Miyoshi Umeki
Miyoshi Umeki (May 8, 1929 – August 28, 2007) was a Japanese-born American actress and singer renowned for her pioneering achievements in Hollywood, becoming the first Asian performer to win an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Katsumi in the 1957 romantic drama Sayonara.[1][2] Born in Otaru, Hokkaido, Japan, as the youngest of nine children, Umeki began her career as a singer on Japanese radio and performed for American troops during the postwar occupation, blending songs in Japanese and English before emigrating to the United States in 1955.[3][4] Umeki's breakthrough came with Sayonara, directed by Joshua Logan, where she portrayed the tragic wife of an American serviceman, earning not only the Oscar but also a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actress.[5] Following this success, she transitioned to Broadway, originating the role of the innocent Mei Li in Rodgers and Hammerstein's 1958 musical Flower Drum Song, for which she received a Tony Award nomination for Best Actress in a Musical.[3] She reprised the part in the 1961 film adaptation, directed by Henry Koster, earning another Golden Globe nomination, this time for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy.[6][5] In television, Umeki gained further prominence from 1969 to 1972 as Mrs. Livingston, the wise and devoted housekeeper, in the ABC sitcom The Courtship of Eddie's Father starring Bill Bixby, a role that brought her a third Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Television Series.[7][6] Despite facing typecasting challenges as one of the few Asian American performers in mid-20th-century entertainment, her work in films like A Girl Named Tamiko (1962) and guest appearances on shows such as Rawhide and Burke's Law highlighted her versatility and enduring influence on Asian representation in Western media.[4] Umeki largely retired from acting in the 1970s, living quietly in Missouri until her death from cancer at age 78.[2]Early life
Family background
Miyoshi Umeki was born on May 8, 1929, in Otaru, a coastal city on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido, as the youngest of nine children in her family.[4][7] Her family held prominence in the local community as owners of a successful iron factory, which ensured a stable and affluent household rooted in traditional Japanese values.[4][7] The factory's operations reflected the industrial character of Otaru, a port town known for its economic activity in manufacturing and trade during the early 20th century. Umeki's childhood unfolded in this northern industrial setting, where the rhythms of family life intertwined with the demands of the family business. She developed an early interest in music through radio broadcasts, particularly American pop and jazz standards that captivated her as a young girl.[8] This exposure to Western music via Armed Forces Radio and similar programs ignited a passion that would propel her toward a career in entertainment.[8]Entry into entertainment
Umeki entered the world of entertainment during her teenage years in Japan, beginning her performances as a singer and dancer around the age of 16. This marked her initial foray into show business, where she honed her skills through local opportunities that allowed her to showcase her emerging talents in music and movement.[9][10] Self-taught in key aspects of her craft, Umeki developed proficiency in singing in English by studying American records and radio broadcasts on her own. Her passion for Western-style music drove this independent learning, setting the foundation for her unique blend of Japanese and American influences in performance.[9][11] While attending a finishing school for girls, Umeki briefly pursued formal education but prioritized her artistic development, taking lessons in instruments like the harmonica, mandolin, and piano to complement her self-directed efforts in singing and dancing. This period solidified her commitment to entertainment as she transitioned from personal practice to public performances.[4]Career in Japan
Radio and nightclub performances
Following World War II, Miyoshi Umeki began her professional performing career in Japan with regular appearances on radio programs, adopting the stage name Nancy Umeki to appeal to a broader audience. She sang American popular songs and jazz standards, which she had self-taught by imitating performers like Dinah Shore, Peggy Lee, and Doris Day from Armed Forces Radio broadcasts during the U.S. occupation.[8] These radio spots quickly established her as a rising talent, showcasing her clear diction and versatile voice in a medium that reached listeners nationwide amid Japan's cultural reconstruction.[12] Umeki expanded her live performances to nightclubs and variety shows in Tokyo and other major cities, where she entertained with a blend of Western jazz influences and Japanese musical elements. Often accompanying U.S. Army G.I. jazz bands, she toured service clubs and venues across the country, performing for both Japanese civilians and American military personnel.