A detective swaps faces with a vengeful wolf and falls for his own daughter—oops!
The Wolf of Davao, a death row inmate who escaped from prison to exact revenge on Yamanami Takuzo, who betrayed his former comrade, kidnaps Dr. Shoda, a leading orthopedic surgeon, and disfigures his own face. In an attempt to save Yamanami, who has now reformed and is living a peaceful life, private detective Aji Yahachi falls in love with Yamanami's daughter, Yoko of Valerina, during their great adventures with his assistant Gomi. The disfigured wolf's face looks just like Aji's, so Aji disguises himself as the wolf and rescues Dr. Shoda from their den, but the wolf disguises himself as a detective and breaks into the Yamanami residence. With Aji's help and the police's help, the wolf is cornered on the edge of a cliff with Yoko dragged along after a fierce chase, but commits suicide when he finds out that she is actually his child. Although he is heartbroken by Yoko, Aji has won the love of Shoda's daughter.
Practical Effects
Grotesque wolf makeup that haunts your peripheral vision.
Direction
Saeki crams soap opera, noir, and tragedy into 99 minutes.
Acting
Junzaburō Ban plays detective AND wolf—sometimes simultaneously.
Director
Kōzō Saeki
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Released during Japan's post-war occupation, the film's obsession with disguised identity and fractured honor mirrors a nation rebuilding itself through performance.
This was one of several 'Aji Yahachi' films starring Junzaburō Ban, a comedian who pivoted to hardboiled detective roles—imagine if Jerry Lewis became Philip Marlowe.
JP
