image of Kenichi Enomoto
Birthday: Oct 11, 1904
Place of Birth: Aoyama, Tokyo

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.

Filmography
Movie Cast Year
Kin no tamago: Golden Girl 1952
次郎長社長と石松社員 威風堂々 1962
Enoken's Bow-Wow General Santa 1940
Enomoto's Heaven and Hell 1954
The Men Who Tread on the Tiger's Tail Porter 1952
The Dangoro Party in the Sky 1962
A Doting Parent’s Lullaby 1955
Enoken roppa no yajikita bugiugi dōchū 1950
The Beloved Imposters 1958
Until Victory Day 1945
人生とんぼ返り 1946
Enoken ohako rakuda no Ma-san 1950
Fighting Yasubei Ginji Tateya 1952
Enoken's Surprising Life Enoken 1938
Enoken’s Shrewd Period Enoken 1939
Bravo! Tebare Ishin 1945
The Monkey King Son Goku 1940
Enoken's Singing Detective Story 1948
The Happy-Go-Lucky Guy 1961
Enoken’s Boxing Generation 1949
Romantic and Crazy Enoken 1934
Uta e! Taiyō 1945
誰よりも金を愛す 1961
Excursion to Treasure Isle Sarukichi 1956
聟入り豪華船 1947
Nitōhei monogatari: Aa senyū no maki 1958
The Adventures of Tobisuke Tobisuke 1949
Enoken the Hero Onihime Yakurota 1950
Nonki saiban 1955
The Man Who Waited 1942
Rivals 1939
Enoken’s Kinta the Pickpocket 1937
Enoken's Chakkiri Kinta Part 2: Returning Is Scary, But the Weather Will Clear If You Wait 1937
Enoken's The Magician 1934
Enoken's Kondo Isami Kondo Isami / Sakamoto Ryoma 1935
Enoken's Donguri Tonbei 1936
Enoken's The Millionaire, Part 1 1936
Enoken's The Millionaire, Part 2 Enoken 1936
Enoken's Sarutobi Sasuke 1937
Enoken's Hokaibo 1938
Enoken's Kurama Tengu 1939
Enoken's Mori no Ishimatsu 1939
Enoken's Yaji and Kita 1939
Enoken's Zangiri Kinta 1940
Enoken Enters the Ring 1940
Enoken's Home Run King 1948
The Tokyo Kid 1950
A Country Boss Ryunosuke Edohara 1962
Masura o hashutsu fukai 1956
The Three Treasures God of Yaoyorozu 1959
The Paradise Island Story 1957
Four Love Stories 1947
Hyoroku's Dream Tale Hyoroku Oishi 1943
These Foolish Times 1947
Exploits of Heisuke Isokawa 1942
Idaten Kaido 1944
Sagohei the Three-footer 'Three-Footer' Sagohei 1944
Diary of the First Incredible Laughing Trip Furaibo Kinta 1955
Pleasant Company 1962
The Well-known Magistrate 1951
Dai Abare Tokaido 1958
Series Cast Year
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