Three-Fingered Detective

1947 1h 24m JA

👍

7.0

SOLID

★7.0TMDB · 1

Horror

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Being acquainted with the bride's uncle, a famed private detective is invited to a wedding ceremony. The groom's family is moneyed and owns large tracts of land. The bride is a former teacher and was rumoured to have had an affair, which explains why the groom's family opposed the union. On the night of the ceremony the bride and groom are killed in a sealed room. There is evidence left, however, as there is a hand print on the wall albeit with only the trace of three fingers.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Chiezo Kataoka
Ken Mitsuda
Tsukie Matsuura
Akiko Kazami
Setsuko Hara
Haruko Sugimura
Akio Kobori
Kōichi Mizuhara

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Sadatsugu Matsuda
Writers: Yoshitake Hisa, Seishi Yokomizo
Languages: Japanese
Countries: Japan

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

84 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

79 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "Kosuke Kindaichi Series (Chiezo Kataoka)" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Sadatsugu Matsuda, shot by Hideo Ishimoto. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Tokujirō Ōkubo. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Chiezo Kataoka and Ken Mitsuda and Tsukie Matsuura carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0226405 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Sadatsugu Matsuda directs. Hideo Ishimoto behind the camera. Tokujirō Ōkubo scores. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Japan. Dialogue in Japanese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

184 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
279 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Part of the "Kosuke Kindaichi Series (Chiezo Kataoka)" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
4Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
5Directed by Sadatsugu Matsuda, shot by Hideo Ishimoto. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by Tokujirō Ōkubo. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Chiezo Kataoka and Ken Mitsuda and Tsukie Matsuura carry the top of the cast.
8IMDB entry: tt0226405 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 1 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.