I was pretty unfamiliar with the story of Pat Morita. I knew he was Arnold on Happy Days and Miyagi in the Karate Kid films. So I was quite interested when I saw this documentary popup on digital rental. And it’s a good, informative, and surprisingly moving watch.

I didn’t realize that he was a standup comedian in the 1950s and 60s… a Japanese American standup seems pretty unexpected for the time. I was, unfortunately, less surprised to learn he spent some time in a Japanese internment camp during WW2. The doc covers his career in tv through a whole array of guest spots on tv shows in the 60s and 70s before he landed Happy Days… and explains why he left that show. And, of course, it spends a good deal of time interviewing the cast and crew of the Karate Kid films.

But it’s strongest and most movie parts are about his alcoholism and the end of his life. I hadn’t known any of that either and it was genuinely moving.

So, yeah, I learned something interesting about a fairly interesting man. I recommend this doc if you have any nostalgia for Happy Days or the Karate Kid or just want to see a lot of archival footage of a young Pat Morita doing standup or appearing on Sanford and Son and The Love Boat.

Score: 84