The Ghost Cat and the Mysterious Shamisen

The Ghost Cat and the Mysterious Shamisen
Theatrical release poster
Directed byKiyohiko Ushihara
Written byKenji Hata
StarringSumiko Suzuki
Production
company
Release date
  • 1938 (1938)
CountryJapan
LanguageJapanese

The Ghost Cat and the Mysterious Shamisen (Japanese: 妖絃怪猫伝(Yōgen Kwaibyō den), Hepburn: Kaibyō nazo no shamisen), or Ghost Cat's Mysterious Shamisen,[1] is a 1938 Japanese horror film directed by Kiyohiko Ushihara. Produced by Shinkō Kinema,[2] it stars Sumiko Suzuki, an actress known for her roles in "ghost cat" films (kaibyō eiga or bake neko mono).[2][3]

Premise

Mitsue is a popular stage actress and the lover of a shamisen player named Seijuro. She jealously murders two other objects of his affection: Okiyo, a young woman from a samurai family, and Kuro, a cat. The spirits of Okiyo and Kuro then merge into a vengeful ghost.[4]

Cast

Release

The Ghost Cat and the Mysterious Shamisen was released in 1938.[3][2]

In October 2018, the Indiana University Cinema held a 35 mm screening of the film.[5] Two months later the film was also screened at the Metrograph, an independent movie theatre in Manhattan, New York.[4][6][7]

References

  1. ^ Sharp, Jasper (2011). Historical Dictionary of Japanese Cinema. Scarecrow Press. p. 86. ISBN 978-0810857957.
  2. ^ a b c Fujiki, Hideaki; Phillips, Alastair, eds. (2020). The Japanese Cinema Book. British Film Institute. p. 301. ISBN 978-1-8445-7678-4.
  3. ^ a b Murguía, Salvador Jimenez (2016). The Encyclopedia of Japanese Horror Films. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 306. ISBN 978-1442261662.
  4. ^ a b c d Burgos, Danielle (3 December 2018). "The Ghost Cat and the Mysterious Shamisen". Screen Slate. Archived from the original on 15 July 2021. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
  5. ^ "The Ghost Cat and the Mysterious Shamisen (Kaibyô nazo no shamisen)". cinema.indiana.edu. 2018-10-29.
  6. ^ "Listings: Thursday, December 6th 2018". Screen Slate. Archived from the original on 15 July 2021. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
  7. ^ "Listings: Friday, December 7th 2018". Screen Slate. Archived from the original on 15 July 2021. Retrieved 15 July 2021.