Kenichi Enomoto
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.
Known for
Acting76
movieA Country Boss
1962
Ryunosuke Edohara
movieThe Three Treasures
1959
God of Yaoyorozu
movieElephant from "Zoo Story"
1957
Zen-san (Elephant Officer)
movieExcursion to Treasure Isle
1956
Sarukichi
movieFighting Cha Cha Girl
1956
Iwasuke Egawa
movieBridal Candidates
1955
Yoshiro Ishibashi
movieTomboy Daughter Diary
1955
Ken'ichi Enomoto
movieDiary of the First Incredible Laughing Trip
1955
Furaibo Kinta
movieFighting Yasubei
1952
Ginji Tateya
movieGrease Paint Serenade
1952
Kenichi Hanemoto
movieEnoken the Hero
1950
Onihime Yakurota
movieSagohei the Three-footer
1944
'Three-Footer' Sagohei
movieHyoroku's Dream Tale
1943
Hyoroku Oishi
movieThe Monkey King
1940
Son Goku
Enoken's Kondo Isami
1935
Kondo Isami / Sakamoto Ryoma
