'Bagel-face'


I don't know which performance to laugh at more: Alec Guinness in "yellow-face" or Roz Russell in "bagel-face."

Both are playing well-delineated stereotypes, neither of which emanates from their own personal background.

Yes - Alec is awful trying be a Japanese man: the only clue we have are his face slanted eyes and his substituting "r" for "l" when he speaks. I almost lost it when he says "The hardest word in the English language is 'rorri-pop'."!

But Roz' performance is even worse. All she does is deliver lines in a "complaining" tone, no variety to her delivery - when we all know the stereotype of the Brooklyn Jew she is trying to achieve is VERY expressive.

I blame the director - he could have gotten a little more enlivened performances from these two.

Of course, I blame the producers ultimately for miscasting in the first place.

I think another Caucasian actor would have done more playing an Asian stereotype - although the ultimate irony is that the play/movie is a plea for acceptance of the Japanese people - this production avoids casting one as the major male lead.

"Don't call me 'honey', mac."
"Don't call me 'mac'... HONEY!"

reply

Au contraire, the casting of Rosalind Russell and Alec Guinness in the roles originated on Broadway by Gertrude Berg and Sir Cedric Hardwicke, was pure genius! Seemingly, such casting would, at first glance, appear ridiculous. It is to the credit of both Russell and Guinness that they carried off their parts beautifully, offering very credible performances! The film, itself, is a delight, as "Mrs. Jacoby" and "Mr. Osano" share their different cultures in this cinematic version of "East Meets West." As to Mervyn LeRoy's direction of the film, it is for all intents and purposes, a flawless job, as were most of the films to his credit. "A Majority of One" is a fine film, one that has stood the test of time, and one which should be seen by today's young audiences as an example of multi-culturalism, with just the right combination of seriousness & humor.

reply