In recent years, tragic accidents during film shoots have frequently been reported in the news. Especially in the Showa period (1926-1989), there were many spectacular film shootings in Japan. In this issue, we will select five “cursed films” that suffered from tragic troubles during production. We will look back at the background and details of the accidents, including cases in which famous actors were seriously injured and sometimes even killed.
Zatoichi” (1989)
Running time: 116 min. Director: Shintaro Katsu Original Story: Hiroshi Komozawa Screenplay: Shintaro Katsu, Tsutomu Nakamura, Tatsumi Ichiyama, Kyohei Nakaoka Casts: Shintaro Katsu, Yudai Okumura, Kanako Higuchi, Kenzo Tamu, Keizo Kanie, Takuzo Kawatani, Tsurutaro Kataoka, Rikiya Yasuoka, Yuya Uchida, Ken Ogata [Description Zatoichi (Shintaro Katsu), a blind anma-shi, comes to a seaside village, relying on his acquaintance. In the village, the family of Goemon, a member of a yakuza family, is running a gambling business. The young Goemon, the heir to the family, kills the big boss and takes up with the village’s powerful director, Hachishu… Zatoichi” is one of Shintaro Katsu’s best-known works, and has since been performed by Beat Takeshi, Shingo Katori, and Haruka Ayase. Shintaro Katsu’s version, in particular, has been the talk of the town since its release in 1962, with 26 films, 4 TV series, and 3 stage productions. However, an incident occurred in 1989 that blew away such a glorious history at once. Yudai Okumura (later changed his name to T.Karino), the eldest son of Shintaro Katsu, who directed and starred in the film, and one of the main cast members, slashed the actor who was to be killed with a serious weapon. The actor who was killed died on the spot due to a severed carotid artery. Okumura was questioned on suspicion of manslaughter. Why was Okumura given a serious weapon? This mystery led to a lot of speculation, but it was eventually discovered that the staff had changed the imitation sword into a serious one in order to make an impact. Okumura was acquitted on the grounds that he did not know it was a serious sword, and was subsequently placed under house arrest. The film was cranked up after January 18, despite the impact of the accident. The film was speedily released on February 4, a little more than two weeks later, and ironically, it became the best-attended film in the series. Plans for a sequel to this film were subsequently raised, but were abandoned due to Katsu’s possession of cocaine and a series of other troubles. This was the last film produced by Shintaro Katsu. Speaking of Katsu, we are reminded of his arrest in 1990 for possession of cocaine, and the way he made a big show of it in front of the press, saying, “I found myself in it when I came to,” “I will try not to wear pants anymore to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future,” and “I want to know why we had cocaine in our hands. The famous actor of the Showa period, who continued to be loved, left behind many legends and departed.
Sanae Abe