[8][4] Her nightclub acts, starting at modest wages, highlighted her energetic stage presence and ability to fuse American pop styles with local sensibilities, drawing crowds eager for the novelty of postwar entertainment.[12] She also made her acting debut in the 1953 Japanese musical film Seishun Jazu Musume (Youthful Jazz Daughter).[12] As a bilingual entertainer fluent in English and Japanese, Umeki gained significant popularity in the early 1950s, resonating with audiences navigating the blend of Eastern and Western cultures in occupied Japan. Her live tours and shows received warm reception for bridging these worlds, positioning her as a symbol of cultural exchange and helping to build a dedicated following that extended beyond urban centers.[8][13] This acclaim in radio and live venues paved the way for her transition to recording contracts.Music recordings
Umeki signed a recording contract with RCA Victor Japan in 1950, which lasted until 1954, during which she released a series of singles in both Japanese and English.[14][15] Her early output included covers of American jazz standards such as "It Isn't Fair," "Sentimental Me," and "My Foolish Heart," adapted for Japanese audiences through bilingual phrasing and local instrumentation.[14][16] Notable releases from this period featured a blend of original Japanese compositions and Western influences, with tracks like "Oroka Nari Waga Kokoro" showcasing her vocal warmth in sentimental ballads.[14] These recordings, often backed by small jazz ensembles, marked her as one of the first Japanese artists to popularize American standards domestically.[11] Over the course of her RCA tenure, Umeki's style evolved, blending American jazz and pop standards with popular Japanese songs to appeal to domestic audiences.[4] This shift was bolstered by her nightclub and radio appearances, which heightened demand for her recorded works.[4]Immigration to the United States
Arrival and initial opportunities
In 1955, at the age of 26, Miyoshi Umeki immigrated to the United States, settling in New York City after an American talent scout, impressed by her rising popularity as a singer in Japan, urged her to pursue opportunities abroad.[17] Her previous success on Japanese radio and in nightclubs provided the impetus and initial connections for this move, allowing her to enter the U.S. entertainment scene with some established recognition.[18] Upon arrival, Umeki encountered substantial challenges adapting to her new environment, including a limited grasp of English—she had memorized American pop songs phonetically without full fluency—and the cultural dislocation of transitioning from postwar Japan to mid-1950s America.[8] These barriers compounded the difficulties of establishing herself professionally in a foreign industry, where opportunities for Asian performers were scarce. To sustain herself, Umeki initially performed in New York nightclubs, leveraging her vocal talents while auditioning for larger platforms.[17] Her breakthrough came swiftly through guest appearances on television, becoming a regular on the popular variety program Arthur Godfrey and His Friends later that year, which showcased her singing and helped build her visibility among American audiences.[19] She also secured a recording deal with Mercury Records in 1955, marking her entry into the U.S. music market.[19]Early American music success
Upon arriving in the United States in 1955, Miyoshi Umeki quickly secured a recording contract with Mercury Records, marking a pivotal step in her American music career.[4] Her debut single, "How Deep Is the Ocean (How High Is the Sky)"/"Why Talk," was released that year, recorded in New York with the Hugo Peretti Orchestra, and showcased her smooth, jazz-inflected interpretations of American standards.[20] Subsequent singles followed, including "The Little Lost Dog"/"The Story You're About to Hear Is True" in 1956, which highlighted her versatility in blending gentle vocals with narrative storytelling in torch song style.[20] Umeki's breakthrough came through high-profile television exposure, beginning with her appearance on Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts, where her performance earned her a regular spot on Arthur Godfrey and His Friends for an entire season.[4] This visibility propelled her recordings to wider audiences, culminating in a guest spot on The Ed Sullivan Show on December 14, 1958, where she performed "A Hundred Million Miracles" from the Broadway musical Flower Drum Song.[21] Although specific Billboard chart positions for her early singles remain undocumented in major trade publications, her Mercury releases contributed to her rising profile as a recording artist during the late 1950s.[4] Mercury Records marketed Umeki as an enchanting East Asian performer whose demure charm and bilingual renditions of pop standards offered an exotic yet approachable appeal to American listeners.[4] Her albums, such as Miyoshi Sings for Arthur Godfrey (1956), featured tracks like "East of the Sun," emphasizing her ability to infuse torch songs with a unique, tranquil elegance that resonated in the post-war era's fascination with international talent.[20][22] This strategic positioning helped solidify her early success, bridging cultural divides through music before her transition to acting.Acting career
