Sayonara

Based on the James Michener novel and released in 1957, this critically acclaimed romantic drama won four Academy Awards, including best supporting actor (Red Buttons) and best supporting actress (Miyoshi Umeki). With an all-star cast including Marlon Brando (nominated for best actor) and James Garner, the movie is set in 1951 Japan. It deals with American servicemen forming relationships with and marrying Japanese women.

Subjected to an official policy that not only discouraged but refused to recognize such relationships, U.S. military personnel who married Japanese women were transferred back to the U.S. and not allowed to bring their wives with them. In addition, they faced hostility and discrimination from both Japanese and American societies. The U.S. Armed Forces were officially segregated until 1947. This film looks into the changing dynamics of race relations in post-WW II America.

To view the trailer, click here.

To buy the DVD, click here.

To buy the novel on which the movie is based, click here.

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Steve Corbo

A founding member and corporate secretary of the Italian American Veterans Museum, Steve Corbo is the museum’s curator and a military consultant for Fra Noi. He has served for 25 years as president of S.A. Corbo & Associates Inc., providing professional liability insurance to health care providers. The son and nephew of World War II veterans and a passionate military historian for over 50 years, he has written and published articles on a variety of topics, including military history, and serves as the military consultant for Fra Noi, the Chicago-area Italian-American magazine.

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