The Bushido Blade

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The Bushido Blade
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Tom Kotani
Screenplay by	William Overgard
Produced by	Arthur Rankin Jr.
Starring	Richard Boone Sonny Chiba Frank Converse Laura Gemser James Earl Jones Mako Timothy Murphy Michael Starr Tetsurō Tamba Toshiro Mifune
Cinematography	Shōji Ueda
Edited by	Yoshitami Kuroiwa
Music by	Maury Laws
Production companies	Trident Films Rankin/Bass Productions
Distributed by	Aquarius Releasing
Release date	1981 (1981)
Running time	104 minutes
Countries	United Kingdom United States Japan
Languages	English Japanese
Budget	$5 million[1]

The Bushido Blade is a 1981 film directed by Tom Kotani. Sonny Chiba, Toshiro Mifune, Mako, Laura Gemser, James Earl Jones and Richard Boone in his last film appearance^[2] appear in this film. It was filmed in 1978, but not released until 1981.

The Bushido Blade is a fictional sideline to the true events surrounding the treaty Commodore Matthew Perry signed with the shogun of feudal Japan. The samurai sword entrusted to Commodore Perry for President Franklin Pierce of the United States by the Emperor of Japan is stolen by factions wishing to maintain Japanese isolationism. The sword is stolen by Baron Zen, who is a servant of Lord Yamato, who opposes the Convention of Kanagawa about to be signed.

Commodore Akira Hayashi is told to recover the sword and, as a matter of honor, not sign the treaty until it is recovered. Prince Ido has received Hayashi's order to regain the sword and goes to the castle of Yamato alone. Similarly, Perry has ordered Captain Lawrence Hawk to retrieve the sword. Hawk brings Midshipman Robin Gurr and Crew Bos'n Cave Johnson. The three get separated and the movie centers on their stories.

Principal actors

• Richard Boone as Commodore Matthew C. Perry
• Sonny Chiba as Prince Ido (as Sony Chiba)
• Frank Converse as Captain Lawrence Hawk
• Laura Gemser as Tomoe
• James Earl Jones as the prisoner (a crew member of the whaling ship)
• Mako Iwamatsu as Enjirō (as Mako)
• Timothy Murphy as Midshipman Robin Gurr
• Michael Starr as L/S Cave Johnson
• Tetsurō Tamba as Lord Yamato
• Toshirō Mifune as Commodore Akira Hayashi

Supporting roles

• Bin Amatsu as Baron Zen
• Mayumi Asano as Yuki
• Kin Ōmae as Rikishi (sumo wrestler) (as Kin Omai)

• Film director - Tom Kotani
• Executive producer - Jules Bass
• Associate producer - Benni Korzen, Masaki Îzuka
• Producer - Arthur Rankin, Jr.
• Writer - William Overgard
• Music - Maury Laws
• Cinematography - Shōji Ueda
• Editing - Yoshitami Kuroiwa
• Post-production executive - Robert D. Cardona
• Editorial consultant - Anne V. Coates
• Production manager - Kishirô Ōkubo
• 1st assistant direction - Kouichi Nakajima
• Lighting - Kazuo Shimomura
• Art director - Toyokazu Ôhashi
• Sound recording - Yūji Miyoshi
• Sound editor - Ian Crafford
• Sound re-recording - Paul Carr (composer)
• Dueling master - Ryu Kuze
• Production secretary - Barbara Hilse
• U.S.Navy coordination - Commodore William North, U.S.N.

• List of historical drama films of Asia

• The Bushido Blade at IMDb