Utaemon Ichikawa
市川右太衛門
Utaemon Ichikawa
Born(1907-02-25)February 25, 1907
Marugame, Kagawa, Japan
DiedSeptember 16, 1999(1999-09-16) (aged 92)
NationalityJapanese
OccupationFilm actor

Utaemon Ichikawa (市川 右太衛門, Ichikawa Utaemon, 25 February 1907 – 16 September 1999) was a Japanese film actor famous for starring roles in jidaigeki from the 1920s to the 1960s. Trained in kabuki from childhood, he made his film debut in 1925 at Makino Film Productions under Shōzō Makino.[1] Quickly gaining popularity, he followed the example of Makino stars such as Tsumasaburō Bandō in starting his own independent production company, Utaemon Ichikawa Productions, in 1927.[1] It was there he first began the "Idle Vassal" (Hatamoto taikutsu otoko) series, which would become his signature role. When his company folded in 1936 as sound film came to the fore, he moved to Shinkō Kinema and then Daiei Studios before helping form the Toei Company after World War II. He served on the board of directors along with fellow samurai star Chiezō Kataoka.[1] Utaemon appeared in over 300 films during his career.[2] His son, Kin'ya Kitaōji, is also a famous actor in film and television.

Selected filmography

Kōkichi Takada (left) and Utaemon in 1950

Honours

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Ichikawa Utaemon". Nihon jinmei daijiten (in Japanese). Kōdansha. Retrieved 5 November 2010.
  2. ↑ "Ichikawa Utaemon" (in Japanese). Nihon eiga dētabēsu. Retrieved 6 November 2010.
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