Yabai koto nara zeni ni naru

When one billion yen goes AWOL, "Joe the Ace" (Jo Shishido) spies an opportunity to get rich quick, but things soon go wrong as it turns out he isn't the only one who'll stop at nothing to get his hands on the missing cash.

This comes off at first like a spy thriller, maybe a sort of Japanese take on James Bond. But we soon find out it is a silly comedy with counterfeit currency and all sorts of almost slapstick moments. What the heck? This certainly expands my view of what Nikkatsu is all about, since I had them pigeon-holed as the "gangster film" company.

I am still learning about these films, though. I should know the name Jo Shishido, but I know I will probably soon forget it. As a lover of cult film, I must confess that 1950s Japanese cinema is a huge hole in my knowledge.