| Front Row Life | |
| Director: | Tatsumi Kumashiro[1] |
| Starring: | Hatsue Tonooka |
| Music: | Riichiro Manabe |
| Cinematography: | Shinsaku Himeda |
| Editing: | Akira Suzuki |
| Distributor: | Nikkatsu |
| Runtime: | 94 min. |
| Country: | Japan |
| Language: | Japanese |
Fan Life, Front Row, A Thirsty Life and Life of a Striptease Love is a 1968 Japanese film directed by Tatsumi Kumashiro. The Roman Porno director's first film, it was a box-office failure, and stalled his directing career until 1972.
Based on the 1964 novel of the same name by Komimasa Tanaka, the film tells the story of a strip-teaser, and her daughter who wishes to join her mother's profession.[2]
Tatsumi Kumashiro had been working at Nikkatsu as an assistant director and screenwriter when he was given his first chance to direct, at the age of 41. Front Row Life gained positive reviews from critics, but was not popular with the public. As a result of the film's failure, Nikkatsu returned Kumashiro to assistant directing and scripting. Kumashiro was given his second chance to direct in 1972 after the studio had decided to take over the pink film genre by devoting its resources almost entirely to the output of Roman Porno films. This second film, Wet Lips was a success, and Kumashiro's string of pink blockbusters, which lasted over two-decades, had begun. Kumashiro and leading lady Hatsue Tonooka were married the year the film was released, but were divorced after only a few months.[3]