Big Hit Pachinko Girl (1952)
Set in a bustling 1950s parlor, a beautiful counter clerk falls for a wealthy businessman’s son, only to have their romance derailed by a ruthless loan shark and a mounting family debt. As the parlor faces ruin, the narrative weaves through slapstick antics, musical numbers by Enka legends, and surreal interviews with real-life cultural figures. A chaotic "blueprint" for the Pachinko subgenre, this musical dramedy captures the obsession and desperation of the silver balls.
Director:
Torajirō Saitō
Writer:
Shiro Okusa
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Kingorō Yanagiya as |
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Yoshio Tabata as |
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Shintarō Kido as |
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Haruhisa Kawada as |
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Chieko Seki as |
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Reiko Miyagawa as |
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Nijiko Kiyokawa as |
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Roppa Furukawa as |
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Ichimatsu Ishida as |
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Keishichi Ishiguro as |
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Musei Tokugawa as |
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Junzaburō Ban as |
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Atsushi Watanabe as |
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Momotaro Sekisekitei as |
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Tatsuo Nishioka as |
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Satoko Yamashita as |
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Ichiro Namiki as |
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Shin Takemura as |
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Shigeru Ogura as |
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Unpei Yokoyama as |
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Atsuko Ichinomiya as |
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Satoko Date as |
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Masako Fujimura as |
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Kikuko Hanaoka as |
| Directing | Torajirō Saitō | Director |
| Writing | Shiro Okusa | Screenplay |
| Camera | Tatsuo Tomonari | Director of Photography |
| Lighting | Kiyoyuki Akiyama | Lighting Technician |
| Art | Masatoshi Katō | Art Direction |
| Production | Sadao Sugihara | Executive Producer |
| Sound | Yūji Koseki | Original Music Composer |
| Sound | Tsukuru Kataoka | Sound Recordist |