Films set in Japan were all the rage in the late 1950s but this was one at the tale end of the cycle - I think it flopped. Glenn Ford is once again an American serviceman abroad, this time working for the navy. He and some other sailors including Glenn Ford get billetted at a geisha house.
The girls, Miko Taka and Miyoshi Umeki, were both in Sayonara. James Shigeta and Chet Douglas are other sailors.
There's a really unfunny extended bit in the middle where everyone watches a film with Japanese actors in a Western. Actually a lot of this is unfunny. It reaches for charm and doesn't get there. O'Connor's role is relatively small... I felt this would be better as a straight out buddy comedy.
Apparently Bobby Darin was up for a role in this but couldn't make it work schedule wise. O'Connor's part? Douglas's?
This is one of those films where the elements are there - the concept, stars, director all seem appropriate - but it just doesn't work. Maybe it's the lack of a core romance for Ford. Maybe it was too early to have really racy fun with the subject matter. Or they were too worried about offending people. Or something. It doesn't work.
Location filming is pleasant. And it was good to see actual Japanese actors given decent parts.
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