Lupin the 3rd: The Mystery of Mamo (1978)

While attempting to win the affections of a beautiful rival, a master thief risks death to learn the secret intentions of a wealthy and seemingly immortal, but certainly ruthless, recluse.

Directors:

Sôji Yoshikawa, Yasuo Ôtsuka (as Yasuo Otsuka)

Writers:

Monkey Punch (comic), Atsushi Yamatoya (scripts)

Stars:

Yasuo Yamada, Eiko Masuyama, Kiyoshi Kobayashi

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Yasuo Yamada	...	Arsène Lupin III (voice)
Eiko Masuyama	...	Fujiko Mine (voice)
Kiyoshi Kobayashi	...	Daisuke Jigen (voice)
Makio Inoue	...	Goemon Ishikawa XIII (voice)
Gorô Naya	...	Inspector Heiji Zenigata VII (voice)
Tôru Ôhira	...	Stuckey (voice)
Kôsei Tomita	...	Commissioner (voice)
Hidekatsu Shibata	...	Special Agent Gordon (voice)
Shôzô Îzuka	...	Flinch (voice)
Ichirô Murakoshi	...	Scientist (voice)
Shunsuke Shima	...	Dietman (voice)
Yûji Mikimoto	...	Police Officer (voice) (as Masaru Miyashita)
Kô Nishimura	...	Mamo (voice)
Haruo Minami	...	Chief Police Officer of Egypt (Special Guest) (voice)
Fujio Akatsuka	...	President (Special Guest) (voice)

Storyline

In Transylvania, Lupin III, the notorious international thief, is hung and no one is more suprised to learn of that than Lupin III himself, who was alive and well and nowhere near that area at that time. The answer to that mystery, begins to surface when Lupin gets a seemingly ordinary pebble from an Egyptian pyramid for his would-be girlfriend, Fujiko, the mercenary thief, who is in the employ of a mysterious figure known only as Mamo. Intrigued by this bizarre request, Lupin decides to get involved and finds himself in an international chase that has a greater scope and danger than he has ever faced.

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Plot Keywords:

nudity | female nudity | faked death | based on manga | anime | 

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Taglines:

Mamaux calls himself God. Who is he?

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Genres:

Animation | Action | Adventure | Comedy | Fantasy | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

PG-13

Details

Official Sites:

Geneon Entertainment [United States]

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

16 December 1978 (Japan)

Also Known As:

Lupin the 3rd: The Movie - The Secret of Mamo

Box Office

Budget:

JPY 500,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

TMS Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Key action sequences in this film were inspired by popular action films of the 1960's and 1970's. The helicopter equipped with duel machine guns was lifted from The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), the truck chasing Lupin and company was a nod to the film Duel (1971), and the red mini-cooper Lupin drove was a homage to mini-coopers utilized in The Italian Job (1969).

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Goofs

When Lupin, Jigen and Goemon start to pile into Fujiko's car, the manhole cover that was seen earlier on the ground is missing.

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Quotes

Goemon Ishikawa: The thing I can't stand is that secret indecent intention of yours!
Daisuke Jigen: Forget it. That's one thing you can never cure.
Goemon Ishikawa: And just what are you to Lupin? If you were a true friend, you should have cured his immoral habit years ago!
Daisuke Jigen: Don't get hysterical, you crazy man!
[a standoff between Goemon and Jigen ensues]
Goemon Ishikawa: I've been wanting to cut that hat of yours.
Daisuke Jigen: Hmm? What's that mean?
Goemon Ishikawa: I want to see if you're hiding a bald head!
Daisuke Jigen: Well, now! Wanna fight?

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Crazy Credits

According to linear notes on Discotek Media's DVD release, Toho originally exported the film with a modified title sequence made up of spliced footage from the film, and credits for major production staff in English. However, no credits were provided for the film's original dub cast.

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Alternate Versions

Half of the characters' names in the Japan Airlines' 1979 dub were changed. This includes: Dan Dunn-Jigen, Samurai-Goemon, Margo-Fujiko, Detective Scott-Inspector Zenigata, and Mr. Gissenger-Stuckey.

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Connections

Version of The Castle of Cagliostro (1979)

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Soundtracks

Super Hero
(1978)
Music by Yûji Ôno
Lyrics by Yôko Narahashi
Performed by Tommy Snyder
Published by Teichiku Records
(Heard only in the first English dub)

User Reviews

Time and youth have limit that's why we feel they're valuable.

I was traumatized with this movie in my childhood. But I couldn't understand a content enough for the first time because I was child. Now, I became an adult while keeping disliked creepy design. Although I was a big fan of Lupin the 3rd series, it was only a movie I disliked. Now I felt it was creepy absolutely.

Although I was afraid it why I didn't know before, I understood it now. I didn't think it had such a magnific theme.