In the 1962 film My Geisha, Shirley MacLaine stars as Lucy Dell, a famous American comedienne who, in an attempt to prove her acting range and secure a dramatic role in her husband’s film, masquerades as a Japanese geisha named Yoko Mori.
The plot revolves around Lucy’s husband, Paul Robaix (played by Yves Montand), a film director who travels to Japan to film an authentic adaptation of Madame Butterfly. He intends to cast an unknown Japanese actress for the lead role, specifically to prove his directorial talent without relying on his famous wife.
Unbeknownst to him, Lucy follows him to Japan and, with the help of the film’s producer Sam Lewis (Edward G. Robinson) and a real geisha who teaches her the customs, completely transforms her appearance to pass as a Japanese woman. She auditions under the name Yoko Mori and wins the part.
MacLaine’s role required a significant physical transformation, including elaborate makeup and costuming to alter her Caucasian features to an “Oriental shape.”
Her performance is described in contemporary reviews as subdued and in keeping with the formal nature of the geisha role, showing her versatility beyond the “Lucille-Ball-type” comedienne character she plays at the beginning of the film. The film is a comedy of errors where her character has to maintain the elaborate deception throughout the filming process, even as her husband becomes romantically intrigued by the mysterious “Yoko Mori.”
The film was largely seen as a light, charming, though highly improbable, comedy. While praised for its beautiful on-location shots of Japan and MacLaine’s convincing performance, it has also been viewed as a product of its time, with modern discussions pointing out the use of “yellowface” and cultural insensitivity inherent in the premise, similar to modern discussions of Tropic Thunder.
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