the geisha boy
| The Geisha Boy |
|
| Directed by |
Frank Tashlin |
| Produced by |
Jerry Lewis |
| Written by |
Frank Tashlin
Rudy Makoul |
| Starring |
Jerry Lewis
Marie McDonald
Suzanne Pleshette |
| Distributed by |
Paramount Pictures |
| Release date(s) |
December 23, 1958 |
| Running time |
99 minutes |
| Language |
English |
| IMDb profile |
The Geisha Boy was filmed from June 16-August 7, 1958. It was released on December 23, 1958 by Paramount Pictures.
Plot
Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.
The Great Wooley (Jerry Lewis) is a magician who is entertaining GIs in Japan. Upon their arrival he causes a series of unfortunate mishaps for the headliner, actress Lola Livingston (Marie McDonald), including knocking her down a flight of stairs and rolling her up in the red carpet. An orphan, Mitsuo Watanabe (Robert Hirano) witnesses the spectacle and laughs for the first time since his parents died. When his aunt brings the boy to Wooley to thank him, he and the boy become close, which irritates the aunt's boyfriend, a Japanese baseball player, as well as a stewardess (Suzanne Pleshette) who has fallen for Wooley.
Wooley continues to perform his act to large audiences in Japan, and not wanting to disappoint the boy by letting him find out that he is an unknown performer in the US, he tries to sneak away when it is time for him to return to America. The boy follows him, and Wooley must pretend that he no longer cares for the boy, which makes him cry. However, he still follows him to America by stowing away on the plane. Once in America, they are reunited and Wooley becomes a successful performer in America.
Trivia
- Film debut of Suzanne Pleshette.
- The Los Angeles Dodgers appear in this film.
- Sessue Hayakawa, playing the orphan's grandfather, reenacts a scence that he performed in the prior year's film,The Bridge on the River Kwai.
|
