Gambler Tales of Hasshu: A Man's Pledge (1963)
This is one of the many films based on the legend of Chuji Kunisada, a wandering gambler and a defender of the weak in the Edo period. In other words, he was the Japanese Robin Hood. In this film Kunisada (Chiezo Kataoka) arrives to a small town terrorized by an evil gang. He insists that he is not Kunisada, as the word is Kunisada has been executed, but of course the audience know better. Sonny Chiba plays an unusual supporting role as a helpless young man unable to defend himself from the gangsters. He does, however, get to play taiko drums and dance with Junko Fuji (who makes her film debut here). Chiba's father, an old judge who helps Kunisada, is played by Takashi Shimura. The film hardly anything exceptional, but it's a pretty decent jidai geki / yakuza drama.
Director:
Masahiro Makino
Writers:
Kinya Naoi, Daisuke Yamazaki.
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Chiezo Kataoka as Genji The Fighting Top |
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Sonny Chiba as Sataro |
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Takashi Shimura as Tobei |
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Sumiko Fuji as Ochiyo |
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Yachiyo Ōtori as Oshino |
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Kensaku Hara as Matsugoro of Kuroiwa |
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Michitarō Mizushima as Koto Juheita |
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Jotaro Togami as Sagara Denjuro |
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Hiroshi Kato as The Dragon of the Bush-Dead |
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Shunji Sakai as Mameroku |
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Haruo Tanaka as Daihachi |
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Shigeru Yasunaka as Kenta |
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Tsukie Matsuura as Osugi |
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Kentaro Ozato as Tomekichi |
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Shunya Wazaki as Byoshi |
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Takeshi Kumagaya as Gosaku |
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Kazutarō Kuni as Kosuke |
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Yūzaburō Sakaguchi as Kamekichi |
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Kinnosuke Fujiki as Masakichi of the Hannya |
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Mitsuru Kawaji as Seven with the Viper Crest |
| Writing | Kinya Naoi | Screenplay |
| Sound | Taichiro Kosugi | Music |
| Directing | Masahiro Makino | Director |
| Writing | Daisuke Yamazaki | Screenplay |
| Camera | Shigeto Miki | Director of Photography |
