Miyoshi Umeki, who won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her performance in the 1957 film Sayonara, has died of cancer. She was 78: Oscar Winner Miyoshi Umeki Dies at 78.
She also starred as Mei Li in Rodgers and Hammerstein's 1961 all-Asian American musical Flower Drum Song, and later as Mrs. Livingston in the 1969 television sitcom The Courtship of Eddie's Father.
I've often wondered what happened to her, but she retired from show business in the early 1970s, moved out of the public eye and settled in a small town in Missouri.
She was a talented, charming actress. I've never been a fan of Sayonara, but I'll always remember her wonderful performance in Flower Drum Song. In fact, I think I rewatch it tonight in her honor. Rest in peace, Miyoshi Umeki.
