RIP Shaw Director Inoue Umetsugu

Japanese director and scriptwriter Inoue Umetsugu died on February 11, 2010 of brain hemorrhage in a Tokyo hospital, he was 86 years old. He leaves behind his wife Yumeji Tsukioka (an actress who used to star in his movies), and a daughter. In his long career he directed nearly 120 movies and app. 300 TV dramas.

Inoue Umetsugu was born in Kyoto in 1923, he graduated at the Keio University. 1947 he joined Toho Studios, debuting 1952 with HEAD CHEERLEADER OF LOVE. He became known by US-inspired musicals starring singer Izumi Yikimura. 1955 he went to Nikkatsu Studios, 1957 his movie THE MAN WHO CAUSES A STORM became a huge success. Telling the story of a rebellious jazz drummer, he made lead Yujiro Ishihara a top star, and coined the Nikkatsu Action Genre, a popular mix of music, action, and youth rebellion.

1960 he left Nikkatsu and started a studio independent career. From 1967 onwards he also worked in Hong Kong, directing and writing 17 movies for the Shaw Brothers Studios, most of them very successful. Among his works are the musical HONG KONG NOCTURNE with Cheng Pei Pei, Lily Ho and Chin Ping (his Shaw debut), the thriller OPERATION LIPSTICK with Cheng Pei Pei (not yet released on DVD), or the romantic comedy WE LOVE MILLIONAIRES with Lily Ho and Ling Yun. KING DRUMMER of 1967 with Ling Yun and Lily Ho is a quasi remake of his Japanese hit THE MAN WHO CAUSES A STORM.

From 1977 onwards he also worked for TV. 1983 he directed a Japanese remake of THE MAN WHO CAUSES A STORM, his last movie was CODE NAME BLACK CAT from 1987. Takashi Miike, one of his assistant directors, gives insight in his experience with the famous director in a 2003 biopic.

RIP Inoue Umetsugu