Flower Drum Song is a musical film released in 1961, directed by Henry Koster and based on the Broadway musical of the same name. The movie is set in San Francisco's Chinatown in the late 1950s and tells the story of Mei Li, a young refugee from China who travels to America as a mail-order bride.
Mei Li is promised in marriage to Sammy Fong, the son of a wealthy Chinatown businessman, but when she arrives in San Francisco, she discovers that Sammy is in love with Linda Low, a performer at a nightclub. Mei Li decides to leave Sammy and becomes friends with Linda and her unconventional family, who run a struggling theater.
As Mei Li becomes more assimilated into American culture, she finds herself falling in love with Wang Ta, a handsome nightclub owner. But her traditional upbringing and loyalty to her family threaten to keep her apart from him.
The film is a vibrant and colorful musical, featuring classic songs like "I Enjoy Being a Girl" and "A Hundred Million Miracles." It explores themes of cultural identity, family dynamics, and love in all forms. Despite some criticism of the film's portrayal of Chinese culture, it remains a beloved classic of the musical genre.