A PEEK AT FLOWER DRUM SONG (1 Viewer)

[haineshisway]

Well I had read that Hwang was both obsessed with the film because it treated Asians with respect (why wouldn’t it?) but also because of the embarrassing white man STEREOTYPICAL PORTRAYALS of Asians and which is why he rewrote the entire thing- otherwise why rewrite it? So exactly why did he rewrite and not stage as it was originally written then if there’s nothing wrong with it?
And no I was not saying he dropped Chop Suey.
And if you had any sense of history you would know the generation of Chinese following WWII would be specifically incensed for having any Japanese play a Chinese and probably vice versa see Memoirs of a Gheisha and it’s controversy. Salonga is Philipino

And yet, Mr. Hwang wasn't incensed that Miss Umeki played her character - funny that. And you can't have it all ways from Tuesday. If you're incensed about her casting then it follows you must be incensed about Ms. Salonga, Mr. Chakiris, Ms. Wood, Mr. Brynner... Mr. Hwang was asked to rewrite it, and he took a different road, which was what he felt like doing. The original took its road - to be a - now, wait for it - popular musical comedy of its era. And it was. And it ran FAR longer than Mr. Hwang's more serious version, although there were many criticisms that HE was making it stereotypical, too, just in a different way. But clearly you have your sense of what's what and I, and others, have ours and are able to understand the context of when the show was written and when it takes place and the novel it's based upon. As Mr. Hammerstein said so very well in another show: We've gone about as fer as we can go.

 

[JohnMor]

Bruce, I noticed that the soundtrack cd released on Verve about 20 years ago is out of print now and fetching between $25 and $100 on Amazon. Any chance Kritzerland would be interested and/or able to re-issue it?

The OBC and the redux both remain in print but it’s a shame the soundtrack isn’t.

 

[Matt Hough]

And the soundtrack LP was one of my most frequently played musicals as a pre-teen.

 

[rsmithjr]

And the soundtrack LP was one of my most frequently played musicals as a pre-teen.

The Broadway cast recording was one of my first stereo records. I still play it and love the scratch I put into it.

I recorded the film soundtrack from the 4-track magnetic mixed into 2 channels when it played the theatre I worked at.

 

[haineshisway]

Bruce, I noticed that the soundtrack cd released on Verve about 20 years ago is out of print now and fetching between $25 and $100 on Amazon. Any chance Kritzerland would be interested and/or able to re-issue it?

The OBC and the redux both remain in print but it’s a shame the soundtrack isn’t.

I wish! Universal has been impossible for us - but I'm hoping that might change. I'd love to put it out.

 

[ahollis]

I wish! Universal has been impossible for us - but I'm hoping that might change. I'd love to put it out.

I do hope it changes. You do such an excellent job with past releases and the extras on your CD releases are wonderful.

 

[edelweissflower]

Don't get too excited. Someone pointed me to Vudu where you can watch Flower Drum Song in what I believe is a brand new high definition transfer. Interestingly, the Universal logo is gone and replaced with a Samuel Goldwyn logo - perhaps they have streaming rights? I'd just watched a bit of the Universal DVD a few weeks ago - well, this is quite the step up from that, let me tell you. Incredible clarity, gorgeous color, and the sound blew me away. I didn't watch it all, but I did see about an hour and skipped around after that. Check it out - you can watch it for free (with ads) or purchase for 6.99. Can someone tell me how the purchase thing works? Do you download it? Anyway, what a pleasant surprise and I'd love to hear other thoughts.

https://www.vudu.com/content/movies/details/Flower-Drum-Song/5882

Great to hear perhaps this is how they are going to release the Blu ray edition the CinemaScope version of Oklahoma! on Blu ray starts with the Samuel Goldwyn logo!

 

[edelweissflower]

100 000 000 miracles. This movie and the Pat Boone “State Fair” are the only R&H movies not available on Blu ray. I wish the companies involved would put them out instead of celebrating the 30th and 1/2 Birthday of “The Sound Of Mucilage” with another configuration — including a free nuns habit!

Me too!

 

[edelweissflower]

It is, perhaps, and I know this is heresy, my favorite R&H score. I was not aware they were still licensing the original version. That actually makes me want to do the show

Mine too along with 'Allegro'; 'State Fair'; 'Cinderella'; 'Pipe Dream' &'Me and Juliet'. Flower Drum Song was R&H's greatest musical comedy so I am guilty of heresy as well!!

