Black Lizard

is a 1968 Japanese film directed by Kinji Fukasaku. The film is based on a play by Yukio Mishima which in turn is based on a novel by Rampo Edogawa. The play had previously been adapted to film in 1962 by director Umetsugu Inoue. Plot Shobei Iwase is a jeweler whose daughter Sanae works as a hostess at a club. Mrs. Midorikawa visits Sanae and introduces her to Yamakawa, young businessman from Tokyo. When they visit his room to look at a wedding doll, he chloroforms Sanae and stuffs her into a trunk. Detective Akechi explains that Yamakawa was actually a depressed man named Junichi Amamiya who was convinced by Black Lizard to kidnap Sanae. Suspecting this, Akechi sends his men to follow Amamiya and he successfully recovers Sanae. Akechi explains that Mrs. Midorikawa is actually Black Lizard in disguise. Black Lizard dresses in men's clothing to escape the hotel unnoticed. Sanae is told to stay in her room at her father's house, but his housekeeper Hina works to kidnap her along with another worker. Iwase's guard Matobe attempts to intervene but they cut off his hand, leaving blood all over Iwase's new sofa. Iwase demands the removal of the sofa, which his employees arrange while sneaking out Sanae in a hidden compartment underneath its seat.