Take a closer look at some of Hollywood's top-tier talent at the beginning of their careers.

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Take a closer look at some of Hollywood&#39;s top-tier talent at the beginning of their careers.

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Miyoshi Umeki was born as the youngest of 9 children. The daughter of a prominent Japanese iron factory owner, she developed an early passion for music, learning to play the mandolin, harmonica & piano. She also enjoyed singing American-styled tunes, much to the chagrin of her parents. This propensity for Americanized pop songs later paid off.

Although she projected the typical Japanese female stereotype of humbleness, delicacy & subservience in most of her prime film & stage roles, she was nevertheless an assertive scene-stealer. This docile & deceptive-looking talent w/ cropped hair as well as a heart-shaped face radiated charm in addition to innocence so effortlessly, she managed to make history at Academy Awards time as the 1st Asian actor to receive an acting Oscar for her superb work in the tragic post-WWII film drama Sayonara (1957).

Following World War II, she traveled w/ a U.S. Army G.I. jazz band in Japan as Nancy Umeki & was the 1st to record American songs for RCA Victor Japan. She became an extremely popular radio & nightclub artist, which sparked a move to the U.S. in 1955. Again, she demonstrated a demure prowess for gaining attention w/ her 1-season regular role (1955-1956) on the musical variety show Arthur Godfrey and His Friends (1949). W/ that popularity, she was able to sign w/ Mercury Records, eventually releasing 2 albums.

The timing couldn't have been more perfect. From this recognition, she was immediately cast in Sayonara (1957), which was based on James A. Michener's best-selling romantic tale. Inspired casting opposite comedian Red Buttons in a tragic, counterpoint romance as a World War II airman & his naive Japanese war bride who fall victim to post-war prejudice led to supporting Academy Awards for both actors. Despite her win, she would not make another film for 4 years.

Following her Oscar win, she starred on Broadway w/ the 1958 musical Flower Drum Song, in which she proved a highlight as a starry-eyed Chinese immigrant/mail-order bride w/ her captivating rendition of A Hundred Million Miracles, earning a Tony nomination in the process. She scored additional points after recreating her role for the film version of Flower Drum Song (1961).

In total, she made only 5 American films in all. Her other appearances were supporting roles in the naval comedy Cry for Happy (1961), The Horizontal Lieutenant (1962) & A Girl Named Tamiko (1962). She also tread fairly lightly on TV w/ random 60s appearances on The Donna Reed Show (1958), Dr. Kildare (1961), Rawhide (1959) & Mister Ed (1961), among others.

Duing the 50s & 60s, she was an occasional guest on variety shows for TV titans such as Perry Como, Dinah Shore, Merv Griffin, Andy Williams & Ed Sullivan. Arguably her biggest claim to fame was Mrs. Livingston in the heart-tugging TV comedy The Courtship of Eddie's Father (1969). Following this renewed attention, she went into a complete self-imposed retirement.

She lived a sedate family life for more than 3 decades. Her 1958 marriage to TV producer/director Win Opie ended in divorce after 9 years. She subsequently married TV director Randall Hood in 1968. They ran a business renting editing equipment to film studios & university film programs until his sudden death in Los Angeles in 1976. A longtime resident of North Hollywood, she eventually moved to Missouri w/ advancing age to be nearer to her son & his family. She died of cancer at age 78 on August 28, 2007 in Licking, Missouri.

Appeared on the Gisele MacKenzie Variety Show (produced by Jack Benny) on March 29, 1958 with guests Eddie Fisher and Miyoshi Umeki.

Active on Broadway in the following production:

Flower Drum Song (1958). Musical comedy. Book by Oscar Hammerstein II and Joseph Fields. Based on the novel by <a class="ipc-md-link ipc-md-link--entity" href="/name/nm0496935/?ref_=nmwrk">C.Y. Lee</a>. Music by <a class="ipc-md-link ipc-md-link--entity" href="/name/nm0006256/?ref_=nmwrk">Richard Rodgers</a>. Lyrics by <a class="ipc-md-link ipc-md-link--entity" href="/name/nm0358564/?ref_=nmwrk">Oscar Hammerstein II</a>. Music orchestrated by <a class="ipc-md-link ipc-md-link--entity" href="/name/nm0072021/?ref_=nmwrk">Robert Russell Bennett</a>. Musical Director: Salvatore Dell&#39;Isola. Dance arrangements by Luther Henderson Jr. Costume Design by <a class="ipc-md-link ipc-md-link--entity" href="/name/nm0788695/?ref_=nmwrk">Irene Sharaff</a>. Lighting Design by Peggy Clark. Hair Design by Ronald De Mann. Choreographed by Carol Haney. Directed by <a class="ipc-md-link ipc-md-link--entity" href="/name/nm0000037/?ref_=nmwrk">Gene Kelly</a>. St. James Theatre: 1 Dec 1958- 7 May 1960 (600 performances). Cast: <a class="ipc-md-link ipc-md-link--entity" href="/name/nm0089980/?ref_=nmwrk">Larry Blyden</a> (as &quot;Sammy Fong&quot;), Pat Suzuki, <a class="ipc-md-link ipc-md-link--entity" href="/name/nm0880855/?ref_=nmwrk">Miyoshi Umeki</a> (as &quot;Mei-Li&quot;), Juanita Hall, Arabella Hong [Broadway debut], Ed Kenney, <a class="ipc-md-link ipc-md-link--entity" href="/name/nm0525601/?ref_=nmwrk">Keye Luke</a> (as &quot;Wang Chi Yang&quot;), Patrick Adiarte, Jose Ahumada, Fumi Akimoto, Peter Chan (as &quot;Professor Cheng&quot;), Paula Chin, Victor Duntiere, Anita Ellis, Helen Funai, Pat Griffith, Luis Robert Hernandez, Mary Huie, Marion Jim, Betty Kawamura, Susan Lynn Kikuchi, Baayork Lee, Jon Lee, Chao Li, George Li, David Lober, Robert Lorca, Harry Shaw Lowe, Wonci Lui, George Minami, Jo Anne Miya, Eileen NaKamura, Denise Quan, Rose Quong [Broadway debut], Vicki Racimo, Linda Ribuca, Yvonne Ribuca, Shawnee Smith, <a class="ipc-md-link ipc-md-link--entity" href="/name/nm0814530/?ref_=nmwrk">Jack Soo</a> (as &quot;Frankie Wing&quot;) [Broadway debut], Maureen Tiongco, David Toguri, Mabel Wing, Conrad Yama, George Young, Yuriko. Produced by Rodgers &amp; Hammerstein. Produced in association with <a class="ipc-md-link ipc-md-link--entity" href="/name/nm0276284/?ref_=nmwrk">Joseph Fields</a>. Note: Nominated for 1959 Tony Award (with Hammerstein) for Best Book (Musical) and Best Musical.

Other works

Miyoshi Umeki

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