Here's to the Girls (1949)
"Ojôsan kanpai" (original title)

Keizo Ishizu (Shuji Sano), owner of a car shop in Tokyo, meets Yasuko Ikeda (Setsuko Hara), the daughter of a former aristocratic family, on a matchmaking date arranged by Mr. Sato (Takeshi... See full summary »

Director:

Keisuke Kinoshita

Writer:

Kaneto Shindô

Stars:

Shûji Sano, Setsuko Hara, Chieko Higashiyama

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview:
Shûji Sano	...	Keizo Ishizu
Setsuko Hara	...	Yasuko Ikeda
Chieko Higashiyama	...	Yasuko's grandmother
Keiji Sada	...	Goro
Takeshi Sakamoto	...	Mr. Sato
Sachiko Murase	...	Proprietress of the bar

Storyline

Keizo Ishizu (Shuji Sano), owner of a car shop in Tokyo, meets Yasuko Ikeda (Setsuko Hara), the daughter of a former aristocratic family, on a matchmaking date arranged by Mr. Sato (Takeshi Sakamoto), a regular customer. They agree to start dating. At first it looks fun: he enjoys his first experience watching the ballet, and she finds herself getting into the excitement of a boxing match. But the doubts creep in, complicated by their differing social status. At the same time, Keizo's younger brother Goro (Keiji Sada) also decides to get married, going through a very easy courtship. With Keizo and Yasuko, however, it's on and off and on again, up until the very end.

---

Plot Keywords:

marriage

---

Genres:

Comedy | Romance

---

Details

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

9 March 1949 (Japan)

Also Known As:

Here's to the Young Lady

Company Credits

Production Co:

Shôchiku Eiga

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

References Aizen katsura (1938)

User Reviews

Subtle Comedy of Manners

The postwar democratization of Japan was supposed to make everyone equal. But the stigma of nobility and merchant class remained. So when car shop owner Keizo begins dating Yasuko, the daughter of former nobility, many complications ensue. Today this film comes across as just another match of opposites, and a not-particularly interesting one at that. But at that time it was major. This topic was dealt with more dramatically in Anjo-ke no Butokai (Ball at the Anjo's House) two years earlier. Here it becomes a comedy of manners. A very quiet comedy. As such, it may be hard to sit through for those expecting clever wit or humorous situations. Every gesture is very subtle: the touch of a glove in place of a hand, the foaming remains of a beer in a glass in the climactic scene. I liked the interaction between the two. Hara, as usual, is magnificent, playing shy and demure with traces of shock and amusement. Sano flicks between sullenness and earnestness, showing his charm and anger in equal measures. Kinoshita does a fine job directing this film, showing a postwar Tokyo where one could freely drive or ride a motorbike on the streets. But overall, it's hard to recommend this to anyone other than fans of the director or Setsuko Hara.