What's the Difference between Flower Drum Song the Book and Flower Drum Song the Movie?
| In the Book |
In the Movie |
Mei Li
|
May Li
Portrayed by: Miyoshi Umeki
|
Wang Chi-yang
|
Wang Chi-yang
Portrayed by: Benson Fong
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This Character does not appear.
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Sammy Fong
Portrayed by: Jack Soo
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Madam Tang (Master Wang's sister in-law)
|
Madame Liang
Portrayed by: Juanita Hall
|
Helen Chao
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Helen Chao
Portrayed by: Reiko Sato
|
Wang San
|
Wang San
Portrayed by: Patrick Adiarte
|
Mr. Li
|
Dr. Han Li
Portrayed by: Kam Tong
|
Linda Tung
|
Linda Low
Portrayed by: Nancy Kwan
|
Flower Drum Song Book vs Movie
| In the Book |
In the Movie |
|
This does not happen in the book.
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Mei Li is upset with Wang Ta for his being at Helen Chao's apartment. Wang Ta tells Mei Li how beautiful she is and says she is the girl he will love someday. Mei Li rejects him as she saw him with Helen Chao. She says she loved him from the first day she met him, but not any more. |
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Wang Ta and Linda Tung park in her car and make out. Wang Ta asks Linda to marry him. She says she has to get her brother's approval first. She says they can go to Carmel and stay at a hotel registered as a married couple. Later on, Wang Ta sees that Linda is in relationships with several other men. He is disgusted and leaves her.
|
Wang Ta makes a date with Linda Low. She drives him to a lookout point in the convertible Sammy bought for her. She says her brother bought the car. Wang Ta says he wants to go to law school to avoid working for three years; he tells Linda his father is very rich. Linda asks to wear his fraternity pin, they make out briefly, but she is just leading him on and using him to make Sammy Fong jealous.
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Master Wang negotiates for a suitable wife through a man in Hong Kong for Wang Ta as he is concerned about his involvement with Linda Tung (the dancer) and Helen Chao (who killed herself).
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This does not happen in the film. |
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May Li is accused, by the other servants, of stealing a gold clock that belonged to Master Wang's deceased wife. Wang Ta arrives home during the accusations and tells May Li that he has arranged to marry her that day. Everyone else is shocked. When the missing clock is found in May Li's luggage, she denies stealing it and flees the house along with her father.
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This does not happen in the film.
|
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This does not happen in the book.
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Sammy goes to Linda's apartment to beg for forgiveness for the arranged marriage to Mei Li. He says he will fix things. |