Mamoru Watanabe

Life and career

Early life Watanabe was born in Tokyo on March 19, 1931. His father owned a neighborhood movie theater, giving the young Watanabe an early interest in and a familiarity with the cinema. The family lived near the Daito Eiga studios, and Watanabe would go to watch the filming of jidaigeki. Daito was one of the studios that would be joined into the Daiei Motion Picture Company by the government during World War II. Until 1958, he studied acting techniques after graduation, at the Motō Hatta Theatrical Research Center. In his early career, Watanabe worked for Tokyo Geijutsu, a company that had broken off from Shintōhō, and he directed films for several other independent pink film companies, including Koei, Mitsukuni and Million Film. Watanabe became known for his intricate plotting in the pink genre, as well as for his ability to spot new talent. Among their collaborations, Secret Hot Sprint Town: Nightly Starfish (1970) is notable for its striking use of color sequences within a predominantly black and white film. The remake won Watanabe the Best Director award at the first "Zoom Up" pink film awards ceremony in 1980. Always concerned with raising the quality of pink film,

During the 1980s, Watanabe became regarded as one of the most important directors working in pink film. He began working as a freelance director occasionally at Nikkatsu, making his first film there in 1982. It was at this time that he befriended Kazuo "Gaira" Komizu, who wrote the script to Watanabe's Uniform Virgin Pain (Seifuku shojo no itama, 1982), and Kazuhiro Sano.

Also in 1982, with director Chūsei Sone, Watanabe started the Film Workers Production Company as an outlet for more mainstream projects. His first mainstream film was (1984). Watanabe directed over 210 films in his career. Release date Starring Studio Slave Widow July 11, 1967 Noriko Tatsumi Mutsukuni Eiga / Chuo Eiga Virgin Rope Makeover June 1979 Mayuko Hino Shintōhō Eiga