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Giants and Toys (1958)

Kyojin to gangu (original title)
| Comedy, Drama | 22 June 1958 (Japan)
Giants and Toys Poster
In the middle of a fierce commercial competition between three caramel companies, an executive builds up a ditsy teenage girl as a mascot while simultaneously trying to uncover the rival companies' plans.

Director:

Yasuzô Masumura

Writers:

Takeshi Kaikô (novel), Yoshio Shirasaka

Stars:

Hiroshi Kawaguchi, Hitomi Nozoe, Osamu Abe | See full cast & crew »
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Cast

Credited cast:
Hiroshi Kawaguchi Hiroshi Kawaguchi ... Yôsuke Nishi
Hitomi Nozoe Hitomi Nozoe ... Kyôko Shima
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Osamu Abe Osamu Abe ... Wrestler
Kôichi Fujiyama Kôichi Fujiyama ... Tadao Yokoyama
Yoshihiro Hamaguchi Yoshihiro Hamaguchi ... Driver C
Tatsuo Hanabu Tatsuo Hanabu ... Fuyuzaki
Fujio Harumoto Fujio Harumoto ... Shimomura
Hisako Horigome Hisako Horigome ... Miyuki Fujimoto
Hikaru Hoshi Hikaru Hoshi ... Kurosawa
Kôichi Itô Kôichi Itô ... Haruoka
Naoyasu Itô Naoyasu Itô ... Nakazaki
Yûnosuke Itô Yûnosuke Itô ... Junji Harukawa
Shôji Kawashima Shôji Kawashima ... Eigineer
Hiroko Machida Hiroko Machida ... Suzue, Gôda's wife
Sachiko Meguro Sachiko Meguro ... Iwafuji
See full cast »
Edit

Storyline

As much a film of its moment as Sweet Smell of Success and just as lasting in its pertinence, this cruel satire is Masumura's masterpiece - although an excellent script (from a Ken Kaiko novel) and terrific cast deserve their share of the credit. Three confectionery companies are locked in cut-throat rivalry for a share of a market increasingly dominated by imported US candy. Goda (Takamatsu), a thrusting young exec with World Caramel, spots a young woman out shopping and decides to turn her into a celebrity who can star in his plan for a space age ad campaign. Kyoko Shima (Nozoe), averagely pretty and with exceptionally bad teeth, takes to the Pygmalion treatment like a duck to water and soon leaves behind her job with a failing taxi firm and her dysfunctional family. Goda's assistant Nishi (Kawaguchi), who dates a woman exec from a rival firm and proves a useless industrial spy, watches as both the girl and his boss succumb to mega-greed; the film's ending turns on whether or not ... Written by nishanth gunupudi

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

advertising | college friend | caramel | literature | japan | See All (21) »

Genres:

Comedy | Drama

Parents Guide:

Add content advisory for parents »
Edit

Details

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

22 June 1958 (Japan) See more »

Also Known As:

Giants and Toys See more »

Company Credits

Production Co:

Daiei Studios See more »
Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1
See full technical specs »

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User Reviews

Weird. Really, really, really weird.
23 February 2003 | by Mulliga – See all my reviews

I haven't seen any of Masumura's other films, but, if they are anything like "Giants and Toys," they are extremely strange. Think "Four Hundred Blows" crossed with "Greed is good" American-style capitalism in post-war Japan, and you've got a good idea of what the story is about. Wickedly on-target satire, good performances, and interesting visual ideas (including Warhol-esque shots of ads featuring World Caramel's poster girl) converge in a very good, if surreal, movie. It's not quite good enough to be a classic, but it is unpredictable and enjoyable to watch.
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