Known For
Acting
Born
Oct 11, 1904
Died
Jan 07, 1970
Place of Birth
Aoyama, Tokyo
Credits
90 titles
Kenichi Enomoto
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.
Known For
Filmography
A Monk in the Big City of Edo
Niji o tsukamu odoriko
Dangoro's 'Above the Clouds' Group' Sequel
The Dangoro Party in the Sky
Pleasant Company
A Country Boss
Ryunosuke Edohara
次郎長社長と石松社員 威風堂々
The Happy-Go-Lucky Guy
誰よりも金を愛す
Zoku bantōhan to detchidon
Heavenly Comic Story of a Gentleman
The Three Treasures
God of Yaoyorozu
Big Laugh Festival of the Edo-ites
Nitōhei monogatari: Aa senyū no maki
Dai Abare Tokaido
The Beloved Imposters
Big Edo's 1,000 Ryo Festival
Elephant from "Zoo Story"
Zen-san (Elephant Officer)
とんちんかん八百八町
らくだの馬さん
The Paradise Island Story
The More-You-Fall-In-Love Story
Excursion to Treasure Isle
Sarukichi
The Band in Paradise: Acharaka's Big Hit
The Band in Paradise: Acharaka Is Born
Fighting Cha Cha Girl
Iwasuke Egawa
Masura no Hashitsu Sequel: It's Hard to Be a Company
Masura o hashutsu fukai
A Doting Parent’s Lullaby
Zenigata heiji torimono hikae: Dokuro kago
Muttsuri Umon's Detective Stories: The Demon Mask Mansion
Nonki saiban
Comical Detective Story: Hatchan's First Adventure
Bridal Candidates
Yoshiro Ishibashi
Tomboy Daughter Diary
Ken'ichi Enomoto
Diary of the First Incredible Laughing Trip
Furaibo Kinta
Enomoto's Heaven and Hell
Love Express
A Long Comic Story-Houses' Ghost Affairs
A Long, Comic Story — Houses at the Summer Festival
A Long, Comic Story of Houses in Their Prime
Nonsense Detective Story: The Phantom Woman
Fighting Yasubei
Ginji Tateya
Kin no tamago: Golden Girl
The Men Who Tread on the Tiger's Tail
Porter
Grease Paint Serenade
Kenichi Hanemoto
The Well-known Magistrate
Umon's Detective Stories: The One-Eyed Wolf
Enoken the Hero
Onihime Yakurota
The Tokyo Kid