Okuda was born circa 1928, in
Tokyo. He graduated
Keio University in 1950. Eight years later, Okuda began his career at
Tokyo Eiga in their film planning division. and he became a film producer in 1963, debuting with
Naughty Angel. Among his producer credits are
None but the Brave (1965), '
(1968), ' (1969), ''
, Zeni Geba'' (both 1970), '
, ' (both 1972),
, , '
, ' (1973),
Lady Snowblood,
Za Gokiburi,
Marco (all 1973), and
Lady Snowblood: Love Song of Vengeance (1974). His last film credit was for
The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea (1976). Okuda allegedly developed
yakuza and mob affiliations during his film career. In the 1970s, Okuda was linked to
Caesars Palace in
Las Vegas, where he reportedly recruited Japanese high rollers and collected debts, sometimes inflating amounts to skim profits. In June 1975, he and two others were arrested in Tokyo and jailed for suspected
yakuza connections and extortion. He died in
Los Angeles on October 15, 2000, at the age of 72. == Filmography ==