Noriyuki "Pat" Morita Movies
Best known to audiences as Mr. Miyagi, Ralph Macchio's mentor in the "wax on, wax off" school of combat in the 1984 hit The Karate Kid, Noriyuki "Pat" Morita is the most prominent Japanese-American actor of his generation. Morita is also well known for having played Arnold, the amiable diner owner on the hit television series Happy Days, for two non-consecutive seasons (1975-1976 and 1982-1983). His status as one of the most familiar actors of Asian descent kept him working in a variety of projects throughout the 1980s and '90s.Having spent part of his youth in a Japanese internment camp during World War II, Morita nonetheless emerged with his sense of humor intact, giving up work as a computer programmer to concentrate on stand-up comedy in the early '60s. After a number of nightclub and TV variety show appearances, Morita found his first film role in 1967's Thoroughly Modern Millie as a stereotypical ethnic henchman. His natural affability soon began shining through, winning Morita his role on Happy Days for the 1975-1976 season. As Arnold, Morita interacted with Richie, Fonzie, and company with a memorable combination of good humor and exasperation. He returned to the gig in 1982-1983 after a failed attempt to front his own series (the critically lambasted Mr. T and Tina in 1976), a number of small film roles, and guest appearances on such shows as The Love Boat and Magnum P.I.
His major pop culture breakthrough was the role of janitor and karate master Mr. Miyagi in The Karate Kid. An eccentric tutor who at first appears to be using his student for an endless variety of household chores, Miyagi soon reveals the method behind his training, turning the scrawny Daniel (Macchio) into a confident fighter, while also instilling an important message that violence should remain a last resort. The exceedingly popular film made Morita a household name, and audiences were left with the indelible image of a jolly and wise old soul trying desperately to catch a fly with a pair of chopsticks. Morita reprised the role for the two sequels starring Macchio in (1986 and 1989), as well as The Next Karate Kid, which starred future Oscar winner Hilary Swank, in 1994.
In the late '80s, Morita found the success that had previously eluded him in television solo efforts with the two-season detective series Ohara (1987-1989). In 1987, he also wrote and starred in the World War II romance Captive Hearts, a film about a pilot shot down over Japan who falls in love with a village woman. Morita plays the village elder who saves the young pilot from execution.
Morita spent the 1990s continuing to work regularly as a character actor in both television and movies. His film roles included Honeymoon in Vegas (1992), Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (1993,) and vocal work as the Emperor in Disney's Mulan (1998). He guest starred on such shows as The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Diagnosis Murder, and The Hughleys, and had a recurring role as Mr. Tanaka on Baywatch. ~ Derek Armstrong, Rovi
Each episode of Adventures With Kanga Roddy combines martial arts action with messages about morality for the younger set. Two episodes are featured of this tape: Adventures With Kanga Roddy: Just the Way You Are, in which Kanga encourages youngsters to accept a peer in a wheelchair, and Adventures With Kanga Roddy: Doing Your Share where Kanga teaches friends to accept their responsibilities in doing their chores. Pat Morita makes appearances in both episodes. ~ Rob Ferrier, Rovi
Each episode of Adventures With Kanga Roddy combines martial arts action with messages about morality for the younger set. Two episodes are featured of this tape: Adventures With Kanga Roddy: Try, Try Again, in which Kanga encourages a friend who initially fails at baseball, and Adventures With Kanga Roddy: Facing Your Fear, where Kanga tries to convince a friend to do just that so that she can go camping. Actor Pat Morita makes an appearance in both shows. ~ Rob Ferrier, Rovi
- 1958
