The author of the story Seishi Yokomizo appears in a cameo role in the film as the owner of the hotel that Kindaichi is staying at.
The name of the family at the centre of this movie is the Inugami family. In Japanese folklore an inugami is a dog ghost that can be involved in bad activities towards humans, for example murder.
The director Kon Ichikawa made five movies in the 1970's in the detective Kindaichi series. This one was the first and it was a huge financial hit at the box office. The director filmed a remake in 2006.
The movie is based on a detective story of the same name by the writer Yokomizu Seishi. This story is set in late 1940s.