IMPORTANT & NOTEWORTHY FILMS FEATURING ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICANS
Between 1950 and 1959 (Part #1)
Click HERE for Part #2
THREE CAME RUNNING
(1950) Studio: Madacy Entertainment
Director: Jean Negulesco
Producer: Nunnally Johnson
Cast: Sessue Hayakawa, Claudette Colbert, Patric Knowles, Florence Desmond,
Sylvia Andrew, Mark Keuning, Jim Hagimori, Frank Kobata, Ken Kurosa, Sung Li,
David Matshushama, Giro Murashami, Al Saijo, Pat Whyte, Mazaji 'Butch' Yamamoto,
James Yanari
Hayakawa and Colbert gives great performances that make this a must see! Film provides ample evidence that his long-standing fame and status as an actor was well-deserved from his earlier films such as "
The Cheat" and others.
PLOT: British and American families living on Borneo during WW2 are sent to prison camps by Japanese, but cultured officer Hayakawa takes an interest in authoress Colbert. Producer Nunnally Johnson adapted Agnes Newton Keith's autobiographical book.
(1951) Directed by Robert Pirosh
Cast: Van Johnson, Lane Nakano, George Miki, Akira Fukunaga, Ken K. Okamoto, Henry Oyasato, Harry Hamada, Henry Nakamura, Warner Anderson, Don Haggerty, Gianna Maria Canale, Dan Riss, Hugh Beaumont, Mark W. Clark, Tsutomu Paul Nakamura, Frank Okada, Walter Reed, Harry S. Truman, Frank Wilcox, the Heroes of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team
Interesting because it actually shows somebody who expressed their actual views of the Japanese! While unexceptional by today's standards, this Hollywood combat movie features real Japanese American war heroes playing themselves--albeit in supporting roles--as they re-create their tour of duty in World War II Italy. The Nikkei stay firmly in the
background, and only a fleeting mention is made of the internment. But the film is a
dignified and refreshing change from the "yellow peril" stereotypes so widespread at the
time. Next time, Hollywood, let the 442nd soldiers tell their own stories--and show us the camps! Special Note: On June 21, 2000, President Clinton is finally honoring the great war heroes of Asian Pacific Americans - of which, the majority are from the 442/100!