John Wayne's only collaboration with director John Huston turned out to be a major career misstep for both men. Barbarian and the Geisha is the true story of Townsend Harris (Wayne), who in 1856 was appointed the first American consul to Japan. Headquartered in Shimoda, Harris discovers that the Japanese thoroughly mistrust the Americans (and, as it turned out, not without reason). It's an uphill climb, but Harris gradually earns the respect of the local power brokers-and in so doing, is permitted to enter the city of Tokyo. Geisha girl Eiko Ando, originally sent to thwart Harris' mission, falls in love with him and protects him from harm. Though running only 104 minutes, the film seems to drag on for eons. Filmed on location, The Barbarian and the Geisha is consistently good to look at, but the discomfort of both star Wayne and director Huston is painfully obvious in every frame. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- John Wayne, Eiko Ando, (more)
George Roy Hill directed this original musical set the 1920s that mixes pop standards with new tunes written by Sammy Cahn and James Van Heusen. Julie Andrews, in a role that recalls her Broadway triumph in The Boy Friend, stars as Millie Dillmount, who comes to New York is search of a secretarial job and an unattached boss. She moves into a hotel for women, run by kindly Mrs. Meers (Beatrice Lillie), and she befriends the pretty, petite orphan Dorothy Brown (Mary Tyler Moore). Millie finds work with the handsome bachelor Trevor Graydon (John Gavin), but Trevor has his eyes on Dorothy. So too does Mrs. Meers, who despite her kindly exterior is actually an unscrupulous white slaver. Paper clip salesman Jimmy Smith (James Fox), on the other hand, pledges his undying love to Millie. One day, after attending a weekend party being given at the opulent Long Island mansion of Muzzy Van Hossmere (Carol Channing), Dorothy disappears. When Jimmy and Millie smell opium in Dorothy's room, they realize the awful truth about Mrs. Meers. Trying to rescue Dorothy and find the location of Mrs. Meers' hideout, Jimmy disguises himself as an orphaned woman and tries to get himself kidnapped. The scheme backfires, however, and Mrs. Meers drugs and kidnaps both Jimmy and Trevor. It is left to Millie to find the white slavers, free her friends from bondage and save the day. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi
- Starring:
- Julie Andrews, James Fox, (more)
This hilarious oater finds Jesse Heywood (Don Knotts) as a Philadelphia dentist who leaves his home to open a new practice on the western frontier. The hapless dentist is saved by the expert gun handling of Penny (Barbara Rhoades), a reformed bandit trying to earn a pardon by intercepting gun shipments to hostile Indians. After several more situations in which Penny saves the nervous newcomer, Jesse believes he has exceptional firearms prowess and believes himself to be a hero. Comedy ensues when the jumpy Jesse faces a bevy of bad men and nervously clutches a six shooter with a very unsteady hand. Penny has to help the pseudo-hero out of even more trouble before they can ride off together into the sunset. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi
- Starring:
- Don Knotts, Barbara Rhoades, (more)
- 1971
For their "fifth honeymoon," Oliver and Lisa take a trip to Hawaii. They arrive at their hotel secure in the knowledge that they have reserved the Honeymoon suite. What they don't know is that the daughter (Pamela Franklin) of the hotel's owner (Don Porter) has secretly arranged for her newlywed friend to take over the suite -- and as result, both couples unwittingly end up sharing the same quarters! This (Green Acres) episode was intended as the pilot for a spinoff series starring Don Porter and Pamela Franklin. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Don Porter, Pamela Franklin, (more)
Overlooked when it first aired February 18, 1972, the made-for-TV Evil Roy Slade has gained a loyal and protective cult following in the past 20 years. The film was the second pilot for a never-sold TV western spoof created by Garry Marshall and Jerry Belson, Sheriff Who?. Actually, it was the second and third pilot, since Evil Roy Slade has been cobbled together from two hour-long films. John Astin is terrific in the title role, playing an outlaw so repulsive that, when he was orphaned and left stranded in the desert as a baby, even the wolves didn't want him! As an adult, Evil Roy Slade can't resist "going the extra mile" in his nastiness: while robbing a bank, he stops to pilfer a fountain pen chained to one of the desks, and the next shot shows Slade riding off into the sunset, dragging the desk behind him. Attempting to reform for the sake of pretty schoolmarm Betsy Potter (Pamela Austin), Slade simply cannot curb his crooked tendencies, so it's up to Dick Shawn as singing Sheriff Bing Bell ("Will somebody please answer that door?") to bring the criminal to justice. Shawn previously appeared in the original 1967 Sheriff Who? pilot as the "fastest interior decorator in the West"; in both films, he's almost unbearably funny. The Marshall/Belson script is full of hilarious running gags and throwaway jokes. Our favorite bit concerns railroad magnate Mickey Rooney's legendary stubby index finger: "They still sing about it around campfires at night," claims Rooney--and indeed, they do. The supporting cast includes such never-fail laughgetters as Milton Berle, Henry Gibson, Dom DeLuise and Edie Adams; also, keep a lookout for John Ritter and Penny Marshall in unbilled bits. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1972
- PG
In this drama, a woman's dancing school is overrun by gangster's who begin using it for a betting parlor. As a result, she becomes the nanny for the mob boss's son. Soon she kidnaps him. Trouble and action ensue. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Lynn Redgrave, Victor Mature, (more)
- 1972
Hildegarde Withers, the schoolteacher/sleuth created by Stuart Palmer, was the central character in a series of RKO "B" films of the 1930s. Television tried to revive Hildegarde in the unsold pilot film A Very Missing Person, starring Eve Arden as a distressingly updated Ms. Withers and James Gregory as long-suffering Inspector Piper. Hildegarde and Piper join forces to ascertain the whereabouts of a runaway girl (Skye Aubrey), whose disappearance is connected with a murder. A Very Missing Person was one of three pilots for the proposed "rotating" series The Great Detectives, wherein the adventures of Hildegarde Withers would alternate with those of Sherlock Holmes and Nick Carter. None of the three components made it any farther than the pilot. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1972
Under the influence of sodium pentathol (the result of a visit to the dentist), Howard exhibits are heretofore unsuspected poetic side to his personality. Captivated by the "new" Howard, Carol instantly falls in love with him. Though Bob is convinced that this romance is a mistake, Emily tries to smooth Carol and Howard's path to true happiness, but as it turns out, Bob was right all along. Pat Morita appears as a bartender in a Chinese restaurant. Written by Charlotte Brown, "Bob and Emily and Howard and Carol and Jerry" originally aired on December 9, 1972. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Bob Newhart, Suzanne Pleshette, (more)
- 1972
- R
Where Does It Hurt? is a hospital comedy which is carefully designed to leave no interest group unoffended. In the broadest of broad comic manners, it recounts its tale of greed, ignorance and corruption in the medical profession. Dr. Albert T. Hopfnagel (Peter Sellers), a hospital administrator, is a doctor who is expert in the arts of bill-padding, unnecessary surgery, and kickbacks. His assistant (Jo Ann Pflug) has finally had enough of his destructive and dishonest shenanigans and gets him sent to prison. He is released a little too soon for comfort, however. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi
- 1972
- G
The title of this Bob Hope vehicle Cancel My Reservation is a multiple pun, referring to elements in the story. The ever-youthful Hope plays Dan Bartlett, a late-night TV talk show host. Frazzled, he takes a much-needed vacation in Arizona. There, he stumbles upon a murder and a conspiracy by local rancher, John Ed (Ralph Bellamy) to defraud a local Native American group of part of its reservation. Dan is a suspect in the murder, and must investigate in order to clear his name. Though the story is rather light, celebrities of all sorts have either small parts or cameos in this film, and much of the film's entertainment value comes from spotting them. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi
- 1973
Richard Widmark is Brock, a salty NYC cop who retires to a small town in California. Brock's plans to become a peaceful orange farmer are interrupted when his Native American ranch hand (Henry Darrow) is accused of murdering the local sheriff. Before long, Brock himself has been appointed sheriff, and has trouble adapting his big-city technique to the less hectic style of his adopted community. Brock's Last Case was supposed to be the pilot for a weekly series. As it turned out, the title was prophetic. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1974
