My Geisha (1962)

A French director (Yves Montand), living and working in Hollywood, is married to an actress (Shirley MacLaine). Although he has directed most of her movies, her fame overshadows his own accomplishments. When he decides to film Puccini's MADAME BUTTERFLY on location in Japan with a genuine Japanese actress in the lead, he hopes that this movie will show he can be successful without his wife. But the actress wife decides to get the role by passing herself off as Japanese. Directed by the cinematographer (BLACK NARCISSUS) turned director (SONS AND LOVERS) Jack Cardiff. After the critical success of SONS AND LOVERS (nominated for 7 Oscars including best director), one wonders why Cardiff chose this film as his follow up vehicle. It's a rather tedious comedy produced by MacLaine's then husband Steve Parker, who lived in Japan during their marriage. The  "yellowface" isn't offensive here because it's not a Caucasian playing Japanese in a film part that should be played by a Japanese actress, it's a film about a Caucasian actress duping her husband into thinking she's Japanese. MacLaine is decent but her two leading men are problematic. During Montand's brief Hollywood sojourn (1960-1962), he exhibited none of the strengths of his work in French cinema, his acting in English is awkward. Robert Cummings as a womanizing lech is an old and tired act. With Edward G. Robinson, Yoko Tani and Tatsuo Saito.