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Truck Yarō (トラック野郎, Torakku Yarō, lit. "Truck Guys" or "Truck Rascals") is a series of ten Japanese action comedy films produced by Toei and released from 1975 to 1979. All ten films in the series were directed by Norifumi Suzuki and starred Bunta Sugawara as Momojiro Hoshi ("Ichibanboshi" or "first star") and Kinya Aikawa as Kinzo Matsushita, also known as "Jonathan". The title Torakku Yaro means "truck guys" or "truck rascals", and the films involve two truckers and their various escapades as they travel around Japan in highly decorated trucks.
The plot formula is similar to the Otoko wa Tsurai yo films. Each time Momojiro falls in love with a woman (the "Madonna") and then ends up having to help her romance with another man. The stories end with Momojiro having to race his truck to meet a deadline to rejoin the couple.
Regulars
Momojiro Hoshi, nicknamed "Ichibanboshi", played by Bunta Sugawara.
Kinzo Matsushita, nicknamed "Yamome no Jonathan", played by Kinya Aikawa.
Kimie Matsushita, the wife of Kinzo Matsushita, played by Masumi Harukawa
Films
| No. | Subtitle | Date | Female lead ("Madonna") |
Other cast |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Go-iken Muyō | 1975 | Yutaka Nakajima | Rikiya Yasuoka, Ryudo Uzaki and the Down Town Boogie Woogie Band |
| 2 | Bakusō Ichibanboshi | 1975 | Shizue Abe | |
| 3 | Bōkyō Ichibanboshi | 1976 | Yoko Shimada | |
| 4 | Tenka Gomen | 1976 | Kaoru Yumi | |
| 5 | Dokyō Ichibanboshi | 1977 | Nagisa Katahira | |
| 6 | Otoko Ippiki Momojirō | 1977 | Masako Natsume | Yoshi Katō, Masaaki Sakai, Tomisaburo Wakayama, Kentaro Shimizu |
| 7 | Totsugeki Ichibanboshi | 1978 | Mieko Harada | |
| 8 | Ichibanboshi Kita e Kaeru | 1978 | Naoko Otani | |
| 9 | Neppū 5000 Kiro | 1979 | Miyuki Ono | |
| 10 | Furusato Tokkyūbin | 1979 | Sayuri Ishikawa, Aiko Morishita |
Theme music
All the films have the same theme song, Ichibanboshi Blues by Ryudo Uzaki and Yoko Aki performed by the Down Town Boogie Woogie Band.
References
- Suzuki, Noribumi; Yasuo Miyazaki; Shin Ogawa (2010). Eiga torakku yarō daizenshū: Nihon saigo no anākī puroguramu pikuchā no densetsu. Tokyo: Yōsensha. ISBN 978-4-86248-468-0.