The Inugami Family

A wealthy industrialist named Sahei Inugami dies and leaves behind a vast estate. At the reading of the will, his family learns that the fortune will pass to Tamayo, a young woman from outside the family, on the condition that she marry one of his grandsons. The unusual terms set the relatives against one another and draw private detective Kosuke Kindaichi into their troubles as the dispute turns dangerous.

Kon Ichikawa directed the film and co-wrote the screenplay with Shinya Hidaka and Norio Osada. It was the twelfth of the fifteen features he directed in chronological order, arriving between I Am a Cat and Island of Hell. Koji Ishizaka plays Kindaichi, with Yoko Shimada as Tamayo, Teruhiko Aoi in a dual role, and Mieko Takamine, Mitsuko Kusabue and Miki Sanjō as members of the Inugami household. Thirty performers are credited.

Produced by Haruki Kadokawa and Kiichi Ichikawa, the film cost about two million dollars and took roughly eleven million worldwide, a strong return against its budget. On IMDb it holds a rating of 7.1 from around 1,400 votes, and on TMDB a rating of 7 from a small number of votes.