Miyoshi Umeki--What's My Line

[arashtony]

"Is it possible that you could be Shirley Yamaguchi?"

"Shirley Yamaguchi, did you say?"

"Yes."

"No, that makes it seven down and three to go. Miss Kilgallen."

LOL

[tomitstube]

@weightfeather1 ~ good point, due to the several metallic pieces dangling like wind chimes it wouldn't matter where the spot lights were, the camera was going to pick up several direct reflections.

[alexis13thirteen]

"Ah, ah, ah. Sukiyaki time!" Boy, is that racist.

[tomitstube]

@alexis13thirteen ~ a little bit, more so with the mispronunciation. in arlene's defense, she could never resist exaggerating any accent for some reason, even american ones. she made up for it later with the gracious compliments on myoshi's work.

[cpepe22]

u rarely see black and white footage of Asian AMericans, so there were definitely Asians in AMerica in the 1950s

[AsianAlaskan]

she looks like the asian Elizabeth Taylor

[deltaray3]

I guess I don't understand what Asianic Continent means since she said that she was not born on the Asianic Continent. Can't find anything online about this point. Maybe it doesn't include Japan? Or wasn't commonly considered to in the 50s? This clip is interesting. Only 4 years after the start of television.

[myexodusxo]

@deltaray3 She wasn't born "on the continent" - Japan is an island. It's separate from the geographical continent.

[tomitstube]

@deltaray3 ~ the distinction of not being a part of the "asiatic continent" was probably made by myoshi and nobody really wanted to challenge her on it. there was no reason to call her out on a cultural nuance that the panel, like you, wasn't really sure about. in short, asians have the same ethnic diversity as anglos, africanas, or latino's, and japan has lingering ethnic conflicts much like america does. i'm guessing her answer derived from that slightly skewed perspective.

[SOLE2SOUL]

Robert Ryan is what they used to call "a hunk of man". Delicious!

[tomitstube]

myoshi abruptly took her hair adornment out, i'm thinking someone signaled to her to do so. it was quite mesmerizing, but hardly that distracting.

[SOLE2SOUL]

@tomitstube Mesmerizing is the perfect word!

[bugmenever]

@tomitstube You see the black strobe effect when her ornament bounces about and the light catches it? That means the film is being overexposed due to these flashes of light. Now it may not be that apparent on film but it was probably playing merry hell with the cameraman's visor.

[tomitstube]

@bugmenever ~ interesting.  thanks.

[19ccj65]

To all those who use "gangsta" vernacular, notice how elegantly the panel speaks. This is how you should speak.

[omgbygollywow]

They didn't know her name? Ha, ha!

[LiberalsAreWeak]

Miyoshi Umeki is beautiful RIP

[BardCoennius]

When I was ten years old, I named my new kitty after this actress.

My Miyoshi went on to live to the ripe old age of 23 (about 125 in human years).

[wlparadise]

I am looking for her son Michael H Opie, born Feb 11, 1964 to Miyoshi and my uncle Frederick Windield "Winn" Opie. After they divorced, Miyoshi married Randall Hood and Michael's name was changed to Michael Randall Hood when his stepfather adopted him.....anyone know or have any info on Michael's whereabouts. Last info I have was Miyoshi's obituary. Thanks. Wendy

[Shoknifeman]

@4aiiii The end of Sayonara (When she and her husband commited Sepuku) made me cry like a baby...wonderful movie

[auntbecky]

@Shoknifeman That's why I can never watch that movie again. Even though I saw it as an adult, it upset me to see "Mrs Liviningston" die like that.

[obbor4]

Despite the fact the amazingly sultry and beautiful Nancy Kwan also appeared in Flower Drum Song, it was little Miyoshi Umeki who stole my heart. She was so cute and sweet in that film. I also adored her as "Mrs. Livingston" on The Courtship of Eddie's Father

[Christheatheist1]

It's the housekeeper from The Courtship of Eddie's Father!

[jigsaw9919]

hey that's robert ryan!

[AzureHvn]

Never heard it put that way "Were you born below Texas?"  lol

[smilodon]

It's interesting that she wrote her name in hiragana instead of in kanji. I wonder why....

[Sail0rIo]

@smilodon, it's Katakana, not Hiragana, although her U did look like hiragana

[jupitermoon10011]

@smilodon Interesting point...I noticed it too. This is very typical for Japanese people...she is outside of Japan, in a western context, therefore she uses Katakana...hard to explain why, but the Japanese do this. In a sense she considers herself "foreign" since she's out of Japan, therefore she writes in Katakana...

[bryanao]

@jupitermoon10011 I Japanese think katakana looks "cool".

[jupitermoon10011]

@bryanao True!

[bryanao]

@smilodon Japanese think katakana looks "cool".

[henrysinaga]

Dorothy Kilgallen's blindfold looks like a bra!

[rentatrip1]

if you notice how desperately silent the studio audience remains thru this- for the time was still recently post war - some strong feelings from the NY crowd - ??? perhaps ???

[Patrick3183]

they gave her a warm greeting however

[BillyL96]

So damn cute that Miyoshi was!

[Tazal]

look how pretty she was here! i still remember from the courtship of eddies father! she always called bill bixby "eddie's father-san" LOL

[MissLizaMay]

She was so sweet and timid - just like a little kitten! I was so glad she won the Oscar for Sayonara, and she had a great role in Flower Drum Song. RIP.

[gmlch]

were you born below texas? good one :)

[Hounsfield]

is that jackie chan?

[CatchyJ]

She made some great records too!

[MahBoi22]

My God she's adorable! Her smile is so cute. You just can't help but love her!

[SueBeaWho]

God, she is so pretty!

[Lonelygstar]

I wish I could have met her.

[rexthebarker]

I love Miyoshi Umecki! She was so sweet in Sayonara. If you've never seen that movie, see it! She'll break your heart.

[Lava1964]

Japan doesn't count as being part of the continent of Asia? My geography teachers would disagree!

[torchkit]

Generally, when referring to the "Asian continent" it doesn't include Japan. Just as Great Britain is not considered part of "continental Europe." Clearly, Great Britain shares the same tectonic plate as Europe, just as Japan does with Asia.

[soulierinvestments]

Paraphrased / culled from Wikipedia

Miyoshi Umeki, (19292007) Naturalized American actress and standards singer. Best known for her roles as Katsumi in film "Sayonara," (1957); as Mei Li in Broadway musical and film "Flower Drum Song;" and as housekeeper Mrs. Livingston in TV series "The Courtship of Eddie's Father." She immigrated to USA from Japan post-1945. The first person (and as of 2008 the only) of East Asian descent to win Best Supporting Actress (1957)

[Ilovelucyclassics]

why she gotta die??

[Lonelygstar]

Cancer

[mapunya]

Didn't know she had a career other than Eddie's Father...