Navy Wife

When Gary Merrill, stationed in Japan, sends for his wife Joan Bennett and daughter Judy Nugent, it's not as easy a transition as they expect. Joan gets a terrible reaction to all the vaccines and is bedridden with pneumonia. She doesn't get along well with either the American or Japanese wives, and she doesn't understand (or refuses to accept) that she can't impress her beliefs and practices on others. She teaches women's lib, workers' rights, and relationship equality.

It's a very western take on Japanese culture, if you can call it a take at all. It's really more of a joke. Today, it certainly isn't funny; and frankly, the year before Sayonara was released, I'm not sure it was funny either. It makes fun of the Japanese language, culture, and gender relations. When Joan coaches one of the women to surprise her husband during a business lunch, which would show disrespect on her part and cause humiliation on his, the audience is supposed to laugh when she says, "Hi honey! Surprised to see me?" like an American.

Plain and simple, this just doesn't stand the test of time. Skip this one and stick to The Teahouse of the August Moon, a much funnier flick about the influence of western culture on the Japanese.

Commander Gary Merrill has been transferred to the Japanese town, and wife Joan Bennett and daughter Judy Nugent soon follow. Miss Bennett tries to figure out how to get along with the locals, while Miss Nugent tries to find a group of boys that will let her play on their baseball team. Meanwhile, Merrill has the piddling task of setting up a democratic local government while his commanding officer just wants a quiet life.

Soon enough, Miss Bennett is confronted that Japan is a man's country, and she doesn't like that. Following her example, neither do the women she encounters and who so admire her. Is this a revolution or what?

It's one of several A movies of the period in which Americans encounter local Japanese culture. Unlike some, producer Walter Wanger didn't hire Marlon Brando and stick him in yellowface. He hired Japanese talent, most notably Shirley Yamaguchi and Teru Shimada. Director Edward Bernds has a fairly basic understanding of comedy, but he does manage a few scenes which made me chuckle.

This is a light hearted and lightweight comedy with the family of an American Navy officer in Japan dealing with a house full of servants who interpret and misinterpret American cultural habits in various ways which lead to chaos and embarrassment. This is further complicated by the overbearing wife of the officer's immediate superior.

People watching for Shirley Yamaguchi will likely be disappointed as despite a high billing, her part is peripheral unlike her other American films (House of Bamboo, Japanese War Bride) which had her in genuine lead roles with depth.

Also lacking is any kind of visual exploration of Japan. This was filmed in the US at indoor settings and sets.