Actress / singer Miyoshi Umeki passed away a week-and-a-half ago, on August 28th, at age 78.
She was the first Asian actress to win an Academy Award.
She won the best supporting actress Oscar in 1957 for her performance in the film 'Sayonara', based on the
James Michener novel.
She also made notable appearances in both the stage and film versions of
'Flower Drum Song', but of course I'll always remember her as Mrs. Livingston, the housekeeper on TV's
'The Courtship of Eddie's Father' from 1969 - '72.
I dearly loved that show as a little kid, and I remember at the time thinking it was the hippest thing on TV.
It was soon after its cancellation that she retired from showbiz.
See also:
- Miyoshi's IMDb listing
- Her obituary from The Washington Post
Born in Japan in 1929, in the years following WWII she became a popular nightclub singer while still in her teens, performing under the name of Nancy Umeki.
She emigrated to the US in 1955, signed a record deal with Mercury, and made several appearances on the Arthur Godfrey show, before being tapped for films and the Broadway stage.
Speaking strictly personally, I find the 'serene, child-like innocence' she was known for in performance just a tiny bit off-putting.
It seems an odd choice.
Maybe it was the era, or maybe it was just the niche she was meant to fill - - ?
Regardless, her voice was lovely.
From Miyoshi Umeki's 'Miyoshi' LP (Mercury Records, 1959),
listen to:
You Make Me Feel So Young
They Can't Take That Away From Me
That Old Feeling
Wonder Why
I Could Write A Book
(click for audio)
ADDENDUM, 6/20/08: Fans of 'Eddie's Father' may want to click over to PhillyRadioGeek's
Bill Bixby Tribute at Me And You And A Blog Name Boo. (follow link)
Actress / singer Miyoshi Umeki passed away a week-and-a-half ago, on August 28th, at age 78.
