The tale of Nakayama Yasubei’s duel is famous, even if he in reality probably did not cut down 18 opponents. The story has been related in film, rakugo, kodan and on stage many times, in part because Nakayama later joined the famous 47 Ronin (Chushingura) as Horibe Yasubei. But Makino and Inagaki’s version gives no hint of this more serious future, playing up the thrills and the comedy with Bando’s bravura performance. The multiple pans of Yasubei running to the duel are an exemplar of the experimental flourishes of 1930s Japanese cinema and the final duel, performed virtually like a dance number, is a marker of Makino’s love of rhythm and one of the best sword fights in Japanese film history. The film was originally released under the title Chikemuri Takadanoba (Bloody Takadanobaba) with a length of 57 minutes, but suffered some cuts and a title change when it was re-released in 1952.

腕は確かだが、飲兵衛で喧嘩に明け暮れていた中山安兵衛。その安兵衛の苦手とする叔父の菅野六郎左衛門が、村上庄左衛門とのトラブルから、高田の馬場で果し合いをすることになってしまう。危急を知った安兵衛、一散に駈けつける。後の堀部安兵衛一世一代の剣陣の火ぶたは切られた！