Uma Certa Casa de Chá em Kyoto

Rarely, if ever, have I seen a movie with as many, and as naughty, sexual innuendos as Cry for Happy. In the few years following the demise of the Hays Code, Hollywood specialized in making sex comedies featuring jokes, words, and entire situations they were forbidden to feature in the 1950s. Cry for Happy is a comedy about US sailors in Japan who stay in a geisha house, and can't "get" any geishas. That verb is used frequently, as are countless euphamisms and blatant phrases. Donald O'Connor is described as "frustrated". Glenn Ford tells Miiko Taka, "He's been warming up for eight innings, and he's not even gonna get to pitch," when she tells him her girls are innocent and won't sleep with his sailors. At one point, Chet Douglas suggests thinking of something very cold, like an iceberg, when trying to go to sleep. Donald says, "I tried that. It melts."

Mixed into the hilarious raunchy one-liners is a rather silly plot involving a fake orphanage and a botched attempt at Japanese filmmaking. There are a few politically incorrect jokes thrown in, but for the time period, it's not that bad. James Shigeta is expected to speak Japanese, and it's supposed to be a laugh line when he whips out a Japanese for Beginners pocketbook.

The girls, Miiko Taka, Miyoshi Umeki, Michi Kobi, and Tsuruko Kobayashi, are adorable and endearing. Not once does the audience doubt their innocence and sweetness. The boys are another matter, but even though they're despicably bawdy, the audience hopes there's time enough in the movie for them to shape up, fall in love, and treat their geishas with respect. And with nearly two hours of humor and romance, there just might be time.

It's a durn shame that the actual filming locations aren't listed here, as of July 2008. A title card at the beginning wants us to believe that this was filmed at the US Naval base in Japan in 1951 right after WW II, but for starters, we know this was filmed in 1960/1961. All the inside shots could be filmed on a set. The picture starts at a geisha performance, with the show and the girls being explained to the navy and to the viewer. Sailors led by Murray Prince (O'Connor) are assigned to help CPO Cyphers (Glenn Ford) for a military press project. Sharp viewers will recognize Joe Flynn as John McIntosh, rep for the U.S. press. He will be the Captain in McHale's Navy in 1962. Watch for Ted Knight (from Mary Tyler Moore) as Glick, the Admiral's assistant. Also, Miyoshi Umeki, one of the geisha girls, will be the housekeeper in Courtship of Eddie's Father in 1969. At a press corp meeting, the marines confront the navy, and the lies and mixups begin. While a little dated now, the exotic Japanese kimonos and house decorations, authentic or not, must have made for an interesting film at the time. Similar to "Walk Don't Run" which Cary Grant would make in 1966. Some clever bits about a spaghetti western done Japanese style. Keep an eye out for Harriet MacGibbon, the Admiral's wife - she was Mrs. Drysdale in Beverly Hillbillies. At 110 minutes, this goes on pretty long, but its an entertaining film.

It's 1952. Navy photographer Andy Cyphers (Glenn Ford) gets three new recruits. When he gets pressed for coverage during wartime, he claims that they are supporting an orphanage in Japan. Once in Japan, they accidentally take over a geisha house. When the Navy and reporters take an interest, the guys and girls quickly recruit children to be their orphans.

This may be a bit edgy for its time. I wasn't around. So I don't know. It has a mildly amusing premise. The execution is mildly amusing. The sex comedy part is rather hit and miss for me. The girls are stuck operating at that one gear. The best part happens when the Admiral tries to adopt. Booby is a funny word.

When I saw the title "Cry for Happy" and knew this was a Glenn Ford film set in Japan, I braced myself. I thought, perhaps, it was a mess like "Teahouse of the August Moon"...a popular Ford film with Marlon Brando doing a godawful impersonation (more a parody) of a Japanese guy! Fortunately, it was not like the earlier film and was actually reasonably sensitive in its portrayals of Japanese women and culture.

Chief Petty Officer Cyphers (an odd name....played by Glenn Ford) is in charge of a group of sailors at a photographic unit stationed in Japan in 1952. The country is still occupied by the Americans following the war and Cyphers and his men are real schemers. They come up with a scheme to get themselves bivoaced in a Geisha house...not realizing Geishas are NOT nor have ever been prostitutes (a common but sad misconception among American troops stationed there). While they are able to somehow convince the women to house them, MANY complications arise...most notably when folks think the place is an orphanage! See what's next.

The acting by the Japanese people in the film is decent and the plot far more sensitive than I expected. Now it's not like it's a super-politically correct film...but at least they made an attempt to make something good here.

Overall, a cute and enjoyable film....one that really is worth seeing, especially since things work out so well at the end.

This is a very uneven comedy with a sloppy story that revolves around a silly, spur-of-the-moment decision. During a press conference, when some sailors feel they are being denigrated by the other military branches, one of them says they have started an orphanage. This announcement stirs up interest in the four gobs who are the film's central characters. The American press and the naval brass both want to know more about the orphanage that doesn't exist, leading to the central thrust of the story.

The sailors include Glenn Ford, Donald O'Connor, and James Shigeta. That is quite a diverse group, artistically, and it leads to some ill-performed scenes. The Japanese women (geishas) who are the objects of the sailors' attentions include Miyoshi Umeki. The film actually does a good job with their roles, accurately portraying the geisha life.

What passes for humor in this broad comedy is not for sophisticates. If you like "McHale's Navy", you might enjoy this film. Note that the cast even includes Joe Flynn. Another actor who will become a television notable is Ted Knight, who has few lines.

The funniest part of the film for me is the premiere of Endo's (Robert Kino) film, which is a Japanified western, complete with cowboys who remove their boots before going indoors.