Directed by Masahiro Makino, the ‘Busby Berkeley of Japan’, Singing Lovebirds is the most frequently revived pre-war musical in Japan. Daughter of a former rōnin (masterless samurai), Oharu (Haruyo Ichikawa) is in love with Reisaburō Asai (Chiezō Kataoka), another rōnin who lives next door. But she faces steep romantic competition from other local admirers and matters are complicated further when her father, finding himself deeply in debt to the local lord (Dick Mine), fears he might have to sell her to pay it off… Breezy, lighthearted and full of verve, charm and invention, Singing Lovebirds is a joyous and effortlessly delightful cinematic treat.
Screening as part of BFI Musicals! The Greatest Show on Screen, a UK-wide film season supported by National Lottery, BFI Film Audience Network and ICO.
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Screenings of this film are organised in partnership with the Japan Foundation, celebrating the Japan-UK Season of Culture 2019-20.
