![]() ![]() He spoke candidly about what he called being pigeon-holed. The documentary is replete with interviews of Morita. Little did either know that fate would have them tying the knot a few decades later. ![]() This meeting led to many lasting professional and personal relationships, including Evelyn. His comedic spark is quite evident from the start.Īfter a friend insisted he come to Los Angeles, Sally Marr, Lenny Bruce's mother, became his agent. The film contains excellent vintage film footage of some of these early performances. Morita found a way to connect with audiences despite the stereotyping and racism he encountered. He made the number two program, The Hollywood Palace, in only four years. Morita had a five-year plan to be on The Ed Sullivan Show. By then, he had a wife and a young daughter, the first of three. He was finally sick of the grind, and at age 30, he decided to go into show business. He satisfied his duty to his parents, sacrificing his college dreams to help run the family business. Morita's parents opened a Chinese restaurant. That he lived at all is a story on its own.Īfter the war, many Japanese people claimed other ancestries to avoid open discrimination. There are more devastating details about his childhood revealed throughout the film. Morita joked that he was homesick for the hospital. His parents insisted on speaking Japanese with him, which furthered his alienation. Because he spent most of his childhood at the hospital, the young Morita did not feel close to them or his Japanese roots. An FBI agent came to the Shriners Hospital and escorted a young Morita directly to the Gila River internment camp in Arizona, where he reunited with his family. In the meantime, the United States joined World War II after the attack on Pearl Harbor. ![]()
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