FAREWELL TO MANZANAR (TV)
Summary
A made-for-television movie about the U.S. government's forceable evacuation and detention of more than 110,000 West Coast Japanese-Americans in internment camps during World War II, following the attack on Pearl Harbor. Filmmaker John Korty's fact-based award-winning drama examines this shameful episode in American history from the perspective of one Japanese-American family. Based on Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston's autobiographical book (written with her husband James D. Houston), the story revolves around the sense of bitterness, exile, and shame experienced by the Wakatsuki family when they are uprooted from their comfortable home in Santa Monica and relocated to the Manzanar internment camp in California's Mojave Desert. First, Jeanne's father, Ko, who runs a successful fishing business with his sons, is taken away by the FBI for questioning. After a few days, his family reads in the newspaper that he is being charged with secretly supplying fuel and oil to Japanese submarines off the coast of California. Although the family knows Ko is innocent, they are surprised to see postings around the city saying that all those of Japanese ancestry will be sent to camps to live and work. Most of the people realize the reason for this "imprisonment" is the government's paranoia about spies and allegiance of Japanese-Americans. After being rounded-up and put on buses, the families are brought to the camps to live behind barbed wire in primitive, unsanitary barracks. However, the people at Manzanar, realizing that the only way to survive is by making the camp feel like their home communities, work hard to make the camp livable. Meanwhile, Ko, still imprisoned in North Dakota, is questioned by the FBI about his past involvement in the Japanese Army and his allegiance in this war. Back at Manzanar, though the living conditions have improved, the social and political climate has escalated and the camp has become divided among different factions. The workers at the camp threaten to go on strike, which will cause the camp to completely shut down, and arbitrators are brought in to settle the unrest. When the rebellion at Manzanar turns ugly, the military police use tear gas and open fire on the crowds. Soon after this near-riot, Ko is finally released from prison and sent to Manzanar where he reunites with his family in time for Christmas. When he arrives, the family is shocked by the changes in Ko's physical and mental state and wonder what went on while he was in prison. Meanwhile, the United States government is trying to get Japanese-Americans to fight in the war and also to sign oaths pledging their loyalty to America. Ko feels that the government is trying to use the Japanese-Amercians to fight so the American casualities will be kept to a minimum. Two of Ko's sons, Richard and Teddy, against Ko's wishes, are among the detainees at Manzanar who enlist in the army. As the structure of the camps begins to change for the better, Ko's sons are sent overseas to fight in the war. People who were once "prisoners" in these camps are now allowed to venture outside the walls and enjoy activities that they have been deprived of for many years. While the Wakatsuki family is packing up their belongings to leave Manzanar, a telegram arrives with news of Richard's death. Despite the disheartening news, the plans for the closing of all the camps becomes a reality when the end of the war is in sight. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: NBC
- DATE: March 11, 1976 9:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:47:09
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T:02631
- GENRE: Drama
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama; Japanese-American - Evacuation and relocation, 1942-1945; Asian American Pacific Islanders Collection
- SERIES RUN: NBC - TV, 1976
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- George J. Santoro … Executive Producer
- John Korty … Producer, Director, Writer
- Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston … Based on the book by
- James D. Houston … Based on the book by
- Paul Chihara … Music by
- Greta Chi … Narrator
- Frank Abe … Cast, Nishi
- Gretchen Corbett … Cast, Lois
- Lou Frizzell … Cast, Lou Frizzell
- Vernon Kato … Cast, Calvin
- Akemi Kikumura … Cast, Chiyoko
- Clyde Kusatsu … Cast, Teddy
- Mako … Cast, Fukimoto
- Nobu McCarthy … Cast, Misa/Jeanne Wakatsuki
- Morita, Pat (See also: Morita, Noriyuki "Pat") … Cast, Zenihiro
- Kip Niven … Cast, Capt. Curtis
- James Saito … Cast, Richard
- Seth Sakai … Cast, Joe Takahashi
- Yuki Shimoda … Cast, Ko
- Dori Takeshita … Cast, Jeanne
- Ron Weyand … Cast, Holtzman
- Mitsu Yashima … Cast, Granny
- Momo Yashima … Cast, Alice