Japanese musicals in the 30s and 40s

[Roger Macy]

We haven't yet mentioned the catalogue 'Asia Sings' from Udine Far East Film in 2006. Most of the films are from the fifties, but it does include Oshidori utagassen.  Each entry is in Italian and English and includes the survey by Mark Schilling, 'Japanese Musical - The Genre That Almost Wasn't'' pp103-133, his interview with Inoue Umetsugu [active from the 50s], and 'Snapshot: Misora Hibari by Ishi Kimiko', pp152-5. Mark Schilling's survey rapidly steps from one film to another, but does give you a feel for the star-centered arena in which these films thrived.

 

The Japanese films in the catalogue are

The Eagle and the Hawk, 1957, Washi to taka, 鷲と鷹, INOUE Umetsugu

The Guy Who Started a Storm, 1957, Arashi o yobu otoko, 嵐を呼ぶ男, INOUE Umetsugu

The Performers, 1970, Misora Hibari, Mori Shin'ichi no Hana to namida to honoo, 実空ひばり。森進一の 花と涙と炎, INOUE Umetsugu

Singing Lovebirds, 1939, Oshidori utagassen, 鴛鴦歌合戦, MAKINO Masahiro

Tokyo Cinderella Girl, 1954, [Jazu onparēdo 1954-nen] Tōkyō Shindorera musume, [ジャズ。オンパレード1954年] 東京シンドレラ娘, INOUE Umetsugu

 Tokyo Kid, 1950, Tōkyō kiddo, 東京キッド, SAITŌ Torajirō

The Winner, 1957, Shōrisha, 勝利者, INOUE Umetsugu

 

The book is edited by Roger Garcia. I've changed a couple of typos but you may spot more.

The book is available here 

http://www.deastore.com/search/products/usr/keywords/Asia%20sings

Mark Shilling describes Oshidori utagassen as "the most frequently revived Japanese pre-war musical".  Do any others survive ?

Roger

----- Original Message ----- 
  From: =%ISO-8859-1?Q?J=E9r=E9mie_de_Albuquerque?= 
  To: KineJapan at lists.acs.ohio-state.edu 
  Sent: Sunday, February 05, 2012 10:53 AM
  Subject: Re: Japanese musicals in the 30s and 40s


  Dear All,

  Thanks for all your interesting answers and references: I'll read the article mentionned by Mr. Gerow as soon as possible.
  If the movie Ongaku kigeki: Horoyoi jinsei still exists, I must see it: the pitch is quite funny, even if the movie is probably not as good as Oshidori Utagassen.

  Regards,

  Jérémie de Albuquerque
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