''Japanese War Bride'' (also known as ''East is East'') is a 1952

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-g ...

directed by

King Vidor King Wallis Vidor (; February 8, 1894 – November 1, 1982) was an American film director, film producer, and screenwriter whose 67-year film-making career successfully spanned the silent and sound eras. His works are distinguished by a vivid, ...

. The film featured the American debut of

Shirley Yamaguchi was a Japanese singer, actress, journalist, and politician. Born in China, she made an international career in film in China, Hong Kong, Japan and the United States. Early in her career, the Manchukuo Film Association concealed her Japanese ori ...

in the title role. In February 2020, the film was shown at the

70th Berlin International Film Festival The 70th annual Berlin International Film Festival took place from 20 February to 1 March 2020. It was the first under the leadership of new Berlin Film Festival heads, business administration director Mariette Rissenbeek and artistic director C ...

, as part of a retrospective dedicated to King Vidor's career.

Synopsis

A wounded

Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...

veteran, Jim Sterling ( Don Taylor), returns to his California home with his Japanese wife. The couple had met and fallen in love in a Japanese hospital where Tae Shimizu (

) was working as a nurse. Back in America, the couple face racism and bigotry from their neighbors and family, particularly their sister-in-law, Fran (

Marie Windsor Marie Windsor (born Emily Marie Bertelsen; December 11, 1919 – December 10, 2000) was an American actress known for her femme fatale characters in the classic film noir features ''Force of Evil'', ''The Narrow Margin'' and '' The Killing''. Wi ...

Impact and legacy

The widespread publicity surrounding the film's launch made Japanese wives increasingly visible in the United States. Along with '' The Teahouse of the August Moon'' and the more successful film ''

Sayonara ''Sayonara'' is a 1957 American Technicolor drama film starring Marlon Brando in Technirama. It tells the story of an American Air Force fighter pilot during the Korean War who falls in love with a famous Japanese dancer. The picture won four Ac ...

'', ''Japanese War Bride'' was argued by some scholars to have increased racial tolerance in the United States by openly discussing

interracial marriage Interracial marriage is a marriage involving spouses who belong to different races or racialized ethnicities. In the past, such marriages were outlawed in the United States, Nazi Germany and apartheid-era South Africa as miscegenation. In 19 ...

Principal cast

– Tae Shimizu, a nurse, wife to Jim Sterling * Don Taylor – Captain Jim Sterling, GI in the Korean War * Cameron Mitchell – Art Sterling, Jim's older brother *

– Fran Sterling, Art's wife * James Bell – Ed Sterling, Jim's father *

Louise Lorimer Louise Lorimer (born Louise Knapp Pinkham, July 14, 1898 – August 12, 1995) was an American actress who played character roles on Broadway, in films, and on television in a career lasting over six decades. Life and career Born Louise Knapp Pi ...

– Harriet Sterling, Jim's mother *

Philip Ahn Philip Ahn (born Pillip Ahn (), March 29, 1905 – February 28, 1978) was an American actor and activist of Korean descent. With over 180 film and television credits between 1935 and 1978, he was one of the most recognizable and prolific Asi ...

– Eitaro Shimizu, Tae's grandfather *

Lane Nakano Lane Nakano (March 16, 1925 – April 28, 2005) was a former American combat soldier turned actor. Early life Nakano grew up in the Boyle Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. Nakano has two brothers, Frank and Lyle and two sisters, ...

– Shiro Hasagawa, the Sterlings' Japanese-American neighbor *May Takasugi – Emma Hasagawa, Shiro's wife *Sybil Merritt – Emily Shafer, a local girl *

Orley Lindgren Orley, Örley or van Orley are given names and family names. ; People with given name Orley * Orley May (1897-1968), an American detective * Orley Ashenfelter (born 1942), an American economist *Orley Limpangog (born 1991), A Filipino Artist ; P ...

– Ted Sterling, Jim's younger brother *

George Wallace George Corley Wallace Jr. (August 25, 1919 – September 13, 1998) was an American politician who served as the 45th governor of Alabama for four terms. A member of the Democratic Party, he is best remembered for his staunch segregationist and ...

– Woody Blacker, a friend of Jim Sterling *

Kathleen Mulqueen Kathleen may refer to: People * Kathleen (given name) * Kathleen (singer), Canadian pop singer Places * Kathleen, Alberta, Canada * Kathleen, Georgia, United States * Kathleen, Florida, United States * Kathleen High School (Lakeland, Flor ...

– Mrs. Milly Shafer, a friend of Harriet Sterling

References

Sources

* "Story of a ''Japanese War Bride''", ''The New York Times'', January 30, 1952.

External links

* *
''Japanese War Bride'' at Turner Classic Movies
1952 films 1952 drama films 20th Century Fox films American black-and-white films American drama films 1950s English-language films Films about interracial romance Films about racism Films about veterans Films directed by King Vidor Films scored by Emil Newman Films set in California Films set in the 1950s Korean War films Films scored by Arthur Lange Japan in non-Japanese culture 1950s American films {{Korea-War-drama-film-stub