Kazuo Hasegawa is a leading kabuki performer, specializing in women's roles, and living that life in furtherance of the art. She is, however, going blind. When Roppa Furukawa cures his blindness, he is grateful, but Furukawa is not interested in money. Hasegawa pledges to come whenever Furukawa calls. When Furukawa tells Sadao Maruyama he can have Hasegawa come and dance, the daimyo does not believe him. The artist is well known for his professional pride, including not being a performer at a 'drinking table.' Furukawa sends a message to Hasegawa, who is performing before an audience, and prepares to kill himself if the entertainer fails him.
Kazuo Hasegawa (1908-1984)began his acting career at the age of 5. He had achieved distinction when he made his first movie in 1927, and would eventually appear in more than 250 films by 1963. This glimpse into the art of kabuki, its ethos -- clearly the show must go on is not limited to the Western theater -- and the dignity and self-worth of professionals is interesting to watch, although its foreign nature makes it obscure to me.
