MY MR. MIYAGI STORY!

The Real "Mr. Miyagi"
Noriyuki "Pat" Morita
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Miyagi's Restuarant in L.A. that Michael Manning Visited!
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Want to hear an amusing story? Okay: While I spent a month in Los Angeles last Summer, I was told that Miyagi's Restaurant (8225 W. Sunset Boulevard) was a "must experience". So, I had dinner there and asked the bartender the obvious question. And no, the late and beloved actor Pat Morita never owned the restaurant that bears the famous last name of the film character he created three times. However, when Pat died in Las Vegas in 2005, this restaurant was suddenly overwhelmed with large sacks of mail filled with sympathy cards from grieving fans all over the world! At the suggestion of Producer Jerry Weintraub, "Pat" (a name he took from a Catholic priest after he was released from an Arizona internment camp at the end of World War II) reclaimed his first name of Noriyuki. Born to Japanese immigrant parents in Isleton, California he enjoyed great television success with roles as "Arnold" on the 1970's sit-com "Happy Days" and a recurring role as "Ah Chu" on NBC's "Sanford & Son". But while he worked steadily in films right up to his untimely passing (he finished 5 films in 2005), perhaps the most endearing role that Morita played is that of "Mr. Miyagi" in "The Karate Kid" film of 1984. Two sequels followed, but they never really equaled the fascination of the first film. Morita played a widower who worked at an apartment building and appreciated his small but amazing collection of rare automobiles. After meeting "Daniel-san" (Ralph Macchio) who was being terrorized by bully's, karate teacher Kesuke Miyagi (Morita) stepped in and taught the boy martial arts with an amazing teaching approach that wed balance, hard work and serenity to "The Golden Rule". Thus, the popularity of the saying "Wax On, Wax Off"--he assigned Macchio's character chores to improve his physical skills. He earned a Best Supporting Actor Nomination at The Academy Awards in 1985 but lost out to the late Dr. Hang S. Ngor who earned the Oscar for "The Killing Fields". I have to confess here that I still enjoy re-runs of "The Karate Kid". One of Morita's last roles was Master Udon in the Sponge Bob "Square Pants" episode. Earlier in his life, Morita endured spinal tuberculosis and later worked in computers at Aerojet General. His film break came in 1967's "Thoroughly Modern Millie". In a 1989 interview he recalled life in the American-Japanese internment. "One day I was an invalid. The next day I was public enemy No. 1 being escorted to an internment camp by an FBI agent wearing a piece", he said. His wife said that his life-long devotion was to comedy and Morita expounded on this fact. "Only in America could you get away with the kind of comedy I did. If I tried it in Japan before the war, it would have been considered blasphemy and I would have ended in leg irons".

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I wanted to tie-in my previous Blogpost about my own life-long love of automobiles with this story, since I noted that an old Packard I spotted and photographed here in Arizona during an oil change stop made me think of Noriyuki's role of Mr. Miyagi. Here we have another beloved actor who is dearly missed worldwide. I am forever fascinated by his life story because it reinforces to me that there is no one "path" to success. We each have our own individual trails to blaze, and it's all possible.

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Have a nice Friday, everyone!