Figure 1.--This is Jon Provost in a studio publicity shot. This is the costume he wore in "Escapade in Japan". Notice the peaked cap. |
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Adventures of two runaways in Japan. One boy is an American (Jon Provost) who plays Tony Sanders. The other is Japanese (Roger Nakagawa) who plays Hiko. The American boy is separated from his parents when his plane is forced down at sea. The two boys take off after convining themselves that the police will put the american boy in jail. They avoid the police thinking they will be arrested. The picture shows him reunited with his screen father played by Cameron Mitchell (Dick Sanders) who went on to play Buck Cannon in the TV series "High Chaparal". Clint Eastwood was also in this film playing Dimbo Pilot. Both boys wear short pants, but they are long baggy ones. Jon wears knee socks. Japan looks very different than today. A lot of Japanese children are pictured and many of the boys are in shorts, but none are in the short shorts that they began to wear in the 1950s. (HBC is unsure just when the shorter style shorts became more common in Japan. I believe it was the 1950s.) Jon is probably about 6 years old. The boys are taken in by Gishas and given a bath, all quite modest. The boys are against the idea at first, but are pictured playing up to their necks in water in the deep stand up type bath that the Japanese use. Jon's costuming rather reflected trends in American boys' wear. Younger boys, especially those from affluent families might wear short pants suits, but few continued to wear them very long after they began school. Jon of course began a long run as Timmy on the American TV production of Lassie in which he appeared in a checkered shirt and long pants (usually jeans), and sneakers (Keds).
One boy is an American (Jon Provost) who plays Tony Sanders. The other is Japanese (Roger Nakagawa) who plays Hiko. The picture shows him reunited with his screen father played by Cameron Mitchell (Dick Sanders) who went on to play Buck Cannon in the TV series "High Chaparal". Clint Eastwood was also in this film playing Dimbo Pilot. Jon is probably about 6 years old. Jon of course began a long run as Timmy on the American TV production of Lassie in which he appeared in a checkered shirt and long pants (usually jeans), and sneakers (Keds). In this film his performan is reasonable, but I though rather wooden. It was the little Japanese boy who gave a charming performance. A little Japanese girl had a small role, but was chasrming.
The really interesting part of this film was the setting--post-World war II Japan. The film was made in the last few years of the American occupation. Japan looks very different than today. The amazing thing is how deserted the streets look. It is such a sharp contrast withhow Japan looked in the early 70s when I visiited, let alone today.
Adventures of two runaways in Japan. The American boy is separated from his parents when his plane is forced down at sea. He is picked up by a Japanese fishing family ith a liitle boy. The parents go to get th police when they return to port. The Japanese boy thinks they will put his friend in jail. The two thus take off for Tokyo where the American boy's parenbts are. They avoid the police thinking they will be arrested. The boys are taken in by Gishas and given a bath, all quite modest. The boys are against the idea at first, but are pictured playing up to their necks in water in the deep stand up type bath that the Japanese use.
Both boys wear short pants, but they are long baggy ones. Jon's costuming rather reflected trends in American boys' wear. Jon wears knee socks. Younger American boys, especially those from affluent families might wear short pants suits, but few continued to wear them very long after they began school.
This film is especially interesting because large nimbers ogf Japanese children appear, especiallin the scene with the school trip. Jon and Roger were costumed, but the other chilkdrn in the film just wore thir own clothes. As the children pictured did not wear school uniforms, it is wnderful time capsule of how Japanese children dressed in the mid-1950s. Seeing the film you would think that Hapanse primary children did not wear school uniforms. There are, however, not enough schools depicted to make any assessment on this. A lot of Japanese children are pictured and many of the boys are in shorts, but very few are in the short shorts that they began to wear in the 1950s. We nore a few nboys in short horts, but vey few. Most of the oys wear the loger shorts like Roger wire. There were even quite number of boys in long pants. (HBC is unsure just when the shorter style shorts became more common in Japan. I believe it was the 1950s. This films suggests that it was after 1957.)
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