Seven Nights in Japan
Seven Nights in Japan is a 1976 Anglo-French drama film directed by Lewis Gilbert and starring Michael York, Charles Gray, and Hidemi Aoki.
| Seven Nights in Japan | |
|---|---|
 Original British Quad poster | |
| Directed by | Lewis Gilbert |
| Produced by | Lewis Gilbert |
| Written by | Christopher Wood |
| Starring | Michael York Hidemi Aoki Peter Jones Charles Gray |
| Music by | David Hentschel |
| Cinematography | Henri Decaë |
| Edited by | John Glen |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | EMI (UK) Paramount Pictures (USA) |
Running time | 104 mins. |
| Country | France UK |
| Language | English |
Story
The film is about seven days in the life of Prince George, who is travelling in Japan for the first time. While there he meets and falls for a local girl, Sumi, who is a bus tour guide. They spend a few days and nights together at her isolated childhood home. When Sumi discovers his true identity she admonishes him for avoiding his duties as the future king (he had absconded from his planned itinerary of factory visits to be with her; he later justifies his absence to the ambassador by asserting that he was simply taking his allotted naval shore leave). Problems also happen as he is hunted by an unknown Japanese Sect who want him dead, as he left one of their nightclubs without paying (having inadvertently run up a huge bill).
Cast
- Prince George - Michael York
- Sumi - Hidemi Aoki
- Finn - James Villiers
- Captain Balcon - Peter Jones
- Hollander - Charles Gray
- Jane Hollander - Anne Lonnberg
- Mrs Hollander - Eléonore Hirt
- American tourist - Lionel Murton
- American wife - Yolande Donlan
Production
The film was inspired by the life of Prince Charles, who was serving in the Royal Navy at the time, and was known for his romantic involvements as well as his need for a suitable wife. In the film 'Prince George' is said to be engaged to a member of the Swedish royal family.[1]
"There are echos of Roman Holiday," said York.[2]
Reception
According to York, the film was a big success in Burma, leading to York being mobbed when he visited.[3]
References
- MOVIE CALL SHEET: Michael York Heads for Future CALL SHEET Murphy, Mary. Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug 1975: b6.
- Rising son WHYMANT, ROBERT. The Guardian 29 Nov 1975: 11.
- MICHAEL YORK Tired of playing 'sensitive young men,' he's off to Broadway and Bent Godfrey, Stephen. The Globe and Mail, 10 May 1980: E.1.
External links
- Seven Nights in Japan at IMDb
- Seven Nights in Japan at AllMovie
- Seven Nights in Japan at the TCM Movie Database