” This sentiment is echoed by Hwang, who acknowledges Rodgers and Hammerstein’s daring and progressive step in creating a musical that depicted Chinese Americans as “fully American” and in seeking an all-Asian cast. He emphasizes its uniqueness as the only Broadway musical about Asian Americans for a long time, until “Allegiance” in 2015.
Nancy Kwan, who played Linda Low, fondly remembers the film as “groundbreaking” for Asian Americans, noting it “opened a lot of doors for the actors, people in the business.” Even without realizing its lasting legacy at the time, Kwan appreciated the significance of an all-Asian cast then and now. With the success of films like “Crazy Rich Asians,” she remains hopeful for continued progress and more opportunities for Asian representation in Hollywood, building upon the foundation laid by the “Flower Drum Song” cast decades ago.
