“You Don’t Know Jack: The Jack Soo Story”
November 6, 2009
“You Don’t Know Jack: The Jack Soo Story”
San Francisco — The Asian Pacific Democratic Club and Public Defender Jeff Adachi invite you to an exclusive preview presentation of “You Don’t Know Jack: The Jack Soo Story.” You Don’t Know Jack is a new one-hour documentary film by filmmaker and our city’s Public Defender Jeff Adachi premiered at the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival in March 2009.
The film tells the fascinating story of a pioneering American entertainer Jack Soo, an Oakland native who became the first Asian American to be cast in the lead role in a regular television series Valentine’s Day (1963), and later starred in the popular comedy show Barney Miller (1975-1978, laying the groundwork for a new generation of Asian American actors and comedians.
The film features rare footage and interviews with Soo’s co-stars and friends, including actors George Takei, Nancy Kwan and Max Gail, comedians Steve Landesberg and Gary Austin, and producer Hal Kanter, tracing Jack’s early beginnings as a nightclub singer and comedian, to his breakthrough role as Sammy Fong in Rogers and Hammerstein’s Broadway play and film version of The Flower Drum Song. The film also explores why Soo, a former internee who was actually born Goro Suzuki,was forced to change his name in the post WWII era, in order to perform in clubs in the mid-west. Because of his experiences, throughout his career in films and television, Soo refused to play roles that were demeaning to Asian Americans and often spoke out against negative ethnic portrayals.
When: Monday, 11/9. 6:30PM refreshments; 7PM movie; 8PM Q&A with director Jeff Adachi.
Where: Dolby Laboratories, 100 Potrero Ave, San Francisco, CA.
RSVP: apdcsf@gmail.com or leave a message at (415) 333-4338.
For more information, please visit www.jacksoo.com.
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Photo of Jack Soo courtesy of jacksoo.com.
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2 Responses to ““You Don’t Know Jack: The Jack Soo Story””
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can’t wait until somebody leaks it to youtube. Could somebody at least put up a trailer?
Always liked the unique characters and the non-stereotypical personalities he played…”Hey daddy-o.”