Kokusai himitsu keisatsu: Kagi no kagi
Kokusai himitsu keisatsu: Kagi no kagi (国際秘密警察 鍵の鍵, International Secret Police: Key of Keys), also known as Key of Keys, is a 1965 Japanese comedy-spy movie directed by Senkichi Taniguchi. It is the fourth installment of five movies in the Kokusai himitsu keisatsu series, a parody of James Bond-style spy movies.
| Kokusai himitsu keisatsu: Kagi no kagi | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Senkichi Taniguchi |
| Produced by | Shin Morita Tomoyuki Tanaka |
| Written by | Hideo Andô |
| Starring | Tatsuya Mihashi Akiko Wakabayashi Mie Hama Tadao Nakamaru Susumu Kurobe Sachio Sakai Eisei Amamoto Tetsu Nakamura Akemi Kita |
| Music by | Sadao Bekku |
| Cinematography | Kazuo Yamada |
| Distributed by | Toho |
Release date |
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Running time | 93 minutes |
| Country | Japan |
| Language | Japanese |
Woody Allen used this movie, combined with footage from the third installment Kokusai himitsu keisatsu: Kayaku no taru (国際秘密警察:火薬の樽, International Secret Police: Keg of Gunpowder), to make his directorial debut, in which the original dialogue is redubbed in English to make the plot about a secret egg salad recipe.
As part of Toho's "International Secret Police Series" 3rd part "Keg of Gunpowder" and 4th part "Key of Keys" were replaced by American movie director and actor Woody Allen, and a scene was added to take a picture of the bone. It was re-edited into one comedy gag movie.
The Japanese actors have also appeared in the movie but with different names such as Tatsuya Mihashi ("Phil Moscowitz"), Akiko Wakabayashi ("Suki Yaki"), Mie Hama ("Teri Yaki"), Tadao Nakamaru ("Shepherd Wong"), and Susumu Kurobe ("Wing Fat"). With stereotyped Asian customs as a comic point, it is a careful parody of spy movies represented by the "007 series" at that time.
The content is also a mess that an international spy played by Phil regains the "world's best egg salad recipe" stolen in a certain country, but although it is a parody, it is also Woody Allen's first movie as director. It is a work and is still highly evaluated by American movie critics.
However, Woody himself is said to be extremely avoiding touching this movie. He would appear in Casino Royale in 1967 back in England as Jimmy Bond. DVDs are also on sale overseas, but in Japan, they haven't seen the movie due to issues such as copyrights with Toho, Japan's major movie studio company.
Mie Hama and Akiko Wakabayashi would later be chosen by Eon Productions for the sixth James Bond movie, You Only Live Twice a year later as Bond girls.
Plot
Secret agent Jiro Kitami, who had infiltrated Tonwan, was requested by the director of intelligence Sritai to steal a large amount of money that was hidden by Gegen, leader of the rebel guerrillas associated with "Darkness". He was teamed up with two beautiful female agents, Miichin and Bai-Lan. The three arrived at Yokohama by ship in pursuit of the Gegen Gang, who earned funds through illegal gambling at the casino and prostitution at a local strip club. During the investigation, Kitami met He-Qing Cai, a Chinese gangster from Hong Kong and leader of the Qing-Cai Gang. He is also the rival of his competitors because Gegen takes the territory of Yokohama. Then they disguise themselves as sailors and board their ship to steal Gegen's money. However, there was no cash in the safe inside the ship, only a piece of paper with a text that looked like a code.
Cast
- Tatsuya Mihashi as Jiro Kitami
- Susumu Kurobe as He-Qing Cai
- Tadao Nakamaru as Gegen
- Mie Hama as Miichin
- Akiko Wakabayashi as Bai-Lan
- Tetsu Nakamura as Sritai
- Shunji Kasuga as Kapenam
- Shoji Oki as Dordo
- Sachio Sakai] as Inagawa
- Hideyo Amamoto as Numaguchi
- Monica Padel as Baro
- Akemi Kita as Yoko
- Nadao Kirino as Cho
- Kôji Iwamoto as Tonwanian Man
- Shin Ibuki as Tonwanian Man
- Kôji Uruki as Tonwanian Man
- Jessica Jones as a White Caucasian woman
- Seiji Ikeda as Tonwanian Court
- Hiroshi Akitsu as King's Chamberlain
- Akira Kitchôji as King's Chamberlain
- Rikiya Yasuoka as Dancing youth
- Osman Yusuf as Casino guest
Staff
- Producer: Tomoyuki Tanaka
- Executive Producer: Shin Morita
- Screenwriter: Hideo Andô
- Director: Senkichi Taniguchi
- Composer: Sadao Bekku
- Cinematographer: Kazuo Yamada
- Production Designer: Hiroshi Ueda
- Sound Recordist: Fumio Yanoguchi