This is a pleasing, short feature about a poor young boy. His sole parent, his mother, is sick. He works two jobs and is class president. In the end, in typical Horatio Alger fashion, he is rewarded for his hard work and moral demeanor.
Despite the triteness of the plot, this is a good work, mostly because of the understated acting of all hands involved. For a Japanese film, everyone behaves in a naturalistic manner.
All credit to the director, Henry Kotani. When Shochiku Studios was starting film production, they imported him from the US where he had been working at Famous Players-Lasky. He directed their first picture and, as lighting cameraman, set their house style, then went independent for a few years, during which time he directed this film. Later he returned to the renamed Paramount as chief of their East-Asian news bureau.
Despite the triteness of the plot, this is a good work, mostly because of the understated acting of all hands involved. For a Japanese film, everyone behaves in a naturalistic manner.
All credit to the director, Henry Kotani. When Shochiku Studios was starting film production, they imported him from the US where he had been working at Famous Players-Lasky. He directed their first picture and, as lighting cameraman, set their house style, then went independent for a few years, during which time he directed this film. Later he returned to the renamed Paramount as chief of their East-Asian news bureau.
