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.
The Men Who Tread on the Tiger's Tail
as PorterYoshitsune Minamoto, disguised with his retinue as monks, must make do with a comical porter as...
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Enoken’s Boxing Generation
as uncreditedNear the end of the Taisho era (1912-1926), Enokichi, a popular figure in the world of boxing...
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The Three Treasures
as God of YaoyorozuThe legend of the birth of Shintoism. In Fourth Century Japan, the Emperor's son Ouso expects to...
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Four Love Stories
as uncreditedOmnibus of love stories from 1947 directed by famous directors, featuring big stars.
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Nonki saiban
as uncreditedA spectacular comedy with a star-studded cast that depicts unusual trials and unexpected...
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The Dangoro Party in the Sky
as uncreditedThe film adaptation of Kazuo Kikuta novel "Kumo no Ue Dangoro Ichiza", which enjoyed great...
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A Country Boss
as Ryunosuke EdoharaA country boss gives up his way of life because of his daughter's marriage.
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Enoken roppa no yajikita bugiugi dōchū
as uncredited1950 Japanese movie
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Kin no tamago: Golden Girl
as uncreditedOnce an average and seemingly ordinary Tokyo girl, she suddenly finds herself as a TV star owing...
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The Man Who Waited
as uncreditedA bizarre murder at a hot springs resort threatens to disrupt an Edo detective's (Hasegawa)...
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Excursion to Treasure Isle
as SarukichiThe story is a dramatization of the Japanese folklore legend of Momotaro, the Peach Boy, who...
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Enomoto's Heaven and Hell
as uncreditedKeita, after his death, was taken to the court of heaven as Defendant No. 1361, where his past...
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The Adventures of Tobisuke
as TobisukeTobisuke, puppeteer in Kyôtô, saves O-fuku's life. Wounded in the head, it can now count to...
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Nitōhei monogatari: Aa senyū no maki
as uncreditedFifth sequel to "Story of Second Class Private".
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The Monkey King
as Son GokuA legendary pre-war comedy operetta starring Enomoto Kenichi, Hideko Takamine and Li Xianglan....
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人生とんぼ返り
as uncreditedAfter learning that he has accidentally killed a man in a fight, Unokichi must look after the...
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Fighting Yasubei
as Ginji TateyaYasube Nakayama left the clan and lives in Edo. One day, Yasubei visits his uncle Rokuroemon...
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Enoken's Home Run King
as uncreditedPostwar! Baseball! Comedy! Enoken plays a superfan of the Yomiuri Giants – the real Tokyo team,...
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The Paradise Island Story
as uncreditedMusical-comedy about nine soldiers deserted on an island in South Pacific.
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The Tokyo Kid
as uncreditedA young, talented singer (Misora) is orphaned, not once but twice, and has to turn to a rather...
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Masura o hashutsu fukai
as uncreditedBased on a comic strip by Kaoru Akiyoshi. First in a four part film series.
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Rivals
as uncreditedTwo hyper-competitive salarymen let their workplace rivalry spill over into their private lives,...
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Enoken's Bow-Wow General
as SantaEnoken no wanwan taishô AKA Wanwan Taisho AKA Bowwow General directed by Nobuo Nakagawa
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Enoken’s Kinta the Pickpocket
as uncreditedA comedic tale told in four parts, this film follows the antics of the pickpocket Kinta as he is...
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Dai Abare Tokaido
as uncreditedAn entertainment movie featuring familiar faces of Toyama no Kin-san, Nezumi Kozo, Yaji Kita,...
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