 

[edelweissflower]

I still need to see this one, though I like what I’ve heard in the clips I’ve seen of it, so hoping a Blu-ray can come out soon so I can fix that. As for my favorite R&H score, I’m going to have to go Cinderella (which I’m sure will be considered just as heretical), though Carousel is a close second.

Yes I would like to see a remastered colorized version of the Julie Andrews 'Cinderella' one of their greatest scores

 

[edelweissflower]

DC's Signature Theatre staged a wonderful revision of ALLEGRO in 2004. I am surprised it never caught on. I remember hoping it never ended and wanted "ALLEGRO THE SEQUEL" just to hear the leads sing more.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/arch...-tuneup/4a16d2a1-a572-4855-b67d-bb7d2bb84bb4/

I saw a concert performance of 'Allegro' at the Barbican in London in 1993 fabulous!

 

[edelweissflower]

Hard to watch I would say is pretty much the same thing as cringeworthy. However just using your words I would say her performances are anything but hard to watch. She brings a hard desperate and sometimes licentious nasty edge to Bloody Mary. And in FDS she gives a very warm humorous musical comedy performance. Dick and Oscar knew what they were doing.

They did indeed the ones they liked they used more than once Juanita Hall, Julie Andrews, Mary Martin, Shirley Jones ,Gordon MacRae etc

 

[edelweissflower]

And besides, Beyonce at age 37 is now too old to play Maria; who was 22 years old when she married the 47 year old Captain.

Although Mary Martin was 46 years old when she created the role of Maria on stage in 1959.

 

[John Skoda]

I wish! Universal has been impossible for us - but I'm hoping that might change. I'd love to put it out.

Actually, the FLOWER DRUM SONG movie soundtrack album may not belong to Universal anymore. It was a Rodgers and Hammerstein Records, Inc., production that was leased to Decca initially. Maybe the Decca lease isn't up yet, I don't know, but I do know it's like the 1959 THE SOUND OF MUSIC OC album. The lease to Columbia is up, and the R&H group is putting it out itself through their Concord/Craft Recordings.

https://craftrecordings.com/thesoundofmusic-60thanniversary/

--JVS

 

[Rick Thompson]

Yes I would like to see a remastered colorized version of the Julie Andrews 'Cinderella' one of their greatest scores

No, you wouldn't. Only a kinescope exists of it, and those are low quality results of placing a camera in front of a broadcast. There's a reason why they've only done colorizing on filmed productions, and that is because the resolution of film is lightyears better so there's much more information to work with. It's why you've seen colorized TV shows of Dick Van Dyke, I Love Lucy and The Honeymooners -- all shot on film -- and not much else from television.

 

[Rick Thompson]

100 000 000 miracles. This movie and the Pat Boone “State Fair” are the only R&H movies not available on Blu ray. I wish the companies involved would put them out instead of celebrating the 30th and 1/2 Birthday of “The Sound Of Mucilage” with another configuration — including a free nuns habit!

Actually, the Pat Boone State Fair was issued on Blu ray by Twilight Time (I have it). Apparently, it's still available.
https://www.twilighttimemovies.com/state-fair-blu-ray/

 

[edelweissflower]

No, you wouldn't. Only a kinescope exists of it, and those are low quality results of placing a camera in front of a broadcast. There's a reason why they've only done colorizing on filmed productions, and that is because the resolution of film is lightyears better so there's much more information to work with. It's why you've seen colorized TV shows of Dick Van Dyke, I Love Lucy and The Honeymooners -- all shot on film -- and not much else from television.

yes thats true but wasn't sure if they could somehow colorize it they have color photos of the actual color broadcast to match the colors, did you know there is a least another kinescope of the show which was made as dress rehearsal? would love to have that on video too

 

[Matt Hough]

yes thats true but wasn't sure if they could somehow colorize it they have color photos of the actual color broadcast to match the colors, did you know there is a least another kinescope of the show which was made as dress rehearsal? would love to have that on video too

I'm sure Jon Cypher would love to have it since he likely didn't mess up in it the way he did in the broadcast version.

 

[edelweissflower]

I'm sure Jon Cypher would love to have it since he likely didn't mess up in it the way he did in the broadcast version.

I'm sure he would yes!

 

[Jake Lipson]

I'm bumping this old thread because TCM is airing Flower Drum Song in HD tonight.

It seems like this really ought to have had a Blu-ray release by now. If Universal doesn't want to put it out, maybe they could license it to Kino or Criterion? I would also have thought this a good one for Twilight Time, but we all know what's happening to them.