Escapade au Japon

Caught this harmless little story on TV recently. In this film we can see Japan in the 1950s before the great economic breakthough. Nostalgic and fascinating period shots of cities, temples, steam trains, geisha houses etc. Better than some documentaries as a record of those times and it was good to see the kindness shown by all the Japanese characters towards the lost American boy. Both kids were sensible and well mannered.

This movie is a great family movie and a trip through history when Japan was occupied by US Forces. No bad words, very little violence just two boys running away from the unknown in Post War Japan. Having grownup in Japan as Army brat during the 50's and 60's the movie rekindles memories of living in Japan while they were building their economy and maintaining their distinct culture and Identity. Its a warm hearted story of a foreign boy lost in totally different culture and country from what he knows yet accepts the friendship and assistance of a local boy as he is guided around Japan. He learns and sees things that would not have been possible had he not been crashed landed off the Japanese coast. I have watched and rewatched this movie with pleasure each time.

This is the Japan of my early childhood memories, brought to life by this film. I was a boy of 4 when I moved to Japan in 1956, so seeing this movie which was shot at the same time I lived there was a great thrill. It was the travelogue aspect of the movie that particularly interested me: the vignette in the geisha house; the vignette in the Japanese theater;street scenes; railroad stations; etc. The plot was relatively simple. Cameron Mitchell and Theresa Wright were convincing as the worried married couple desperately trying to find their missing son. But the flattering portrayal of the Japanese people and the reverence shown for Japanese landmarks and its cultural is the real eye opener. Since it was made in 1957, I'm assuming it was to show Americans how their perceptions of the Japanese may have been wrong. I know that having there for 4 years, we couldn't have been treated more kindly than we were by our Japanese friends, neighbors, and co-workers. I thank Turner Classic Movies for showing it.

Just saw this again on the BBC.

There must be something horribly wrong with modern Hollywood that we get more enjoyment from 50-year-old movies. This little gem has lovely, bright colour (not the dungeon quality we get now), has super performances, particularly from the young leads, works well as a story and also as a very interesting travelogue of post-war Japan.

No foul language and you feel good afterwards.

I'm just so pleased that with TV and DVD we can see these wonderful older movies and introduce them to our own children. I would add this to the list of must-show-to-the-children movies like the Flicka ones and the old Joel McCrea "Cattle Drive" and "Saddle Tramp".

Young Jon Provost, later to star in "Lassie", got his first notice in this charming story of a chase in 1950's Japan. He plays the son of an American couple working in Japan who survives a airplane ditching off the coastline; he got separated from the crew, and in the fog is picked up by a fisherman.

This Japanese fishing family befriends him, even though they cannot talk to him, not knowing English. The boy, however, fears he did something wrong when he sees many Japanese police searching the village. He flees, along with the slightly older son of the fisherman. Then begins the chase between the police and the American couple, and the two boys who fear the police only try to find you when you've done something wrong.

The bulk of the movie is of the two boys fleeing through Japan and seeing different and interesting sights on their odyssey. It is in effect a travelogue of post-war Japan. The final scenes on top of a tall Shinto religious temple are exciting enough.

Colorful, and good family fare, the film also was a clear attempt to ease hostilities between the United States and a Japan that just a decade before had been a hated enemy. They did this by showing the Japanese as human being as concerned about their missing son as the Americans were about theirs.

Recommended! Give it a try if you see it.