What's the Difference between Flower Drum Song the Book and Flower Drum Song the Movie?
| In the Book |
In the Movie |
Mei Li
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May Li
Portrayed by: Miyoshi Umeki
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Wang Chi-yang
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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)
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Madame Liang
Portrayed by: Juanita Hall
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Helen Chao
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Helen Chao
Portrayed by: Reiko Sato
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Wang San
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Wang San
Portrayed by: Patrick Adiarte
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Mr. Li
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Dr. Han Li
Portrayed by: Kam Tong
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Linda Tung
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Linda Low
Portrayed by: Nancy Kwan
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Flower Drum Song Book vs Movie
| In the Book |
In the Movie |
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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.
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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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This does not happen in the book.
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Wang Ta goes home and sees Mei Li in the garden. They talk for a while, then she tells him she expects to get married. Wang Ta does not know his father is trying to arrange his marriage to her.
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Master Wang's $87,000 is deposited without incident. His sister in-law teaches him how to write a check by spending $120 on a new suit; he hates the suit. His house staff thinks they might be fired if Master Wang adopts American ways
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Master Wang is taken to the bank by his sister in-law to deposit his money. He agrees to deposit his money there after he set off the bank's alarms. No new suit; his staff is not worried about being fired. |
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Wang Ta befriends the forty-one year old and unattractive Helen Chao so he can learn more about Linda Tung's shadowy brother. Helen is unattractive due to her pockmarked face. She is unable to get a boyfriend even though there is a shortage of Chinese women in San Francisco
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Helen Chao brings a new graduation robe to Wang Ta's room for him to try on. He invites her to his graduation, she is attracted to him, but he thinks of her as family. Helen Chao is rather attractive and about the same age as Wang Ta.
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Linda Tung is later involved in a gun battle when one of her jealous lovers attacked another man she was dancing with.
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This does not happen in the film. |