Kenichi Enomoto
Acting • Born 1904-10-11 – Died 1970-01-07
Biography
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.
Filmography
70 credits
Kin no tamago: Golden Girl
Movie • 1952
次郎長社長と石松社員 威風堂々
Movie • 1962
Enoken's Bow-Wow General
Movie • 1940
Santa
Enomoto's Heaven and Hell
Movie • 1954
The Men Who Tread on the Tiger's Tail
Movie • 1952
Porter
The Dangoro Party in the Sky
Movie • 1962
A Doting Parent’s Lullaby
Movie • 1955
Enoken roppa no yajikita bugiugi dōchū
Movie • 1950
The Beloved Imposters
Movie • 1958
Until Victory Day
Movie • 1945
Life Is like a Somersault
Movie • 1946
Enoken ohako rakuda no Ma-san
Movie • 1950
Fighting Yasubei
Movie • 1952
Ginji Tateya
Enoken’s Shrewd Period
Movie • 1939
Enoken
Enoken's Surprising Life
Movie • 1938
Enoken
The Admirable Isshin Tasuke!
Movie • 1945
The Monkey King
Movie • 1940
Son Goku
Enoken's Singing Detective Story
Movie • 1948
The Happy-Go-Lucky Guy
Movie • 1961
Enoken’s Boxing Generation
Movie • 1949
Romantic and Crazy
Movie • 1934
Enoken
Uta e! Taiyō
Movie • 1945
誰よりも金を愛す
Movie • 1961
Excursion to Treasure Isle
Movie • 1956
Sarukichi
聟入り豪華船
Movie • 1947
Nitōhei monogatari: Aa senyū no maki
Movie • 1958
The Adventures of Tobisuke
Movie • 1949
Tobisuke
Enoken the Hero
Movie • 1950
Onihime Yakurota
Nonki saiban
Movie • 1955
The Man Who Waited
Movie • 1942
Enoken’s Ten Millions
Movie • 1936
Enoken's Donguri Tonbei
Movie • 1936
Enoken's Sarutobi Sasuke
Movie • 1937
Enoken's Chikiri Kinta Part 2 – Returning Is Scary, but the Weather Will Clear If You Wait
Movie • 1937
Enoken's The Magician
Movie • 1934
Rivals
Movie • 1939
Enoken's Chikiri Kinta Part 1 – Momma, the Hat: The Nice Way
Movie • 1937
Enoken's Kondo Isami
Movie • 1935
Kondo Isami / Sakamoto Ryoma
Enoken’s Ten Millions Sequel
Movie • 1936
Enoken
Enoken's Yaji and Kita
Movie • 1939
Enoken's Hokaibo
Movie • 1938
Enoken's Mori no Ishimatsu
Movie • 1939
Enoken's Cropped Hair
Movie • 1940
Enoken's Kurama Tengu
Movie • 1939
Enoken Enters the Ring
Movie • 1940
Enoken's Home Run King
Movie • 1948
The Tokyo Kid
Movie • 1950
A Country Boss
Movie • 1962
Ryunosuke Edohara
Masura o hashutsu fukai
Movie • 1956
The Three Treasures
Movie • 1959
God of Yaoyorozu
The Paradise Island Story
Movie • 1957
Four Love Stories
Movie • 1947
Hyoroku's Dream Tale
Movie • 1943
Hyoroku Oishi
These Foolish Times
Movie • 1947
Exploits of Heisuke Isokawa
Movie • 1942
Idaten Kaido
Movie • 1944
Sagohei the Three-footer
Movie • 1944
'Three-Footer' Sagohei
Diary of the First Incredible Laughing Trip
Movie • 1955
Furaibo Kinta
Pleasant Company
Movie • 1962
The Well-known Magistrate
Movie • 1951
Dai Abare Tokaido
Movie • 1958
とんちんかん八百八町
Movie • 1957
むっつり右門捕物帖 鬼面屋敷
Movie • 1955
Umon's Detective Stories: The One-Eyed Wolf
Movie • 1951
Elephant from "Zoo Story"
Movie • 1957
Zen-san (Elephant Officer)
Zoku bantōhan to detchidon
Movie • 1960
Tomboy Daughter Diary
Movie • 1955
Ken'ichi Enomoto
Bridal Candidates
Movie • 1955
Yoshiro Ishibashi
Fighting Cha Cha Girl
Movie • 1956
Iwasuke Egawa
らくだの馬さん
Movie • 1957