My Year of the Book - Day 41: It isn’t unusual for a popular story to go from one entertainment medium to another. So it was that Vern Sneider’s first novel, “The Teahouse of the August Moon” (1951), was recast as a stage play in 1953, a film in 1956 and, although few may remember it today, a Broadway musical (retitled “Lovely Ladies, Kind Gentlemen”) in 1970. Sneider had served during the American occupation of Japan immediately following WWII as military area supervisor of Tobaru, a village in Okinawa, and he based his gently comic tale of native wisdom and resilience vs. military red tape and organizational stupidity on his experiences there. The novel struck a chord with Americans, many of whom had either served in the war or had family members who had, and it became a best seller. Playwright John Patrick soon spun an even bigger hit with the tale. His version won both the 1954 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the NY Critics Circle Award for Best American Play. In addition, David Wayne won a 1953-54 Tony for his portrayal of Sakini, the conniving and resourceful interpreter and star of the show. MGM in Hollywood soon called, and cast Marlon Brando in the key role, as well as Glen Ford and Eddie Albert. By the time the film premiered, a backlash based on the casting of both Wayne and then Brando as Sakini instead of Asian actors had gained steam, a valid concern that continued with the casting of Kenneth Nelson (the original Boy in “The Fantasticks” and Michael in both the stage and film versions of the groundbreaking “The Boys in the Band”) as Sakini in “Lovely Ladies...” Sadly, the ill-fated musical, mounted in an era of great societal change, closed after 19 performances. But Sakini’s wisdom lives on, thanks to John Patrick: “Pain makes man think,” Sakini muses early in the play. “Thought makes man wise. Wisdom makes life endurable.” I couldn’t agree more. #johnpatrick #marlonbrando #bookintomovie #books #teahouseoftheaugustmoon #davidwayne #kennethnelson #fantasticks #sakini #booklover #booksofinstagram #bookworm #bookgeek #bookstagram #bookish #broadway #WWII #mylibrary #yearofthebook #okinawa #vernsneider #mybookshelf
