The Crimson Kimono
| The Crimson Kimono | |
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 Theatrical release poster |
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| Directed by | Samuel Fuller |
| Produced by | Samuel Fuller |
| Written by | Samuel Fuller |
| Starring | Victoria Shaw Glenn Corbett James Shigeta |
| Music by | Harry Sukman |
| Cinematography | Sam Leavitt |
| Editing by | Jerome Thoms |
| Studio | Columbia Pictures |
| Release date(s) | October 1959 |
| Running time | 82 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The Crimson Kimono is a 1959 film noir directed by Samuel Fuller. The film stars James Shigeta, Glenn Corbett and Victoria Shaw.[1]
It featured several ahead-of-its-time ideas about race and society's perception of race, a thematic and stylistic trademark of Fuller.
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[edit] Plot
The film is essentially about two cops, friends and Korean War veterans, Detective Joe Kojaku (James Shigeta) and Detective Sgt. Charlie Bancroft (Glenn Corbett), who attempt to solve the murder of a local entertainer. A love triangle soon develops between a key witness, Christine Downes (Victoria Shaw), and the two principal leads.
[edit] Cast
- James Shigeta as Detective Joe Kojaku
- Glenn Corbett as Detective Sgt. Charlie Bancroft
- Victoria Shaw as Christine Downes
- Anna Lee as Mac
- Paul Dubov as Casale
- Jaclynne Greene as Roma
- Neyle Morrow as Hansel
- Gloria Pall as Sugar Torch
[edit] Critical reception
The staff at Variety magazine said of the film, "The mystery melodrama part of the film gets lost during the complicated romance, and the racial tolerance plea is cheapened by its inclusion in a film of otherwise straight action...The three principals bring credibility to their roles, not too easy during moments when belief is stretched considerably. Anna Lee, Paul Dubov, Jaclynne Green and Neyle Morrow are prominent in the supporting cast."[2]
More recently, Ed Gonzales of Slant Magazine liked the film and wrote, "The opening is a triumph of grungy lyricism achieved through snaky cutting and blunt compositions: Sugar Torch (Gloria Pall), a blond and bodacious piece of stripper meat, is shot to death in the middle of a Los Angeles street after witnessing a murder inside her dressing room. The tenor of the film oscillates between tight-fisted noir and chamber drama, but the theme is always the same: cultural and romantic unrest...Fuller's feat is giving the film's nonstop interrogations, meetings and confrontations profound racial and political meaning."[3]
[edit] References
- ^ The Crimson Kimono at the Internet Movie Database.
- ^ Variety. Film review. Last accessed: December 3, 2009.
- ^ Gonzales, Ed. Slant Magazine, 2006. Last accessed: December 30, 2009.
[edit] External links
- The Crimson Kimono at the Internet Movie Database
- The Crimson Kimono at the TCM Movie Database
- The Crimson Kimono essay by Jeremy Arnold at TCM
- The Crimson Kimono essay by Philip W. Chung at Asian Week
- The Crimson Kimono main titles clip at You Tube
- The Crimson Kimono film clip at You Tube
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