MovieChat Forums > Lady on a Train (1945) Discussion > "Buck teeth just like a Jap!"

"Buck teeth just like a Jap!"

posted 8 years ago by eek-a-mouse
5 replies | jump to latest

Shouts our heroine.... What a flagrant, ignorant caricature!

But just fine for 1944-45, when the film was made.

[–] mdonln 8 years ago

moviewatchinguy says > But just fine for 1944-45, when the film was made.

I think that mindset lasted a lot longer than the war years. Breakfast at Tiffany's was made in 1961 and 'the buck-toothed Jap' describes the character Mickey Rooney portrayed. As we all can imagine, a lot of people in the US were still upset over Pearl Harbor. Who could blame them? I don't think it's right for us, living in different times to pass judgment on things like this. It was reflective of the time.

Woman, man! That's the way it should be Tarzan. [Tarzan and his mate]

[–] moviewatchinguy 8 years ago

But especially reflective of wartime when the country was highly motivated to kill the enemy.

[–] northsouth1 8 years ago

The heroine isn't the ignorant one here. People in an existential struggle (at least sensible ones) aren't worried about the feelings of those who are trying to kill them. That's a luxury for P.C. types who feel safe.

[–] liscarkat (16524) 5 years ago

What's flagrantly ignorant is not having any knowledge or understanding of the way reasonable people in 1944 felt about the treacherous and barbaric actions being carried out by Imperial Japan at that time, and then scolding them three-quarters of a century later for not sharing your 21st century political correctness.