Kenichi Enomoto
Known for: Acting
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
Film
The Three Treasures
God of Yaoyorozu
1959
The Happy-Go-Lucky Guy
1961
Film
The Men Who Tread on the Tiger's Tail
Porter
1952
Film
Pleasant Company
1962
Film
Muttsuri Umon's Detective Stories: The Demon Mask Mansion
1955
Film
Heavenly Comic Story of a Gentleman
1960
Film
Dai Abare Tokaido
1958
Film
A Long, Comic Story of Houses in Their Prime
1954
Film
Nonki saiban
1955
Film
Elephant from "Zoo Story"
Zen-san (Elephant Officer)
1957
Film
Four Love Stories
1947
Film
Niji o tsukamu odoriko
1963
Film
Enoken no bikkuri shakkuri jidai
1948
Film
Kin no tamago: Golden Girl
1952
Film
次郎長社長と石松社員 威風堂々
1962
Film
A Luxurious Ship for the Bridegroom
1947
Film
Enoken's Chikiri Kinta Part 2 – Returning Is Scary, but the Weather Will Clear If You Wait
1937
Film
These Foolish Times
1947
Film
Excursion to Treasure Isle
Sarukichi
1956
Film
The Monkey King
Son Goku
1940
誰よりも金を愛す
1961
Film
Until Victory Day
1945
Film
A Long Comic Story-Houses' Ghost Affairs
1954
Film
Uta e! Taiyō
1945
Film
The Dangoro Party in the Sky
1962
Film
A Long, Comic Story — Houses at the Summer Festival
1954
Film
Romantic and Crazy
Enoken
1934
Film
Nitōhei monogatari: Aa senyū no maki
1958
Enoken's Hokaibo
1938
Film
Enoken's Chikiri Kinta Part 1 – Momma, the Hat: The Nice Way
1937
Love Express
1954
Film
Enoken’s Ten Millions Sequel
Enoken
1936
Film
Enoken’s Shrewd Period
Enoken
1939
Film
The Paradise Island Story
1957
Film
Zoku bantōhan to detchidon
1960
Film
Exploits of Heisuke Isokawa
1942
Film
Umon's Detective Stories: The One-Eyed Wolf
1951
Film
Sagohei the Three-footer
'Three-Footer' Sagohei
1944
Enoken's Cropped Hair
1940
Nonsense Detective Story: The Phantom Woman
1952
Enoken's Yaji and Kita
1939
Film
Enoken’s Ten Millions
1936
Film
Masura o hashutsu fukai
1956
Film
The Man Who Waited
1942
Enoken's Kurama Tengu
1939
Film
Grease Paint Serenade
Kenichi Hanemoto
1952
Film
Diary of the First Incredible Laughing Trip
Furaibo Kinta
1955
Film
The Beloved Imposters
1958
Film
The Adventures of Tobisuke
Tobisuke
1949
Film
Enoken's Home Run King
1948
Film
The Admirable Isshin Tasuke!
1945
Film
Enoken's Surprising Life
Enoken
1938
Film
A Country Boss
Ryunosuke Edohara
1962
Film
Enomoto's Heaven and Hell
1954
Film
Fighting Yasubei
Ginji Tateya
1952
Enoken's Donguri Tonbei
1936
Film
The 99th Bride
1947
Film
A Doting Parent’s Lullaby
1955
Enoken's The Magician
1934
Film
Hyoroku's Dream Tale
Hyoroku Oishi
1943
Film
Enoken the Hero
Onihime Yakurota
1950
Film
Enoken's Bow-Wow General
Santa
1940
Film
らくだの馬さん
1957
Film
Life Is like a Somersault
1946
Film
Enoken roppa no yajikita bugiugi dōchū
1950
Film
Enoken ohako rakuda no Ma-san
1950
Film
Tomboy Daughter Diary
Ken'ichi Enomoto
1955
Film
Rivals
1939
Film
The Tokyo Kid
1950
Film
とんちんかん八百八町
1957
Film
Idaten Kaido
1944
Enoken's Singing Detective Story
1948
Film
Enoken’s Boxing Generation
1949
Film
Bridal Candidates
Yoshiro Ishibashi
1955
Enoken's Kondo Isami
Kondo Isami / Sakamoto Ryoma
1935
Enoken's Mori no Ishimatsu
1939
Film
Fighting Cha Cha Girl
Iwasuke Egawa
1956
Enoken Enters the Ring
1940
Enoken's Sarutobi Sasuke
1937
The Well-known Magistrate
1951