Kenichi Enomoto
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Kenichi Enomoto (October 11, 1904 – January 7, 1970) was a popular Japanese singing comedian, mostly known by his stage name Enoken. A major innovator during his heyday, Enoken's stage shows, radio appearances, and film roles were a major influence within Tokyo theatre before World War II, and was a catalyst for the revival of comedy in the postwar period. Born in Aoyama, Tokyo, the son of rice cracker shop owners, Enomoto fell under the spell of such stars of the Asakusa Opera as Taya Rikizo and Fujiwara Yoshie, and in 1922 he made his stage debut at age 18 as a chorus member of the Asakusa Kinryukan Theatre. The Great Kanto Earthquake of the following year dealt a great blow to the opera world in Tokyo, at which time Enomoto shifted to comic theatre. Playing small roles in various comedy productions, he returned to the Asakusa stage in 1929 as part of the troupe Casino Folly. The following year saw him launch his own troupe, Enoken Gekidan, which would firmly establish him as a leading figure in Tokyo theatrical circles. In 1934, he starred in the movie Enoken no Seishun Suikoden (Enoken’s Tale of Youth’s Folly), and gained national popularity. His subsequent film career saw him parody a whole parade of Japanese historical personages, including Kondo Isami and Sakamoto Ryoma, in a series of "jidai-geki" (historical dramas) and "chanbara" (samurai drama) films, including some directed by Kajirō Yamamoto, Nobuo Nakagawa and Akira Kurosawa. Enomoto became afflicted with necrosis of the right leg in the 1950s, which required amputation, curtailing his film and stage career. He did, however, make a legendary comeback at the Shinjuku Koma Theatre 1963 wearing a prosthetic leg. He died in 1970, and is entombed in Hase Temple in Nishi-Azabu, Minato, Tokyo, on whose tombstone is inscribed "The King of Comedy". Description above from the Wikipedia article Kenichi Enomoto, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Known For
Credits
- 1962 · The Dangoro Party in the Sky as
- 1962 · Pleasant Company as
- 1962 · A Country Boss as Ryunosuke Edohara
- 1962 · 次郎長社長と石松社員 威風堂々 as
- 1961 · The Happy-Go-Lucky Guy as
- 1961 · 誰よりも金を愛す as
- 1959 · The Three Treasures as God of Yaoyorozu
- 1958 · Nitōhei monogatari: Aa senyū no maki as
- 1958 · Dai Abare Tokaido as
- 1958 · The Beloved Imposters as
- 1957 · The Paradise Island Story as
- 1956 · Excursion to Treasure Isle as Sarukichi
- 1956 · Masura o hashutsu fukai as
- 1955 · A Doting Parent’s Lullaby as
- 1955 · Nonki saiban as
- 1955 · Diary of the First Incredible Laughing Trip as Furaibo Kinta
- 1954 · Enomoto's Heaven and Hell as
- 1952 · Fighting Yasubei as Ginji Tateya
- 1952 · Kin no tamago: Golden Girl as
- 1952 · The Men Who Tread on the Tiger's Tail as Porter
- 1951 · The Well-known Magistrate as
- 1950 · Enoken the Hero as Onihime Yakurota
- 1950 · The Tokyo Kid as
- 1950 · Enoken roppa no yajikita bugiugi dōchū as
- 1950 · Enoken ohako rakuda no Ma-san as
- 1949 · The Adventures of Tobisuke as Tobisuke
- 1949 · Enoken’s Boxing Generation as
- 1948 · Enoken's Singing Detective Story as
- 1948 · Enoken's Home Run King as
- 1947 · These Foolish Times as
- 1947 · Four Love Stories as
- 1947 · 聟入り豪華船 as
- 1946 · 人生とんぼ返り as
- 1945 · Uta e! Taiyō as
- 1945 · Until Victory Day as
- 1945 · Bravo! Tebare Ishin as
- 1944 · Sagohei the Three-footer as 'Three-Footer' Sagohei
- 1944 · Idaten Kaido as
- 1943 · Hyoroku's Dream Tale as Hyoroku Oishi
- 1942 · Exploits of Heisuke Isokawa as
- 1942 · The Man Who Waited as
- 1940 · The Monkey King as Son Goku
- 1940 · Enoken's Bow-Wow General as Santa
- 1940 · Enoken Enters the Ring as
- 1940 · Enoken's Zangiri Kinta as
- 1939 · Enoken's Yaji and Kita as
- 1939 · Rivals as
- 1939 · Enoken's Mori no Ishimatsu as
- 1939 · Enoken's Kurama Tengu as
- 1939 · Enoken’s Shrewd Period as Enoken
- 1938 · Enoken's Surprising Life as Enoken
- 1938 · Enoken's Hokaibo as
- 1937 · Enoken's Sarutobi Sasuke as
- 1937 · Enoken's Chakkiri Kinta Part 2: Returning Is Scary, But the Weather Will Clear If You Wait as
- 1937 · Enoken’s Kinta the Pickpocket as
- 1936 · Enoken's The Millionaire, Part 2 as Enoken
- 1936 · Enoken's The Millionaire, Part 1 as
- 1936 · Enoken's Donguri Tonbei as
- 1935 · Enoken's Kondo Isami as Kondo Isami / Sakamoto Ryoma
- 1934 · Enoken's The Magician as
- 1934 · Romantic and Crazy as Enoken