Gambler Tales of Hasshu: A Man's Pledge

The story

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.

Cast

C Chiezo KataokaGenji The Fighting Top S Sonny ChibaSataro T Takashi ShimuraTobei S Sumiko FujiOchiyo Y Yachiyo ŌtoriOshino K Kensaku HaraMatsugoro of Kuroiwa M Michitarō MizushimaKoto Juheita J Jotaro TogamiSagara Denjuro H Hiroshi KatoThe Dragon of the Bush-Dead S Shunji SakaiMameroku H Haruo TanakaDaihachi S Shigeru YasunakaKenta

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T Tsukie MatsuuraOsugi K Kentaro OzatoTomekichi S Shunya WazakiByoshi T Takeshi KumagayaGosaku K Kazutarō KuniKosuke Y Yūzaburō SakaguchiKamekichi K Kinnosuke FujikiMasakichi of the Hannya M Mitsuru KawajiSeven with the Viper Crest