Norifumi Suzuki


Norifumi Suzuki, was a Japanese film director and screenwriter. He is best known for the Torakku Yarō series.

Biography

Suzuki was born in 1933 in Shizuoka. He dropped out of Ritsumeikan University's Department of Economics, and subsequently joined Toei's Kyoto Studio as an assistant director in 1956, learning his craft under Masahiro Makino, Tai Kato and Tomu Uchida. He made his screenwriting debut on director Kōkichi Uchide's 1963 film Zoku: Tenamonya Sandogasa, and his directorial debut in 1965 with Osaka Dokonjō Monogatari: Doerai Yatsu, starring Makoto Fujita.
At the behest of Toei producer Shigeru Okada, Suzuki wrote the script for female gambler film Red Peony Gambler starring Junko Fuji, which became a hit series spanning eight films.
He directed Star of David: Hunting for Beautiful Girls.
His 1975 film Torakku Yarō: Goiken Muyō, starring Bunta Sugawara and co-written with Shinichiro Sawai, was also a huge success and spawned nine sequels.
After directing and co-writing Kōtaro Makaritōru!, Suzuki left Toei to go freelance.
At the 1985 Yokohama Film Festival, he was awarded a special prize for his career.
Suzuki's last film was Binbari High School, released in 1990 and produced by Kōji Wakamatsu. He died at the age of 80 in May 2014.

Filmography

As director