Film roles
Miyoshi Umeki's breakthrough in film came with her debut role in the 1957 drama Sayonara, directed by Joshua Logan, where she portrayed Katsumi, a young Japanese woman who marries an American airman (played by Red Buttons) amid cultural tensions during the post-World War II occupation.[23] Her performance captured the emotional depth of a tragic, doomed romance, culminating in the couple's suicide after separation by military orders, earning her the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and making her the first Asian performer to win in a competitive acting category.[24] This role highlighted Umeki's ability to convey quiet vulnerability and cultural displacement, drawing critical acclaim for its authenticity and pathos.[4] Following her Oscar win, Umeki appeared in supporting roles that often featured her as romantic or culturally conflicted Asian characters in Hollywood productions. In the 1961 musical Flower Drum Song, directed by Henry Koster, she reprised her Broadway role as Mei Li, a naive Chinese immigrant seeking love in San Francisco's Chinatown, delivering a warm and innocent portrayal that earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy.[24] Her singing background from her early career in Japan facilitated her casting in such musical films, where she performed songs like "A Hundred Million Miracles" with endearing simplicity.[4] Umeki continued with lighter comedic turns, including Cry for Happy (1961), a naval farce directed by George Marshall, where she played one of several geisha girls interacting with American sailors, contributing to the film's humorous culture-clash scenarios.[23] That same year, she featured in The Horizontal Lieutenant (1962), a World War II comedy directed by Richard Thorpe, as Akiko, a supportive local woman aiding an inept intelligence officer (Jim Hutton) in a tropical island setting.[24] Her final notable film role was in A Girl Named Tamiko (1962), directed by John Sturges, portraying Eiko, a friend to the titular mixed-race photographer (France Nuyen) entangled in interracial romance and identity struggles in Japan.[4] These later appearances, though smaller, showcased Umeki's versatility in blending charm with subtle emotional layers across genres.[23]Television and theater roles
Umeki's Broadway debut came in 1958 with the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Flower Drum Song, where she originated the role of the innocent Chinese mail-order bride Mei-Li, earning a Tony Award nomination for Best Actress in a Musical.[25] Her performance, blending delicate charm and subtle humor, helped establish her as a versatile stage performer capable of conveying cultural nuances through song and dialogue.[3] The production ran for 600 performances at the St. James Theatre, showcasing Umeki's ability to anchor ensemble numbers like "I Am Going to Like It Here" with her clear soprano and expressive timing.[12] Transitioning to television following her early film success, Umeki became a familiar presence on variety programs in the late 1950s and early 1960s, making guest appearances on shows hosted by Perry Como, Dinah Shore, Andy Williams, and Ed Sullivan, where she often performed traditional Japanese songs alongside American standards to highlight her bilingual talents.[4] These spots capitalized on her musical background, allowing her to showcase comedic interludes and lighthearted interactions that endeared her to audiences. She also had an early regular role on the CBS variety series Arthur Godfrey and His Friends from 1955 to 1956, contributing songs and sketches that marked her initial foray into American broadcast entertainment.[26] In dramatic and comedic guest roles across episodic television, Umeki appeared on series such as The Donna Reed Show in 1958, Rawhide in 1959 as a Japanese woman aiding the cattle drive, Dr. Kildare in 1961, Burke's Law in 1964.[4] These appearances often portrayed her in supportive, culturally specific characters that emphasized resilience and warmth, reflecting the limited but impactful opportunities for Asian American actors at the time.[26] Umeki's most prominent television role was as the housekeeper Mrs. Livingston on the ABC sitcom The Courtship of Eddie's Father, which aired from 1969 to 1972 across 66 episodes.[27] In the series, she played the wise, gently humorous aide to widowed father Tom Corbett (Bill Bixby), delivering deadpan one-liners and cultural insights that added levity and heart to the family dynamics, often addressing Bixby's character as "Eddie's Father" with affectionate formality.[4] Her comedic timing shone in scenes balancing domestic mishaps with poignant advice, earning her a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Television Series and solidifying her status as a beloved television personality.[28]Discography
