Brando's turn as an Okinawan 'host in a shell' haunts debate over 'yellowface'

Last year, a New York Times headline asked pertly, "Why won't Hollywood cast Asian actors?" Part of the controversy was the recent blockbuster "Doctor Strange," which was accused of "whitewashing" — i.e., changing an Asian character to a Caucasian.

The debate may continue this week with the Japanese release of "Ghost in the Shell," a manga adaptation starring Scarlett Johansson as the — originally Japanese — Maj. Motoko Kusanagi. Having denied claims it attempted to make Johansson look Asian through digital effects, the studio opted to change her character into "Major" — a cyborg that looks Caucasian-ish.

With this background, there was, naturally, little fanfare last year for the 60-year anniversary of "The Teahouse of the August Moon," a comedy in which Marlon Brando plays Sakini, an interpreter for the U.S. Occupation forces in Okinawa. Brando's casting is a notorious example of "yellowface," where a Caucasian in makeup plays an Asian character.