Flower Drum Song

Released Nov 9, 1961

2 hr. 13 min.

Musical

Comedy

List

79%

56 Reviews

Tomatometer

72%

1,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

In this adaptation of the 1958 Rodgers and Hammerstein Broadway musical, Chinese immigrant Mei Li (Miyoshi Umeki) is betrothed to nightclub boss Sammy Fong (Jack Soo), but he wants to marry showgirl Linda Low (Nancy Kwan). To get out of the arrangement, Sammy pawns her off to wealthy Master Wang (Benson Fong) as a fiancée for his son, Wang Ta (Victor Sen Yung). Mei Li falls in love with Wang, but he wants to pursue Linda, who takes advantage of his affections to test Sammy's love.

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Critics Consensus

Flower Drum Song's story may be somewhat skimpy, but this Rodgers and Hammerstein adaptation blooms with brilliant songs and choreography.

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Autumn M

Flower Drum Song is one of the lesser known Rodger and Hammerstein musicals. The story is one of immigrants who sneak into San Francisco, and request that a nightclub owner honor a marriage contract he had made at the behest of his family. I thought that the music was very blasé. I did like the story, and the many different love triangles kept the story moving along nicely. The overt sexist and anti-feminist messages did grate a little bit on my modern sensibilities, and the one-note characters were a little boring, but overall a passable musical.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/16/23

Full Review

Audience Member

I love musicals. I love Rodgers & Hammerstein. But I didn't love Flower Drum Song. I recently watched it thanks to TCM's 31 Days of Oscar and was excited because it was the one R&H film I hadn't seen since it's a bit more elusive than my favourites, South Pacific and The King and I. Now I can see why. There are a few songs I liked "I Enjoy Being a Girl" and "Don't Marry Me", but overall the cringe overwhelms the charms of this outdated extravaganza. If you stripped back the racist stereotyping, I think there could be a decent stroy of immigrant parents wanting to keep their American children to the motherland ways. On top of that, even the songs I liked are pure sexism - women wanting nothing more than to be dutiful wives to awful, philandering husbands. Nancy Kwan is glorious - although I tire of extended dance numbers that are not relevant to the story at all. If you enjoy classic musicals, it's worth watching once, but you'll be able to "wash it out of your head" rather quickly afterward.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/30/23

Full Review

Frances H

When I was growing up, Mom and Dad took us to see all of the big movie musicals--it was the Golden Age of the musicals--big glossy films with wonderful production numbers (like "Love Look Away." a particular favorite of mine, and I Enjoy Being a Girl, dome very cleverly with mirrors) and bright Technicolor. I enjoyed it them and I enjoyed it re-watching it today.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

10/12/20

Full Review

Audience Member

Considering the period during which it was written and made, this film developed from a musicale is interesting and educational. Also shares immigrants' experiences. May even make some people feel less entitled and more understanding.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/13/23

Full Review

steve d

Poor adaptation of a below average show.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

The best romance movie ever made! With the best movie song ever sung: I Enjoy Being a Girl!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/26/23

Full Review

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Henry Koster

Director

Nancy Kwan

Linda Low

James Shigeta

Wang Ta

Miyoshi Umeki

Mei Li

Juanita Hall

Auntie Liang

Jack Soo

Sammy Fong

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Marjory Adams

Boston Globe

This is genuine holiday joy-making, and the Rodgers tunes give zip and romance to the film.

Feb 28, 2023

Full Review

John L. Scott

Los Angeles Times

The plot is flimsy, but it serves as an adequate framework for the bright dances and some clever songs.

Feb 28, 2023

Full Review

Myles Standish

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Breezy, appealing, splashy with color, wistful on occasion, and embellished by the tuneful score.

Feb 28, 2023

Full Review

Louie Robinson

Jet Magazine

The songs, by Rodgers and Hammerstein, are the show's best insurance, but a brilliant cast... handles this delicate bon bon of a story with all the sensitivity, wit and understatement that it deserves.

Jan 16, 2024

Full Review

Birch Storm

Honolulu Advertiser

It's wide-screen and dripping with color from the very beginning when Dong Kingman's brilliant-hued paintings illustrate the titles to the very final scene when everyone ends up happily, lifting their voices in song.

Mar 17, 2023

Full Review

Phil Mayer

Honolulu Star-Bulletin

Miyoshi Umeki and her great song, "A Hundred Million Miracles," are the best reasons to see Flower Drum Song.

Mar 17, 2023

Full Review

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Synopsis

In this adaptation of the 1958 Rodgers and Hammerstein Broadway musical, Chinese immigrant Mei Li (Miyoshi Umeki) is betrothed to nightclub boss Sammy Fong (Jack Soo), but he wants to marry showgirl Linda Low (Nancy Kwan). To get out of the arrangement, Sammy pawns her off to wealthy Master Wang (Benson Fong) as a fiancée for his son, Wang Ta (Victor Sen Yung). Mei Li falls in love with Wang, but he wants to pursue Linda, who takes advantage of his affections to test Sammy's love.

Director: Henry Koster
Screenwriter: Joseph Fields
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Production Co: Universal/Universal Int
Genre: Musical, Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 9, 1961, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 13, 2018

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