1941
PENNY
SERENADE
starring Irene Dunne
& Cary Grant
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The earliest known cinematic portrayal of dwarf potted trees is this black
and white Columbia film. About twenty minutes into the film, a few
nondescript trees are seen, mainly inside the traditional home in Japan
recently purchased by Roger Adams (Grant). With a few upturned bunches
of needles, a small pine in a rectangular pot sits on a low table in the
middle of the first room. A curving tree in a medium-sized decorated
Chinese bowl is against a wall by the window in the upstairs bedroom.
An artificial Ming*-type creation is also inside, and at least two other
living trees are seen briefly outside the house, which shortly after is
demolished by an earthquake.
{Released April 24}
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1956
THE
MAN IN THE GRAY FLANNEL SUIT
starring Frederick March
& Ann Harding
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About halfway through the 20th Century Fox color production, there is a
brief scene with the actors, Frederick March and Ann Harding. In
a scene taking place in the Connecticut home of Mrs. Hopkins (Harding),
two pines are seen in a large white shallow round dish around the corner
from the main entrance on a raised level. The three-foot-high trees
are not in a traditional bonsai shape or closely pruned, but other Oriental
decor is visible in the scene.
{
Gregory
Peck is the star of the film, March is his boss. Released May 8
}
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1957
TV Channel 5 KTLA
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John Naka gave a bonsai demonstration on "Garden Chats" with Joe Littlefield.
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1967
TV - NBC
"Dragnet"
starring Jack Webb
& Harry Morgan
(Mark VII Production)
{"The Gun" episode}
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An {April 27}
episode of "Dragnet" paid homage to the art.
Sgt. Joe Friday (Jack Webb), and his partner, Officer Bill Gannon (Harry
Morgan), investigate the death of Reiko Hashimoto, a woman who had been
shot to death in her home. A foot-high Ming tree is clearly visible
in several scenes. It sits on the front room table in a very shallow
black rectangular tray. Piled sand and a white porcelain figure complete
the piece. When a seated nurse (Kathleen Freeman) talks to Friday,
she briefly touches a branch of the tree as the camera moves in for a close-up
of the bright green but -- to us -- obviously artificial pine needles.
{
What looks to be a large juniper in a deep round pot is seen when Friday
steps out to contemplate the crime in the victim's garden. Two large
pom-pom trees in large dark undercut trapezoid containers flank the doorway
to the house, a pine to the left and a short-needled pine or juniper to
the right. They are seen again at the end of the episode.
}
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1969
TV - "Family Affair"
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John Naka served as a consultant for the script of the "Mr. Osaki's Tree,"
an episode of "Family Affair" TV series. (Don Fedderson Production, CBS)
{While John worked on the episode in 1969, the actual air date was
Jan. 22, 1970. Please see this recent review, "Hollywood Bonsai
Critics - Family Affair = Mr Osaki's Tree"}
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1971
TV - Channel 23
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John Naka gave lecture-demonstrations on Channel 23 "Garden Master" TV
show, as a guest of Pensacola, Florida botanist, Dr. William Benette.
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1973
TV Channel 4
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John Naka gave a lecture-demonstration on Channel 4 KABC "Expressions East/West"
for the episode "Bonsai -- Nature's Echo." He appeared again on Channel
23.
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1980
TV - NBC
"Shogun" mini-series
NBC, Paramount
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In the first episode of James Clavell's "Shogun" mini-series, an upright
dwarfed potted pine and two unpruned maples are seen on the veranda of
the house in which John Blackthorne (Richard Chamberlain) first awakens
after being shipwrecked. Approximately twelve to eighteen inches
high and in medium-sized light brown rectangular earthenware or wooden
containers, the trees are briefly seen there later as Blackthorne starts
toward the beach to board an Osaka-bound galley.
{Aired September 15}
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1982
BLADE
RUNNER
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In the Warner Bros. movie, what appears to be a rock-grown juniper or pine
is seen in the quarters of detective Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford).
{Released
June 25} In the 1991 Director's cut version, about 15 minutes into the film when Deckard first meets
Raechel (Sean Young) in the Tyrell office, a tree is briefly seen on the long table where they sit down to
talk with Tyrell (Joe Turkel) during the interview. Actually, a pair of trees is on the table, a foot-tall
or slightly more with foliar masses as uncut pom-poms. The tree on the left side has multiple foliage
layers and mounded soil; the one on the right is in a rectangular pot. About fifteen minutes later, in Deckard's
apartment, when he goes into his kitchen to get a glass for Raechel, another bonsai is seen up front right of center
when looking back at her. The trunk line moves to the right as it goes up into two thin foliage layers.
In the dim lighting it is seen briefly again when she leaves. Then it is seen again about another
quarter hour later when Deckard goes to watch TV. This time we see the tree from the side, off the
end of his couch. It has a more complex design than initially viewed. {Please see this recent
review, "Hollywood Bonsai Critics - Bladerunner 1982"}
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1984
TV - NBC "Night Court"
{"The Nun" episode}
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In an episode of "Night Court," Judge Stone (Harry Anderson) goes to a
Japanese restaurant with Sarah (Dinah Manoff), a former novice nun.
At least three bonsai are seen, two of them on either side of the pair's
booth. (Air date Sept. 27.)
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THE
KARATE KID
(Columbia)
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The art's biggest celluloid popularizer was also released this year.
"The Karate Kid" introduces Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) who has just
moved from New Jersey to California. Ralph learns karate and the
essence of bonsai from the local maintenance man, Mr. Miyagi (Noriyuki "Pat" Morita).
{Released June 22} {Note: The 2005 Special Edition DVD of this movie
has a "Life of Bonsai" featurette listed in the special features. That is an interview with
Ben Oki at the Huntington Botanical Garden! When he mentions
that he never called John Naka anything but Naka-san, Ben is trimming
Leroy's olive. (Finally seen by RJB
07/27/08, at son Andrew's first complete viewing of movie.) {Please see this recent
review, "Hollywood Bonsai Critics - Karate Kid"}
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1986
THE
KARATE KID,
PART
II
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"The Karate Kid, Part II" takes place on Okinawa in Miyagi-san's home village.
Some assorted trees appear in a garden courtyard of a private home.
They do not fare well when a message is delivered to Miyagi from his old
friend and rival who seeks to avenge his injured honor.
{Released June 20}
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1987
PBS-Station WGBH
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A November "Victory Garden" featured John Naka and his collection.
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1988
TV - NBC
Winter Olympic Coverage
{Oops! SUMMER
was in SEOUL (Winter was in Calgary, Canada)}
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The Winter Olympic coverage from Seoul, Korea, had a single bonsai placed
on the table in the announcer's pagoda, but only during Bob Costas' stints
(afternoons, local time). This informal upright, a green broadleaf
tree with thumbnail-sized leaves, had a trunk splitting off into two main
branches. It was about a foot tall in a dark green bowl and was placed
on Costas' right.
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PBS "Victory Garden"
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The bonsai collection at the Montreal Botanic Garden was shown in an episode
of "The Victory Garden" which aired in late February.
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1988-1994
"Good Morning America"
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From 1988 through 1994, the ABC "Good Morning America" program had bonsai
and Ming trees as set decorations.
In a late November, 1988 "Good Morning America" episode, Spencer Christian
interviewed Bob Drechsler, curator of the National Bonsai Collection at
the National Arboretum in Washington, D.C.
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