Japanese releases
Miyoshi Umeki, performing under the stage name Nancy Umeki during her early career, signed with RCA Victor Japan and released a series of singles and EPs from 1950 to 1954. These recordings primarily consisted of American jazz standards adapted into English, Japanese, or bilingual versions, reflecting the post-war popularity of Western-influenced music in Japan. Her output during this period totaled around 30 songs, establishing her as a prominent jazz vocalist in nightclubs and on radio.[12][14] The stylistic approach in these releases blended smooth jazz phrasing with Japanese popular song elements, particularly in tracks featuring native-language lyrics, which often carried a sentimental, melodic quality reminiscent of emerging enka traditions. Notable examples include adaptations of standards like "Sentimental Me" and original Japanese compositions such as "Oroka Nari Waga Kokoro," showcasing her ability to fuse Western swing rhythms with emotional, narrative-driven vocals unique to her pre-immigration work.[16][14] Umeki's complete known releases from this era are compiled in the 2001 Victor album The Early Days of Nancy Umeki 1950-1954, which remasters her original mono singles and EPs. The following table enumerates the tracks, originally issued across multiple 78 rpm singles and 10-inch EPs without specific chart performance data available.| Track Title | Original Language/Notes |
|---|---|
| Sleepy My Love | English jazz standard (debut single, 1950) |
| It Isn't Fair | English |
| Sentimental Me | English |
| My Foolish Heart | English |
| Again | English |
| Manhattan Moon | Bilingual (English/Japanese adaptation) |
| With a Song in My Heart | English |
| I'll Walk Alone | English |
| My Baby's Comin' Home | English |
| I'm Walking Behind You | English |
| Doggie in the Window | English |
| Sayonara | English (Irving Berlin standard) |
| My Ichiban Tomodachi | Japanese ("My Best Friend") |
| Vaya Con Dios | English |
| Kiss Me Again Stranger | English |
| I'm Waiting for You | English |
| The Moon | English/Japanese |
| Samidare Moon | Japanese (rainy season moon theme) |
| I Can't Say His Name | Japanese ("Sono Hito no Na wa Ienai") |
| Moonright | Bilingual |
| Sentimental | Japanese |
| Why Don't You Believe Me? | English |
American singles and albums
Upon immigrating to the United States, Miyoshi Umeki signed with Mercury Records in 1955, marking the beginning of her American music career focused on jazz standards and popular tunes adapted to her distinctive vocal style.[20] Over the next four years, she released five 45 rpm singles, primarily recorded in New York City and Chicago, which showcased her interpretations of American songs alongside occasional original material tied to her emerging acting roles.[20] These singles highlighted her smooth, emotive delivery, blending Japanese inflection with Western pop sensibilities, though none achieved significant chart longevity beyond modest airplay on variety programs.[29] Her Mercury singles included:- "How Deep Is the Ocean?" / "Why Talk?" (Mercury 70838, 1955), an early effort featuring orchestral backing that introduced her to U.S. audiences through radio broadcasts.[20]
- "The Little Lost Dog" / "The Story You're About to Hear Is True" (Mercury 70880, 1956), a whimsical pairing that gained notice via her appearances on Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts.[20]
- "Sayonara (The Japanese Farewell Song)" / "Be Sweet Tonight" (Mercury 71216, 1956), drawing from her film work and emphasizing romantic themes.[20]
- "The Mountain Beyond the Moon" / "Oh What Good Company We Could Be" (Mercury 71215, 1957, with Red Buttons), a duet reflecting her crossover into entertainment collaborations.[20]
- "Sayonara" / "On and On" (Mercury 71243, 1957), a reworking of the title track from the film Sayonara, which benefited from the movie's promotion but did not enter major charts.[20]
| Track | Title | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | My Heart Stood Still | 3:01 |
| 2 | My Ship | 3:06 |
| 3 | You Make Me Feel So Young | 2:20 |
| 4 | They Can't Take That Away from Me | 2:32 |
| 5 | Sometimes I'm Happy | 2:12 |
| 6 | I'm Old Fashioned | 2:45 |
| 7 | Love for Sale | 2:58 |
| 8 | That Old Feeling | 2:40 |
| 9 | Why Try to Change Me Now? | 3:10 |
| 10 | Just One of Those Things | 2:25 |
| 11 | I'll Take Romance | 2:50 |
| 12 | Body and Soul | 3:15 |