Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967)

Hepburn and Tracy are liberal white parents whose attitudes and beliefs are tested when their daughter announces she's marrying a black physician (Sidney Poitier).

It's an important film of its time.

Tracey died within days of completing his part and Hepburn won her third Oscar for her performance.

This was Poitier's year: He also starred in 1967's Best Picture Winner "In the Heat of the Night".

The Crimson Kimono (1959)

Two close-knit L.A. detectives investigate a stripper's murder in Samuel Fuller's underrated B/W film noir from 1959. Fuller wrote, produced, and directed the picture.

It begins as a mystery crime drama then evolves into a love story. Everything melds together in the end after a climatic street parade chase scene that reminded me of the one in 1993's The Fugitive.

The detectives are buddies, the best of friends. Both served in Korea together. One of the guys is played by James Shigeta (1933 - 2014) and he really impressed me. His character goes through an emotional transformation when he meets Victoria Shaw. There is a moving sequence where his character struggles with his own identity, and wrestles with labels such as "Asian American". It was great to see him take on the lead role in this picture, his only lead role other than The Flower Drum Song. 

Though there is an interracial romance, I didn't think it was the main focal point or a distraction. It added interest to story's love triangle that jeopardizes their friendship and the murder case.

I was delightfully surprised by the performance of Anna Lee in this picture. She plays a wise cracking drunk who helps the detectives throughout the case. A very different Anna Lee than I have ever seen.

Another review of this film from the blog Surrender to the Void

Han Suyin, Chinese-born author of ‘A Many-Splendoured Thing,’ dies at 95

Renowned Chinese-born writer Han Suyin, whose autobiographical novel was turned into the popular 1955 American film Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing, has died. She was 95.

Han Suyin was the author of about 40 books on modern China.

Read an article from the Washington Post here:
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1075192/chinese-revolutionary-author-han-suyin-dies-95

In the 1955 film, Han was played by white actress Jennifer Jones. Back in those days you could not have an interracial romance on screen. That was a big no-no. Even if the leading man was William Holden. The film won oscars for score, costume, and song, which was a huge smash.

Han Suyin