10 Most Awkward Instances Of Hollywood Whitewashing

6. Marlon Brando - Sakini - The Teahouse Of The August Moon

Sometimes you come face to face with a motion picture and end up wondering how in the name of all that is good it actually ended up happening; The Teahouse of the August Moon is one such movie, which sees arguably the greatest actor of all-time - Marlon Brando - adopting "yellowface" make-up for an entire film to play a Japanese guy called Sakini. A comedy of sorts, which was never the actor's strong suit, the film saw Brando reportedly travel to Japan and spend the sum of two whole months learning to act Japanese in order to properly play his role as an interpreter to a United States Captain. It's a very, very odd picture. Made in 1956, The Teahouse of the August Moon has since fallen into obscurity, which is probably a good thing given what Brando is up to here. Is it admirable that the method actor spent a lot of time at least trying to bring an authenticity to the part, or an ill-judged goof? The broken English his speaks throughout the movie would suggest the latter.