Japanese War Bride


Japanese War Bride is a 1952 drama film directed by King Vidor. The film featured the American debut of Shirley Yamaguchi in the title role. In February 2020, the film was shown at the 70th Berlin International Film Festival, as part of a retrospective dedicated to King Vidor's career.

Synopsis

A wounded Korean War veteran, Jim Sterling, returns to his California home with his Japanese wife. The couple had met and fallen in love in a Japanese hospital where Tae Shimizu was working as a nurse. Back in America, the couple face racism and bigotry from their neighbors and family, particularly their sister-in-law, Fran.

Impact and legacy

The widespread publicity surrounding the film's launch made Japanese wives increasingly visible in the United States. Along with The Teahouse of the August Moon and the more successful film Sayonara, Japanese War Bride was argued by some scholars to have increased racial tolerance in the United States by openly discussing interracial marriages.

Principal cast