F-0136

Title:

Kurotokage
Black Lizard

Category:

S

Produced:

1968

Country:

Japan

Released:

Jul 1969 (film, USA); May 1992 (VHS); Mar 2007 (DVD)

Director:

Kinji Fukasaku

Writer:

Rampo Edogawa (novel); Yukio Mishima (stage adaptation); Masashige Narusawa

Actors:

Akihiro Miwa (Black Lizard - as Akihiro Maruyama); Isao Kimura (Detective Akechi); Kikko Matsuoka (Sanaye); Junya Usami (Shobei Iwasa); Yusuke Kawazu (Junichi Amamiya); Kô Nishimura (Private Detective Keiji Matoba); Toshiko Kobayashi (Hina); Sonosuke Oda (Harada); Kinji Hattori (Toyama); Koichi Sato (Ohkawa); Jun Kato (Sakai); Ryuji Funakoshi (Kozu); Mitsuko Takara (Show Dancer); Tetsuro Tamba; Yukio Mishima (Human statue)

Description:

Japanese sixties comedy featuring a cunning female jewel thief named Black Lizard (played by transvestite actor Akihiro Maruyama) who tries to kidnap Sanaye, a wealthy jeweler's beautiful daughter as part of a plot to steal the jeweler's expensive "Star of Egypt" diamond. To thwart the planned kidnapping, the jeweler hires Japan's number one detective, the brilliant Akechi (Isao Kimura). This sets off a dual between Black Lizard and Akechi as each tries to outwit the other. In the process, the two adversaries develop a mutual respect and affection for each other. Despite Akechi's efforts, Black Lizard and her crew are able to kidnap Sanaye and gain possession of the "Star of Egypt". Black Lizard takes Sanaye to her secret lair on a remote island which is populated by an eerie collection of naked human dolls. There Black Lizard plans to preserve Sanaye's beauty forever by turning her into one of her dolls. As Sanaye's doom quickly approaches, it is up to Akechi to save the day. (frye)

Language:

Japanese

Bach's Music:

Invention No. 4 in D minor, BWV 775

Invention No. 2 in C minor, BWV 773, arranged by Isao Tomita

Film Company:

Shochiku Company

Format:

Color (Fujicolor) film | VHS (Color, Letterboxed, NTSC) | DVD (NTSC)

VHS/DVD Label:

Cinevista Inc. [VHS]

TT:

86 min

Comments:

Watch selections:

Buy movie at:

Amazon.com [VHS] | Amazon.com [DVD]

Source/Links: IMDB
Contributor: Aryeh Oron (November 2007)