Jinchoge (1966)

Director:

Yasuki Chiba

Writers:

Yasuki Chiba (writer)
Zenzo Matsuyama (writer)

Release Date:

August 1967 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

Four sisters are all named after flowers. While the two youngest are married, the eldest two remain single, much to the annoyance of their long-suffering mother. The mother and her brother try various schemes to find husbands for them. |

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Machiko Kyô	...	Kikuko, Ueno, 1st Daughter
Haruko Sugimura	...	Aki Ueno, Daphne
Yôko Tsukasa	...	Umeko Ueno, 2nd Daughter
Reiko Dan	...	Sakura Ueno, 3rd Daughter
Yuriko Hoshi	...	Ayame Ueno, 4th Daughter
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ichirô Arishima	...	Old man
Yû Fujiki	...	Nomura
Natsuko Kahara	...	Asako Ohoka
Daisuke Katô	...	Shimada
Keiju Kobayashi	...	Ohoka
Hiroshi Koizumi	...	Maekawa
Norihei Miki	...	Terao
Tatsuya Nakadai	...	Professor Kanahira
Yosuke Natsuki	...	Nomura
Makoto Satô	...	Goro Kudo
Akira Takarada	...	Kudo
Tadao Takashima	...	Minegishi
Yasuo Tanabe	...	Tsuruo Ueno

Also Known As:

Daphne (Japan: English title)
The Daphne (USA)

Runtime:

106 min | 92 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

Izu-Fujimi Land, Shizuoka, Japan

Company:

Toho Company

Enjoyable romantic comedy

There were enough movies produced in Japan of this type to warrant its own sub-genre. "Marriage arrangement comedies" would sum it up. In this case, the two eldest of four sisters remain stubbornly single, partly because they are professionals. One is a dentist and the other her assistant.

Why the eldest seems to have had no suitors is a puzzle. She is played by one of Japan's loveliest actresses, Machiko Kyo (Japan's answer to Elizabeth Taylor). But this factor only adds to the comedy and, at times, farce. Her mother and uncle hatch several schemes to find suitor, much to Kikuko's rightful consternation. As a result, a variety of apparently suitable men plead their cases.

It is mostly light and frothy fun, although the tactics of a dentist setting up a rival practice in the neighbourhood have a somewhat darker edge. Recommended.