When the strapped-for-cash Lamont (Demond Wilson) takes an outside job at a haberdashery, Fred thinks that the saga of "Sanford and Son Salvage" is at an end. To prevent this, Fred poses as an eccentric millionaire and heads to Lamont's place of business, intending to buy all the clothes and put the haberdashery out of business. Is it really necessary to note that the scheme backfires spectacularly? ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Redd Foxx, Demond Wilson, (more)
- 1974
Lamont (Demond Wilson) is sick and tired of his dad Fred's (Redd Foxx) grouchiness in general and hostility toward other minority groups in particular. Hoping to change his dad's attitude, Lamont invites a sensitivity group to the Sanford house. Without going into any further details, let it be said that Fred proves to be challenge of Everest-like dimensions. Pat Morita makes his first series appearance as the Sanfords' Japanese neighbor, Ah Chew. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Redd Foxx, Demond Wilson, (more)
Set in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the 1950's, HAPPY DAYS revolves around Richie Cunningham and his family and friends. A "wholesome" young man, Richie is a Jefferson High School student who would do anything to get a date and he spends plenty of time with his friends at Arnold's, the local burger joint. Contrasting with his wholesome nature is Arthur Fonzarelli, best known as Fonzie, a rough-around-the-edges motorcycle riding high school dropout famous for his slicked hair, leather jacket, and the catchphrase "aaayyyy!" Fonzie is a regular around the Cunningham house, with Mrs. Cunningham doting on him and Richie turning to him for advice on how to attract girls.
- Starring:
- Ron Howard, Henry Winkler, (more)
Season four of Sanford and Son was ushered in on Friday, September 13, 1974, with wonderful news for longtime fans of the series: after a well-publicized volley of recriminations between star Redd Foxx and the series' producers over Foxx's numerous (and somewhat bizarre) contractual demands, the actor was back to stay in the role of irascible Los Angeles junk dealer Fred Sanford. Before long, it was "business as usual," with Fred ruling the roost over his backyard junk business and his long-suffering son Lamont seeking out better means of making a living. Likewise, Fred resumed his ongoing war of words with his Bible-quoting, purse-swinging sister-in-law Esther (LaWanda Page), and his hot-and-cold engagement to nurse Donna Harris (Lynn Hamilton). Having more or less replaced Fred as head of the Sanford household during the waning months of season three, Whitman Mayo was back as Fred's oldest friend Grady Wilson, though by the end of season four Mayo would himself temporarily exit the series to star in his own spin-off sitcom, the short-lived Grady. Other regulars returning to the Sanford fold during the 1974-1975 season were Hal Williams and Howard Platt as police officers Smitty and Hoppy, Don Bexley as Fred's shifty pal Bubba, Nathaniel Taylor as Lamont's crony Rollo, and Gregory Sierra as rival junk dealer Julio Fuentes. Only one character of significance joined the series during this season: Pat Morita as Japanese-American restauranteur Ah Chew. The return of Redd Foxx performed wonders for Sanford and Son's ratings. Ranked third among America's most popular series during season three, the program was restored to the coveted "Number Two" spot during season four. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Redd Foxx, Demond Wilson, (more)
Happy Days was set in the 1950s in Milwaukee, the heart of middle-class America, and told the story of the Cunningham family. Mr. Cunningham (Tom Bosley) ran the local hardware store and Mrs. Cunningham (Marion Ross), like all good TV Moms, spent her time in the kitchen. Their son, Richie (Ron Howard), hung out at Arnold's Drive-In with his pals Ralph Malph (Donny Most) and Potsie (Anson Williams), trying to be as cool as the coolest greaser in town, the Fonz (Henry Winkler). Richie's sister, Joanie (Erin Moran), tagged along whenever she wasn't at her friend Jenny Piccolo's house. The Cunninghams also had an older son, Chuck, but he mysteriously disappeared after the first season.
