A Rosa do Oriente

With the American occupation of Japan, the staff of YANK magazine scrambles at the dictate of Colonel Fred Clark to get out a great issue quick, while trying to deal with roving magazine reporter Keenan Wynn. The non-commissioned staff, including George Nader, John Agar, Charles McGraw and photographer Audie Murphy -- who's supposed to have been busted and shipped back to the US -- use local Japanese fixer Joe Butterfly -- played by Burgess Meredith speaking Japanese Double Dutch -- set up in a mansion and try to work.

It's a service comedy from a play by Jack Ruge and Evan Wylie. One of the screenwriters was Marion Hargrove, but it hasn't aged particularly well, thanks to Meredith -- I suppose Sessue Hayakawa was busy trying to be a priest. Wynn gives his typically emphatic comedy performance, but McGraw is actively funny with his rough speaking voice and mug attitude. Overall, it's a tired effort from directed Jesse Hibbs, and the score is a bit controlling, but there are a few chuckles along the way.

Comedies about U.S. troops in occupied Japan were kind of a subgenre in the 1950s. Many of them were as much sentimental as funny, and that's true of "Joe Butterfly." It's far from hilarious but gives you a warm feeling.

The casting may seem strange, with action star Audie Murphy in a comic role and Burgess Meredith playing an Asian. But both are pretty good. Murphy plays a member of a military journalism unit arriving in Tokyo just after the war. Meredith's quaintly named character, "Joe Butterfly," is a roguish but likable black marketeer who latches on to him.

Not many movies about the military deal much with the black market, unless to treat it as something exotic and sinister. But it was part of life for U.S. troops stationed in places like Japan in the 1940s, and this movie is less judgmental about it than most.

Murphy, boyish-looking and soft-spoken, is the heart of the film. His character is easygoing, almost naive, whether he's befriending Joe or falling in love with a Japanese girl.

This is not as strange as it sounds. Though he got to Hollywood because of his real-life World War II heroics, and then played mostly tough guys, Murphy was never crazy about war films. He made only two movies actually set in World War II. When he did play men in uniform, he liked films that humanized the GI. This film does that.

Recruiting a famous white actor to play a major Asian role may seem strange today. It may even seem offensive. But it used to be done frequently, so maybe it's forgivable. Meredith gives it his best shot.

If you don't expect too much, this one is worth a look.

Joe Butterfly is so clearly influenced by Teahouse Of The August Moon that to say much more would be belaboring the point. One viewing of Joe Butterfly and you'll see why.

This is possibly the only comedy that Audie Murphy ever did and as it would turn out for our most decorated soldier a good choice. He had a flare for it not often seen in his westerns. As fate would have it a military service comedy at that.

Murphy is one of a group of GIs under the command of Major Herbert Anderson who put out Yank magazine which is supposed to be a pseudonym for Stars And Stripes. The others are George Nader, John Agar, and Charles McGraw. Anderson functions like a more worldly Captain Parmenter to this crew. All are connivers but Murphy is the biggest one.

Keenan Wynn is here also playing the same kind of role he did in Don't Go Near The Water, a much favored war correspondent who hates these guys and loves the privileges this would be Ernie Pyle can gather from the brass.

The Sakini of this piece is Burgess Meredith, once again in the tradition of Occidentals playing Asians. His is the title character, a black market operator who can get just about anything in a war ravaged Tokyo. Meredith is fine and funny, but just like Marlon Brando in Teahouse, Ricardo Montalban in Sayonara, and Mickey Rooney in Breakfast At Tiffany's it wouldn't fly today.

Also like Teahouse and Sayonara the film now with war over a decade old looks at the Japanese as human beings. The big problem is housing of course for everybody. Unsaid is the reason for the housing shortage, said recent air war when Curtis LeMay and his bombers flattened Tokyo and many Japanese cities where the housing was wooden.

Joe Butterfly not quite the classic that Teahouse Of The August Moon is, still has some very funny moments in it. For those who like military service comedies, you'll like Joe Butterfly.

Audie Murphy, the decorated WW II soldier is remembered today for his entertaining westerns and war films of the post war era. However, in this comic outing, Murphy and pals hit post war Japan and all sorts of hi-jinks develop in quick succession.

Audie is at ease here in the title role and brings an easy-going charm to a slightly above-average storyline. Keenan Wynn and John Agar offer fine support in a pleasing film that served to stretch Murphy out of his westerns rut.

This is the sort of film that demands little from the viewer, yet provides a pleasant viewing experience even for non-fans of the legendary war hero. Well worth another look.

Especially a rare film, though the worst where Audie Murphy played in, at least for my taste. One of the hardest to find from director Jesse Hibbs, who was for Murphy the same that Jo Pevney was for Jeff Chandler, or Tony Mann for Jimmy Stewart and John Frankenheimer for Burt Lancaster. It is lousy, a bit boring but fun to watch if you are in the good mood. Of course a war comedy could hardly existed without murphy, despite the fact that he never fought in real life on the Pacific front. I am lucky enough to have caught in in LBX - 2.35 frame.