Beautifully photographed on location in Japan A Girl Named Tamiko is a film about racial and cultural barriers and those who shatter them. Our hero/protagonist in this film is Eurasian photographer Laurence Harvey who I
must say doesn't look too much Asian.
In the film Harvey is born of a Russian father and a Chinese mother. His parents were killed in the late war and not finding Mao Tse-Tung's new regime too congenial Harvey is in Tokyo where he makes a living as a talented photographer, but finds certain cultural barriers in the way of being prosperous. He also has a nasty prejudice toward the Japanese courtesy of the late war.
For Harvey he's playing a Eurasian version of Joe Lampton his famous working class social climber from Room At The Top. He's not above using his good looks and debonair manner on the female of the species. Right now he's gota a campaign going aimed at Martha Hyer who works at the American embassy. He's wanting a visa to America real bad.
But then there's this girl named Tamiko played by France Nuyen who is from Japanese aristocracy. He'd like to disgrace her, part of his payback, but then there's that romance thing and you never can tell where and how it will fall.
Hyer's part is similar to her Oscar nominated role from Some Came Running as the woman helping Frank Sinatra regain his muse. She was one of the most beautiful women ever to grace the screen, but always seemed to be the one who loses the leading man in the end as she does her.
Nuyen looks regal and aristocratic throughout and there's a nice small part for Miyoshi Umeki as a geisha.
Such occidentals as Steve Brodie, Gary Merrill, Lee Patrick, and Michael Wilding fill out the rest of the cast nicely. For Laurence Harvey fans this is one of his best performances and in the end he's not a total heel.
In the film Harvey is born of a Russian father and a Chinese mother. His parents were killed in the late war and not finding Mao Tse-Tung's new regime too congenial Harvey is in Tokyo where he makes a living as a talented photographer, but finds certain cultural barriers in the way of being prosperous. He also has a nasty prejudice toward the Japanese courtesy of the late war.
For Harvey he's playing a Eurasian version of Joe Lampton his famous working class social climber from Room At The Top. He's not above using his good looks and debonair manner on the female of the species. Right now he's gota a campaign going aimed at Martha Hyer who works at the American embassy. He's wanting a visa to America real bad.
But then there's this girl named Tamiko played by France Nuyen who is from Japanese aristocracy. He'd like to disgrace her, part of his payback, but then there's that romance thing and you never can tell where and how it will fall.
Hyer's part is similar to her Oscar nominated role from Some Came Running as the woman helping Frank Sinatra regain his muse. She was one of the most beautiful women ever to grace the screen, but always seemed to be the one who loses the leading man in the end as she does her.
Nuyen looks regal and aristocratic throughout and there's a nice small part for Miyoshi Umeki as a geisha.
Such occidentals as Steve Brodie, Gary Merrill, Lee Patrick, and Michael Wilding fill out the rest of the cast nicely. For Laurence Harvey fans this is one of his best performances and in the end he's not a total heel.