Japanese musicals in the 30s and 40s

[Aaron Gerow]

I have an article on the Japanese musical in the anthology The International Film Musical edited by Corey Creekmur and Linda Mokdad. I mention a number of musicals, but focus my discussion on two: Harikiri boi from 1937 and Kimi mo shusse ga dekiru from 1964. 

http://www.amazon.com/International-Musical-Traditions-World-Cinema/dp/0748634762

We are actually showing Oshidori utagassen tonight at Yale alongside Enoken's Kinta the Pickpocket. Most of Enoken's films, even if they weren't "true musicals" (which is a problematic concept), had musical interludes given his background in stage revues. That is true with many of Fukukawa Roppa's films as well. Both made films though PCL and/or Toho, which had a stake in stage revues. Many people cite Horoyoi jinsei (1933), PCL's first film, as the "first" Japanese musical.

Aaron Gerow
Professor
Film Studies Program/East Asian Languages and Literatures
Director of Undergraduate Studies, Film Studies Program
Yale University
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