- Starring:
- Ron Howard, Henry Winkler, (more)
- 1975
Pat Morita makes another series appearance as Fred Sanford's Japanese friend Ah Chew. Hoping to get Fred (Redd Foxx) to invest in a Japanese restaurant, Ah Chew puts on an impressive display of his vast -- and extremely inexpensive -- culinary skills. Fred is in fact so impressed that he converts the Sanford living room into a "teriyaki palace." ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Redd Foxx, Demond Wilson, (more)
- 1975
Hoping to impress his new girlfriend, a politically active young lady named Denise (Margaret Avery), Lamont (Demond Wilson) calls up a radio talk show to air his views on community affairs. Impressed by Lamont's eloquence, a number of highly-connected people suggest that he run for the state assembly. Though Lamont is eager to become a political mover and shaker, his dad Fred (Redd Foxx) remains skeptical. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Redd Foxx, Demond Wilson, (more)
- 1976
Farewell to Manzanar recounts a dark chapter in American history from the point of view of those most closely affected by it. This made-for-TV movie concentrates on the Wakatsukis, a Japanese-American family living in Santa Monica, California in the early 1940s. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, the family's father (Yuki Shimoda) is accused of selling fuel to Japanese submarines and is thrown in jail. His wife and children are shipped off to the internment camp of Manzanar in California, along with thousands of other American citizens of Japanese descent. Based on the autobiographical book co-written by Jeanne Wakatusi (played in the film by Dori Takeshita as a child and Nobu McCarthy as an adult) and her husband James D. Houston, Farewell to Manzanar explores not only the humiliations suffered by the Wakatusis behind barbed wire, but also their fears as to how they'll be treated by the white populace upon their release. Understandably one-sided, the film works best when celebrating the indomitability of the human spirit. Farewell to Manzanar was originally telecast March 11, 1976. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
An expensive war epic, Midway emulates The Longest Day and Tora! Tora! Tora! in attempting to re-create a famous World War II battle from both the American and Japanese viewpoints. The 1942 battle of Midway was the turning point of the War in the Pacific; the Japanese invasion fleet was destroyed, and America's string of humiliating defeats was finally broken. Though the battle itself was sufficiently dramatic to fill two films, Midway also has plotline involving the mixed-race relationship between Ensign Garth (Edward Albert), son of Navy Captain Matt Garth (Charlton Heston), and Haruko Sakura (Christina Kokubo), a Hawaiian girl of Japanese descent. The real-life personages depicted herein include American Admirals Nimitz (Henry Fonda), Halsey (Robert Mitchum) and Spruance (Glenn Ford), and Japanese Admiral Yamamoto (Toshiro Mifune, his voice once again dubbed by Paul Frees, whom Mifune personally selected for the job). For its original road show release, Midway was offered in the "Sensurround" process, which electronically shook and vibrated the audience's chairs during the battle sequences. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Charlton Heston, Henry Fonda, (more)
- 1976
In this drama, a man leaves his wife to join the circus. Many years later, he bumps into a pretty teenage girl who turns out to be the daughter he never knew existed. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- 1976
Hoping to impress his future grandson (Ed Crawford), Fred (Redd Foxx) weaves an incredible tale of his "heroic" exploits during WWII. Casting himself as the Patton-like "Major Fred G. Sanford," Fred concocts an unbelievable account based on every war movie cliché ever minted, culminating in a top-secret mission to sabotage a Nazi guided-missile plant. Naturally, Fred's contemporary cronies appear in his fabrications, among them "Lieutenant Lamont," "Fingers Rollo," and "Bubbaface Bexley." ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Redd Foxx, Demond Wilson, (more)
- 1978
In this comedy, inspired by Oh, God! and designed as a pilot for a TV series, an ambitious young angel persuades the Almighty to allow seven days to find six good people in Las Vegas. If he cannot, God will destroy the whole town. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
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