Schema Magazine

Shigeta's role in The Crimson Kimono is significant for many reasons. First, it should be mentioned that before Shigeta graced his role in The Crimson Kimono, Japanese-born Sessue Hayakawa played lead roles in silent Hollywood flicks all the way back from 1915's The Cheat.

(See Mako and Cary Tagawa talk about Hayakawa HERE in Jeff Adachi's 2006 documentary Slanted Screen

Aside from the aforementioned facts that Shigeta's role had him playing an America-born Asian who did not speak English with an accent, as well as playing a love interest of the lead (white) actress, the role was also a very rare lead (or technically co-lead with Glenn Corbett who play Korean war vets turned LA detectives "who are called upon to investigate the murder of a blonde burlesque queen named 'Sugar Torch'" in L.A.'s Little Tokyo).

In 1959, Mako had yet to make his TV debut (which he made in 1962), and though Mako was a far more regular presence on American TV and movie screens than Shigeta throughout their respective careers, he would never get a leading Hollywood role (though Mako was nominated for a Tony in leading role in a musical for the 1976 musical Pacific Overtures).

George Takei, who is best known, of course, for starting in 1966--going where no man had gone before with Captain Kirk and Dr. Spock--as Mr. Sulu in Star Trek, also actually appeared in his first TV show in 1959 though it was, again, a supporting role. Then in 1973 the already late Bruce Lee made his Hollywood debut (as the lead) in Enter the Dragon though some would likely view the lead in a martial arts flick to be somewhat different than that of a "regular" movie.

Perhaps Shigeta's co-starring status with Glenn Corbett could be compared with how, in recent years, Jackie Chan and Jet Li have made a string of co-starring roles with their white or black American counterparts in Chris Tucker, Owen Wilson, DMX, Jason Statham, etc. Though the notable difference is that Chan and Li have never and likely will never play Asian American roles.

Shigeta's most well-known role (other than Die Hard) was opposite another Asian American screen pioneer in Nancy Kwan, when they starred in the film adaptation of the Broadway musical, The Flower Drum Song in 1961.

It should be noted, however, that The Crimson Kimono was not one of the major productions of the film noir genre and that Fuller's acclaim as a leading film noir director would comes years laters as he was more of an edgy experimental director who explored controversial topics (as he did with racial tensions in Kimono). Fuller would go on to become a major influence for the French New Wave as well as for Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino and Jim Jarmusch.