also known as ''The Call of the Foghorn'' is a 1960 Japanese film directed by Yamazaki Tokujirō. It was the final film of young star Akagi Keiichiro before his death, and considered his most famous work.

Plot

Sugi is a navigator of the ship Suzuran Maru. He returns to

Yokohama is the second-largest city in Japan by population and the most populous municipality of Japan. It is the capital city and the most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a 2020 population of 3.8 million. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of To ...

while his she is under repairs, and after getting into a brawl over a prostitute who calls herself "Sally," is informed of the death of his old friend, Hamasaki. Police call it suicide, but Sugi doubts it, and he starts to investigate by himself. Detective Morimoto tells Sugi that his friend was a drug dealer. When he returns home, he discovers that Sally had called him, but when he goes to her apartment, he discovers that she has been murdered. Sugi goes to speak with Hamazaki's girlfriend, Miyako. She tells him that she and Hamazaki were being targeted by the manager of the nightclub "35 Knots," where he had brawled and met Sally the day before. His name was Watanabe, and had also been targeting Sally, and her friend, Kazuko. Sugi hides Kazuko on the Suzuran Maru ship. Kazuko tells him that Sally's pimp had been missing since the night of Hamazaki's drowning. He suspected that Hamazaki isn't dead at all, and goes after Watanabe. Hamazaki tells Sugi to stop meddling. He shows Sugi a photograph that proves Hamazaki is a drug dealer. Discovering that his friend is indeed alive, he insists on knowing his whereabouts, so that he can hear it from his friend's lips. Hamazaki has been hoarding drugs and planning his escape. He returns to his hideout, ready to leave, and finds Sugi and Miyako there waiting for him. They confront him. He pulls out a gun. Just then, detective Morimoto knock on the door. Doing his arrest, however, his accomplice in the elevator attacks Morimoto and allows Hamazaki to escape. Morimoto shoots the both of them as they run away, and Hamazaki dies from his injuries. The movie ends with a saddened Sugi leaving Yokohama Port forever.

Cast

Keiichirō Akagi , born was a Japanese actor. Akagi appeared in over 26 films in his short three-year career. Kenju burai-chō series and The Call of the Foghorn are Akagi's notable films. In 1958, he joined the Nikkatsu company. He landed the lead role for the ...

as Sugi Keiichi *

Izumi Ashikawa is a Japanese actress. Ashikawa was called the Japanese Audrey Hepburn. In 1953, Ashikawa was scouted by director Yuzo Kawashima and joined the Shochiku studio. She made her film debut with ''Tokyomadamu to Osakafujin'' directed by Yuzo Kawashim ...

as Miyako *

Sayuri Yoshinaga is a Japanese actress and activist. She has won four Japan Academy Best Actress awards, more than any other actress, and has been called "one of the foremost stars in the postwar world of film." Career Her first media appearance was in the radi ...

as Yukiko * Ryoji Hayama as Hamazaki Morio *

Ryōhei Uchida was a Japanese ultranationalist political theorist, Pan-Asianist, and martial artist, active in the pre-war Empire of Japan. Biography Uchida was born in Fukuoka prefecture. He was the son of ''Shinto Muso-ryu'' practitioner Uchida Ryōgorō,M ...

as Watanabe *

Kō Nishimura was a Japanese actor who appeared in supporting roles in such films as Akira Kurosawa's ''The Bad Sleep Well'' and '' Yojimbo'', Kihachi Okamoto's ''Sword of Doom'', Yoshitaro Nomura's ''Zero Focus'', and Kon Ichikawa's '' The Burmese Harp'' ( ...

as Morimoto

Notes

* The theme song "Muteki ga ore wo Yondeiru," also sung by the lead actor, became a hit single on release of the film. * Yoshinaga Sayuri, who would go on to be a veteran actress, made one of her first appearances in this film.

References

External links

* Nikkatsu films 1960s Japanese films {{1960s-Japan-film-stub