Joe Butterfly backdrop
COMEDY . 1957 . 1h 30m . 5.8/10

Joe Butterfly_

"The Uproarious Saga of Those Hilarious Heroes Who Took Tokyo in a Storm of Laughter with their Riotous Operation Kimono!"

The staff of "Yank" magazine are among the first American troops into Tokyo after the Japanese surrender. Their mission: produce an issue of the magazine...in three days. To accomplish the seeming impossible, they reluctantly enlist the aid of black marketeer and arch-conniver Joe Butterfly, who sets them up in a palatial private mansion, complete with lovely daughter -- strictly against regulations. How much trouble can our heroes talk their way out of?

Starring Burgess Meredith, Audie Murphy, George Nader
5.8/10
Rating
1h 30m
Runtime
1957
Year
Updated Feb 16, 2026
Joe Butterfly poster
The Uproarious Saga of Those Hilarious Heroes Who Took Tokyo in a Storm of Laughter with their Riotous Operation Kimono!

The staff of "Yank" magazine are among the first American troops into Tokyo after the Japanese surrender. Their mission: produce an issue of the magazine...in three days. To accomplish the seeming impossible, they reluctantly enlist the aid of black marketeer and arch-conniver Joe Butterfly, who sets them up in a palatial private mansion, complete with lovely daughter -- strictly against regulations. How much trouble can our heroes talk their way out of?

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DROPTHE_ GOSSIP

Cast
Burgess Meredith stars as Joe Butterfly in Joe Butterfly.
Burgess Meredith →
Year context
Joe Butterfly was released 69 years ago in 1957.
Overview
The staff of "Yank" magazine are among the first American troops into Tokyo after the Japanese surrender. Their mission: produce an issue of the magazine...i...
Joe Butterfly is a Comedy film with a runtime of 1h 30m.

CAST (18)

Burgess Meredith
Burgess Meredith
Joe Butterfly
Audie Murphy
Audie Murphy
Pvt. Joe Woodley
George Nader
George Nader
Sgt. Ed Kennedy
Keenan Wynn
Keenan Wynn
Harold Hathaway
Keiko Shima
Keiko Shima
Chieko
Fred Clark
Fred Clark
Col. E.E. Fuller
John Agar
John Agar
Sgt. Dick Mason
Charles McGraw
Charles McGraw
Sgt. Jim McNulty
SS
Shinpei Shimazaki
Boku
Reiko Higa
Reiko Higa
False Tokyo Rose
Tatsuo Saitō
Tatsuo Saitō
Sakayama
CS
Chizu Shimazaki
Mother
Herbert Anderson
Herbert Anderson
Maj. Ferguson
Eddie Firestone
Eddie Firestone
Sgt. Oscar Hulick
Frank Chase
Frank Chase
Yeo. Saul Bernheim
Harold Goodwin
Harold Goodwin
Col. Hopper
WW
Willard W. Willingham
Soldier
AR
Al Ricketts
Reporter (uncredited)

DETAILS

Release
Status
Released
Runtime
90 min (1h 30m)
Country
Rating
5.8/10 (2 votes)

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is Joe Butterfly about?
The staff of "Yank" magazine are among the first American troops into Tokyo after the Japanese surrender. Their mission: produce an issue of the magazine...in three days. To accomplish the seeming impossible, they reluctantly enlist the aid of black marketeer and arch-conniver Joe Butterfly, who sets them up in a palatial private mansion, complete with lovely daughter -- strictly against regulations. How much trouble can our heroes talk their way out of?
How long is Joe Butterfly?
Joe Butterfly has a runtime of 90 minutes (1h 30m).
Who stars in Joe Butterfly?
The cast of Joe Butterfly includes Burgess Meredith, Audie Murphy, George Nader, Keenan Wynn, Keiko Shima.
What is the rating of Joe Butterfly?
Joe Butterfly has a rating of 5.8 out of 10 based on 2 votes on TMDB.

GENRES (1)

Comedy
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