| Pat Noriyuki Morita, the character actor who | | | | internment camp which detained thousands of |
| made famous the character of Mr. Miyagi in the | | | | Japanese Americans during World War II as a |
| "Karate Kid" movies, has died at his home in Las | | | | "security measure". In the movie, it is revealed |
| Vegas at the age of 73.With over a hundred film | | | | that Miyagi had received the news of their deaths |
| credits and over 60 TV credits to his name, | | | | while he was serving with distinction in the U.S. |
| Morita appeared in episodes of "M*A*S*H" and | | | | Army in Europe, service for which he had |
| "Magnum PI" before capturing the popular | | | | received the Bronze Star. The scene touches |
| imagination as Arnold on the long-running "Happy | | | | indirectly on Morita's own experiences; he was |
| Days" series. Morita left the show in 1976 to star | | | | nine years old when World War II began, and he |
| in a short-lived series of his own, "Mr. T and Tina." | | | | and his parents spent much of the war in an |
| He won the breakout role of the humble, wise, | | | | internment camp in Arizona.Morita co-wrote and |
| and kindhearted Miyagi opposite Ralph Macchio as | | | | starred in the 1987 film "Captive Hearts," a |
| teenaged Daniel in the first "Karate Kid" movie in | | | | little-known film about a Japanese town which first |
| 1984, and reprised the role in "The Karate Kid" | | | | captures and then protects two downed |
| Parts II and III, also starring Macchio, in 1986 and | | | | American airmen during the last days of World |
| 1989. In 1994 he recreated the Miyagi character | | | | War II. The quiet film exhibits a gentleness which |
| for "The Next Karate Kid" opposite an | | | | suggests that the equally gentle nature of Miyagi |
| up-and-coming young actress, Hilary Swank, as | | | | was a reflection of Morita himself rather than a |
| Julie. The 1984 movie earned him an Oscar | | | | creative choice by the authors or directors of the |
| nomination.The immensely popular "Karate Kid" | | | | "Karate Kid" series.Actors and other celebrities |
| movies in some ways were overblown and | | | | come and go in the attentions of the American |
| simplistic; the bullied victims, first Daniel and then | | | | public, and many have a flash of fame and then |
| Julie, were viciously bullied and victimized; the | | | | are forgotten. But others remain in our hearts and |
| villains were unremittingly evil and violent. But the | | | | minds, and come to be seen almost as kin. With |
| Miyagi character was pure gold. At once a loving | | | | the passing of Pat Morita, it seems as if we've |
| parent figure and strict disciplinarian, he lived and | | | | lost a much beloved member of our American |
| taught a peaceful wisdom which helped both of | | | | family.Aldene Fredenburg is a freelance writer |
| his young students to a deeper understanding of | | | | living in southwestern New Hampshire and |
| themselves and a kind of self-control more | | | | frequently contributes to Tips and Topics. She has |
| important than any physical self-defense | | | | published numerous articles in local and regional |
| lessons.Most of the humor in the films surrounded | | | | publications on a wide range of topics, including |
| the character of Miyagi, who also exhibited the | | | | business, education, the arts, and local events. Her |
| most complexity of any character in the series. | | | | feature articles include an interview with |
| He was at once wise and flawed; in one scene, he | | | | independent documentary filmmaker Ken Burns |
| drank himself to sleep in an attempt to deal with | | | | and a feature on prisoners at the New Hampshire |
| the loss, years earlier, of his wife and newborn | | | | State Prison in Concord. |
| child. They had died in Manzanar, a California | | | | |