The Blossom Man

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Original Title	漫画花咲爺
Japanese kana Rendering	Manga Hanasakajiji
English Title	The Blossom Man
Production Date	1928
Author	Yasuji Murata
Duration (minutes)	5
Sound	silent
Color	b/w
Plot	A kind old man and his wife dig up the ground where their dog is barking, and find koban (oval gold coins formerly used in Japan) there. The mean old man next door was watching them so he borrows their dog and digs a hole, but finds frogs and snakes in an old pot. The angry old man kills the dog. The kind old man builds a mortar and pestle out of the tree that grew next to the grave of his dog. Whenever he pounds with the pestle, koban appear. When the mean old man tries to do the same thing, only trouble occurs for him, so he burns the mortar and pestle. The kind old man is invited to the lord’s residence as the famous Blossom Man and makes dead trees blossom again with the ashes of the mortar and pestle, so he is rewarded. Claiming to be the original famous Blossom Man, the mean old man scatters ashes in front of the lord, but since they were nothing but ashes, he gets shot with an arrow. Later, the kind old man makes all the flowers bloom.
Description	The 28th of the Athena Film Library educational film series produced by Yokohama Cinema Shokai. A 35mm version and a 16mm version were released. The existing print is a 16mm Sakura Graph version released by Konishiroku Honten. The 35mm original version is one 375 meter reel and lasts 14 min. (24fps). This film is a considerably shortened version. The outline of the story provided at the time suggests that in addition to intertitles, several elements are missing from this version, including a scene in which a pet dog chases a black cat and a story about how the Blossom Man earns his reputation.
Production Company	Yokohama Cinema Shokai*
Distribution	35mm version: Okamoto ＆Co., Oku Shokai Ltd., 16mm version:Konishiroku Honten
Release Date	Jul 1928
Credits: Director	Animation: Yasuji Murata
Credits: Staff, Cast, etc.	Supervise: Chuzo Aochi, Photography：Yukikiyo Ueno*
Intertitles	T1「サクラグラフ SAKURAGRAPH」、T2「漫画花咲爺サクラグラフ」、T3「監修青地忠三／漫画村田安司」、T4「やさしいお爺さんとお婆さんとはお墓の側の榎を貰ひうけて之で臼と杵とを造りました」、T5「乱暴な爺さんは臼も杵もみんな燃してしまひました」、T6「評判の花咲爺これへ召連れまして御座ります」、T9「花咲爺の本家と申すもの参上致して御座ります」、T10「サクラグラフ終」。
Censorship - Date and Number
References	・「新作教育映畫紹介花咲爺」『映畫教育』1928年4月20日・第2輯、27頁。・「新作映畫の物語と解説誌上家庭映畫週間花咲爺」『映畫教育』1928年7月25日・第5輯、20頁(写真あり)。
Frames per Second	24fps
Source of Digital Copy	The 16mm positive donated from individuals -> The 35mm internegative owned by NFC
Completeness	complete
Additional Notes
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