Red Buttons + Miyoshi Umeki
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — Red Buttons
alexmokori — 19 years ago(July 20, 2006 06:32 AM)
Yes. May you rest in peace, Red. I had the fortune of actually shaking his hand not once, but twice in L.A. The first time at a tribute to Henny Youngman at the Friars Clubthe 2nd time at Kirk Douglas' 50th Re-Marriage Vow ceremony in Beverly Hills.it was on the second occasion that I managed to ask him the question that I'm sure many of us wondered about over the years.
"Mr. Buttons", said I. "Will we ever see you and your Japanese co-star from Sayonara, Miyoshi Umeki, reunite again"? Red shook his head sadly, his expression changed at once to once of sadness and he just looked at me and said, "we don't know where she is"..and then he walked awayI just stood there..regretting that I had brought up an unpleasant memory for him.
Rumor has it among the Japanese-American community that Umeki-san is alive and living somewhere in obscurity in Hawaii.."she doesn't want to be found" is what Nancy Kwan recently said about Umeki-sanstrange..one only wonders why. And if she will attend Red Buttons tribute at the Friars Club sometime in July-Aug.? -
lutherpons — 19 years ago(August 05, 2006 10:42 PM)
I saw Red often thru the years since the late 70's. I recall many dinners and a lot of laughs. Always I would ask him what became of Miyoshi Umecki. He'd always perk up and say he'd wondered himself. There were all kinds of rumors for many years. Back to Japan, retired in Hawaii, teaching dancing inHollywood, Sacremento, Seattle, Salinas. Were any true? Who knows? Maybe they all were.
When the Academy rounded up the former winners in 1998 people bombarded Red with questions about Miyoshi. Magazines wrote of those former winners who did not attend and Ms. Umecki was written about as in one of the scenarios listed above.
Red was sentimental about his Oscar win and he felt that he and Miyoshi were a team. When I last saw him 5 years ago, he said "if you find out anything let me know."
Well, with Red's death I thought of Ms. Umecki and where she is now. I hope she is in good health. Since Red's death I found out where she is and I am hesitant to invade her privacy. I wish I had known before Red's passing. I know he would have loved to speak to her.
At any rate she is neither in Hawaii, Japan or Hollywood. And for that she deserves her peace!