The Teahouse of the August Moon

Marlon Brando stars as the Japanese interpreter who comes into conflict with Glenn Ford, as the latter attempts to bring American democracy and materialism to the Japanese island of Okinawa. As a satire on the culture clash it has some teeth, though not quite as lethal-looking as those worn by Brando as part of his hilarious make-up. Brando made the film partly to raise money to make a documentary about the UN's role in Asia - an interest that led to his 1963 feature The Ugly American - but he disliked Teahouse: "Glenn Ford and I proved how easily actors can ruin a good play or movie when they're so absorbed with themselves and their performances that they don't act in concert. "