Kikumaru Okuda


Kikumaru Okuda was a Japanese film producer. His credits included None but the Brave, You Only Live Twice, and Lady Snowblood. Okuda had alleged yakuza ties linked to Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, leading to his arrest and imprisonment in 1975.

Life and career

Okuda was born circa 1928, in Tokyo. He graduated Keio University in 1950. Eight years later, Okuda began his career at Tokyo Eiga in their film planning division. His first planning credit was for ' and he became a film producer in 1963, debuting with Naughty Angel. Among his producer credits are None but the Brave, ', ', ', Zeni Geba, ', ', , , ', ', Lady Snowblood, Za Gokiburi, Marco, and Lady Snowblood: Love Song of Vengeance. His last film credit was for The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea.
Okuda allegedly developed yakuza and mob affiliations during his film career. In the 1970s, Okuda was linked to Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, where he reportedly recruited Japanese high rollers and collected debts, sometimes inflating amounts to skim profits. In June 1975, he and two others were arrested in Tokyo and jailed for suspected yakuza connections and extortion. He died in Los Angeles on October 15, 2000, at the age of 72.

Filmography

' - PlannerHagure kigeki mandara - PlannerNaughty Angel - ProducerNone but the Brave - Story writer and producer New Crime Reporter: The Trap of the Big City - ProducerNew Crime Reporter: Murderous Hill - Producer