Shozo, a Cat, and Two Women (1956) review

Fed up with her good-for-nothing husband Shōzō (Hisaya Morishige) because, among other things, he spends too much time doting on his beloved cat Lily, Shinako (Isuzu Yamada) leaves him ... so Shōzō's mother Orin (Chieko Naniwa) encourages him to marry young but wildly impulsive Fukuko (Kyōko Kagawa) - when Shinako learns about this, she tries to "get him back" by taking Lily from him.  This is supposed to be some sort of comedy, except I personally didn't find it the slightest bit funny (and quite drawn-out): Shōzō's a dolt who can't make decisions for himself while the ladies fixate on him playing with his cat companion and eventually come to physical blows in fighting over him.  The ending, in which our main character essentially tosses away both women to be with the feline could be read as a kind of tongue-in-cheek anti-feminist message - he's got ninety nine problems but Lily ain't one - yet I found it to be sad and a little pathetic.  Or maybe the "real joke" is that although Shōzō's a human leg enthusiast his brain is still tweaked ... and he prefers the "wrong" type of pussy.  I'll see myself to the door....