Danger Stalks Near

"Looks like a good time" Looks can be deceiving

Danger Stalks Near was a 1957 comedy featuring Takamine Hideko as a beleaguered wife, daughter-in-law, mother, sister, and target of a robbery. The little village where she lived, and her house in particular, was the epicenter of greed and selfishness.

Yuriko is taking care of her sick child and a stingy, melodramatic mother-in-law. Her day begins with a renter burning a tatami leading her to evict the self-absorbed young woman. The doorbell continues to ring as relatives, friends, and repairmen insisted upon her attention. Most of the seemingly endless line of people turn out to have ulterior motives. The local newspaper had announced her husband as the winner of a prize in a contest leading everyone to want a cut of the booty. Relatives and other interested parties also greatly desire Grandma’s “secret” stash of wealth. Including the three knife-wielding thieves staked out on a hill not so patiently waiting for their chance to rob the family.

This film had the potential to be really funny and probably has been for other viewers. I just found the non-stop entitled behavior stressful and exhausting. Despite Yuriko seeing through the greedy relatives and sundry court of jesters, I felt sorry for the put upon daughter-in-law and sister. I halfway expected her to snap and burn the house to the ground as the grand finale. Her sister Sakura relentlessly badgered her for money. The MIL continually heaped complaints and demands on Yuriko, threatening to sell the house and move into a nursing home as a bludgeoning weapon whenever Yuriko stood up to her. Even the old woman’s son was ready for her to kick the bucket or fall off her shoes and die. There was a subplot involving a standoff between the evicted renter and the new renter which included their significant others. Then, of course, there were the weapon carrying thieves willing to kill anyone in the house for Grandma’s stash. Yuriko was having a challenging day which with this lot was likely an everyday occurrence.

Danger Stalks Near had entertaining moments, especially as the crooks grew more and more impatient with the revolving door of visitors to the small house. “What is this? A holiday or something?” And Takamine Hideko nailed the part of the woman trying to get through the day and fend off selfish guests. At least the robbers were honest from the start, they intended to steal from the family outright instead of swindling or cajoling it as the other guests not so subtly tried.

29 June 2025

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