Miyoshi Umeki
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| Miyoshi Umeki | |
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| Born | May 8, 1929 Otaru, Japan |
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| Died | August 28, 2007 (aged 78) Licking, Missouri, USA |
| Occupation | Singer, actor |
| Years active | 1953–1972 |
| Spouse(s) | Wynn Opie (1958–1967) Randall Hood (1968–1976) |
Miyoshi Umeki (梅木 美代志 Umeki Miyoshi, or ミヨシ・ウメキ Miyoshi Umeki (May 8, 1929 – August 28, 2007)[1]) was a naturalized American actress and standards singer. She was best known for her roles as Katsumi, the wife of Joe Kelly (Red Buttons), in the 1957 film Sayonara, as Mei Li in the 1958 Broadway musical and 1961 film Flower Drum Song, and as Mrs. Livingston, the housekeeper, in the TV series The Courtship of Eddie's Father. She was a shin Issei or post-1945 immigrant from Japan. She was a Tony Award- and Golden Globe-nominated actress and was the first person (and as of 2008 the only) of East Asian descent to win an Academy Award for acting.[2]
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[edit] Life
Born as Umeki Miyoshi (she later reversed the names for her professional career) in Otaru, on the Japanese island of Hokkaidō, [1] she was the youngest of nine children. Her father owned an iron factory.[1] After World War II, Umeki began her career as a nightclub singer in Japan, using the name Nancy Umeki,[3] Her early influences were traditional Kabuki theater and American pop music.[1] Later, in one of her appearances on The Merv Griffin Show, she treated viewers to her impression of singer Billy Eckstine, one of her American favorites growing up.
[edit] Career
She soon made several records for RCA Victor Japan[1] and appeared in the film Seishun Jazu Musume. She moved to the United States in 1955[1][3] and after appearing on the Arthur Godfrey Talent Scouts (she was a series regular for one season), [4] she signed with the Mercury Records label and released several singles and two albums.[1]
Her appearances on the Godfrey program brought her to the attention of director Joshua Logan, who cast her in Sayonara.[2] In 1958, she appeared twice on the NBC variety show, The Gisele MacKenzie Show in which she performed "How Deep Is the Ocean". Umeki won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Sayonara. She was the first Asian performer to win an Academy Award.[2]
In 1958, she was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical for her performance in the Broadway premiere production of the musical Flower Drum Song[2], where she played Mei-Li.[5] The show ran for two years. A Time magazine cover story remarked that "[T]he warmth of her art works a kind of tranquil magic". [1] Umeki went on to appear in the film adaptation of the musical.[3] She was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Flower Drum Song.
Although a guest on many television variety shows, she appeared in only four more motion pictures through 1962, including the film version of Flower Drum Song (1961). The others were Cry for Happy (1961), The Horizontal Lieutenant (1962) and A Girl Named Tamiko (1963). From 1969-1972 she appeared in The Courtship of Eddie's Father as Mrs. Livingston, the housekeeper, for which she was again nominated for a Golden Globe Award. She retired from acting following the end of the series.
[edit] Personal life
Her first marriage, to television director Wynn Opie in 1958, ended in divorce[1] in 1967. She married director Randall Hood in 1968 and the couple adopted one son, Michael.[1][6] The couple operated a Los Angeles-based business renting editing equipment to film studios and university film programs.[1] Hood died in 1976.[2]
[edit] Death
According to her son, Umeki lived in Sherman Oaks for a number of years [3] before moving to Licking, Missouri, to be near her son and his family, which included two grandchildren. She died there of complications from cancer, aged 78.
[edit] Filmography
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Other notes |
| 1953 | Seishun Jazz musume (青春ジャズ娘 Seishun jazu musume) | Kashu | |
| 1956 | Around the World Revue | Nancy Umeki | AKA Universal Musical Short 2655: Around the World Revue |
| 1957 | Sayonara | Katsumi | Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated - Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress - Motion Picture |
| 1961 | Flower Drum Song | Mei Li | Nominated - Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy |
| Cry for Happy | Harue | ||
| 1962 | A Girl Named Tamiko | Eiko | |
| The Horizontal Lieutenant | Akiko | ||
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1955 | Arthur Godfrey and His Friends | Herself | Regular performer |
| 1957 | The Perry Como Show | Herself | 1 episode |
| 1958-1961 | The Dinah Shore Chevy Show | Herself | Episode #2.32 (1958), Episode #4.16 (1960), Episode #5.17 |
| 1958 | What's My Line? | Herself - Mystery Guest | Episode dated 11 May 1958 |
| The Tennessee Ernie Ford Show | Herself | Episode #2.25 | |
| 1959 | The Chevy Showroom Starring Andy Williams | Herself | Episode #2.2 |
| Toast of the Town | Singer | ||
| 1961 | Here's Hollywood | Herself | Episode dated 27 December 1961 |
| 1961-1962 | The Donna Reed Show | Kimi | 2 episodes: The Geisha Girl (1961), Aloha, Kimi (1962) |
| 1962 | The Andy Williams Show | Herself | Episode dated 11 October 1962, Episode dated 13 December 1962 |
| Hallmark Hall of Fame | Lotus-Blossom | "The Teahouse of the August Moon" | |
| Sam Benedict | Sumiko Matsui | "Tears for a Nobody Doll" | |
| 1963 | Rawhide | Nami | "Incident of the Geisha" |
| Dr. Kildare | Hana Shigera | "One Clear Bright Thursday Morning" | |
| 1964 | Burke's Law | Mary 'Lotus Bud' Ling | "Who Killed the Paper Dragon?" |
| The Virginian | Kim Ho | "Smile of a Dragon" | |
| Mister Ed | Ako Tenaka | "Ed in the Peace Corps" | |
| The Celebrity Game | Herself | Episode dated 19 April 1964 | |
| 1969 | The Queen and I | Japanese Bride | "The Trousseau" |
| 1969-1972 | The Courtship of Eddie's Father | Mrs. Livingston | 66 episodes Nominated - Golden Globe Award - Best Supporting Actress - Television |
| 1971 | This Is Your Life | Herself | for Bill Bixby |
| The Pet Set | Herself | Episode dated 30 June 1971 | |
| The Merv Griffin Show | Herself | Episode dated 29 March 1971 | |
| 1972 | Salute to Oscar Hammerstein II | Herself | |
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Bernstein, Adam. "Actress Miyoshi Umeki, 78, Dies of Cancer". The Washington Post. 5 September 2007,
- ^ a b c d e "Oscar winner Miyoshi Umeki dies at 78". USA Today. 5 September 2007.
- ^ a b c d Lavietes, Stuart. "Miyoshi Umeki, Oscar-winning actress, dies at 78". International Herald Tribune. 6 September 2007.
- ^ Miyoshi Umeki at the Internet Movie Database
- ^ Miyoshi Umeki at the Internet Broadway Database
- ^ Miyoshi Umeki, first Asian to win an Oscar, dies. AFP. 6 September 2007.
[edit] External links
- Social Security Death Index SSDI search results show that Miyoshi Hood was born on May 8, 1929
- Miyoshi Umeki at the Internet Movie Database
- Miyoshi Umeki at TV.com
- Miyoshi Umeki at the Internet Broadway Database
- New York Times bio
- Miyoshi Umeki at Find a Grave
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