Photo Chemical Laboratories

***P.C.L. Eiga Seisaku-jo*** (ピー・シー・エル映画製作所, *PCL Film Factory*) or ***Photo Chemical Laboratories*** (P.C.L.) is a Japanese film production company established in 1933. In 1937, the studio would merges with other companies to form Tōhō Company.

## History

#### The origins

The company was founded in 1929 in Tokyo by two film pioneers Rin Masutani (1892-1967) and Taiji Uemura (1896-1971) with the aim of providing laboratory and post-production services to successful film production companies. The company began started by researching development and talkie recording equipment and stage adaptations. Japanese talkies were still in the experimental cinema, and many continued to make silent films.

On October 25, 1932, a rental studio (a part of the current Toho Studio) with two stages was constructed in Kinuta, Kitatama, Tokyo (currently Seijo, Setagaya, Tokyo), and the following in 1933. The "**P.C.L. Movie Manufacturing Co., Ltd.**" (株式会社ピー・シー・エル映画製作所, *Kabushikigaisha pī shī Eru eiga seisakusho*) was established on December 5, 1945 to produce in-house films.

They hired Iwao Mori as the production manager and producer. At the same time, members of "Friday Party" (金曜会, *Kin'yō-kai*), a group of young filmmakers presided over by Mori such as Senkichi Taniguchi, Fumio Kamei, Ishirō Honda, and others were invited to join the studio. The first movie they produced is a musical comedy Intoxicated Life (directed by Sotoji Kimura and starring Benshi performer Musei Tokugawa) and it was released on August 17, 1933. In other words, another studio was created known as "Photo Chemical Laboratory Co. Ltd." (写真化学研究所, *Shashin kagaku kenkyūjo* ) , and produced another film called Junjo no miyako, again directed by Kimura.

The exact first film after the establishment of "P.C.L. Film Factory" is the first fixed-sound animation movie called Ugokie kori no tatehiki, released on December 31, 1933 and directed by Ikuo Oishi who is known as Japan's First Anime Director. On January 5, 1934, The first live-action film based on a manga by titled Bonji Tadano: Life Study, directed by Kimura again and starring Kamatari Fujiwara as the main character.

### Merged to Toho Studio

On September 10, 1937, the Photochemical Research Institute ,"JO Studio" in Kyoto, "Toho Movie Distribution", Toho Eiga Co., Ltd., and other companies merge together and established Toho Company. Former J.O. Studio became "Toho Movie Kyoto Studio" (東宝映画京都撮影所, *Tōhō eiga Kyōto satsueijo*), a former PCL Film Factory and former Photochemical Research Institute became the same Tokyo studio. Initially, Kyoto has a historical drama and Tokyo was a contemporary drama stage, but the facilities in Tokyo was expanded, and the historical dramas was also produced by Tokyo, but was closed due to limited budget and poor funding.

In 1943, "Toho Movie" (東宝映画, *Tōhō eiga*) merged with "Tokyo Takarazuka Theater" (東京宝塚劇場, *Tōkyō takaradzuka gekijō*) and became the current film studio Toho. On March 16, 1951, Rin Masutani and Taiji Uemura restablished the "Photochemical Research Institute Co., Ltd." again and by 1970, it latter became a subsidiary of Sony Corporation and changed the company name to "Sony PCL Inc." and continues to this day.

## People

* Representative Director: Taiji Uemura
* Directors: Tomeji Yamamoto (until October 1936), Takeo Ohashi, Masashige Anami, Rin Masutani, Iwao Mori
* Sound Engineers: Shigetomi Fukushima, Kingo Uemura

## Films

* 1933: Intoxicated Life (音楽喜劇 ほろよひ人生), Director: Sotoji Kimura
* 1933: Junjō no miyako (純情の都), Director: Sotoji Kimura
* 1934: Life Study (只野凡児 人生勉強) Director: Sotoji Kimura
* 1934: Sakura Ondo Tears Mother (さくら音頭 涙の母), Director: Sotoji Kimura
* 1934: Odoriko Nikki (踊り子日記) Director: Shigeo Yagura
* 1934: Enoken no seishun suikoden (エノケンの青春酔虎伝), Director: Kajirō Yamamoto
* 1934: Namiko no isshō (浪子の一生), Director: Shigeo Yagura
* 1934: Zoku Tadano bonji (続・只野凡児), Director: Sotoji Kimura
* 1934: Enoken no majutsushi (エノケンの魔術師), Director: Sotoji Kimura
* 1934: General Arupusu (あるぷす大将), Director: Kajirō Yamamoto
* 1935: Kinu no dorogutsu (絹の泥靴), Director: Shigeo Yagura
* 1935: Three Sisters with Maiden Hearts (乙女ごころ三人姉妹), Director: Mikio Naruse
* 1935: Botchan (坊つちゃん), Director: Kajirō Yamamoto
* 1935: The Actress and the Poet (女優と詩人), Director: Mikio Naruse
* 1935: Sumire musume (すみれ娘), Director: Kajirō Yamamoto
* 1935: Wandering Notes (放浪記), Director: Sotoji Kimura
* 1935: Sanshokuki birudingu (三色旗ビルディング), Director: Sotoji Kimura
* 1935: Intense Love (奮恋), Director: Shigeo Yagura
* 1935: Rajio no joō (ラヂオの女王), Director: Shigeo Yagura
* 1935: Wife! Be Like a Rose! (妻よ薔薇のやうに), Director: Mikio Naruse
* 1935: Ita dzura kozō (いたづら小僧), Director: Kajirō Yamamoto
* 1935: Five Men in the Circus (サーカス五人組), Director: Mikio Naruse
* 1935: Tokai no kaii shichiji sanpun (都会の怪異七時三分), Director: Sotoji Kimura
* 1935: Enoken no Kondo Isami (エノケンの近藤勇), Director: Kajirō Yamamoto
* 1935: Jinsei shonen hei (人生初年兵), Director: Shigeo Yagura
* 1936: The Girl in the Rumour (噂の娘), Director: Mikio Naruse
* 1936: Akireta renchū (あきれた連中), Director: Kei Okada & Osamu Fushimizu
* 1936: On'nagun tsugekitai (女軍突撃隊), Director: Sotoji Kimura
* 1936: Enoken no donguri tonbee (エノケンのどんぐり頓兵衛), Director: Kajirō Yamamoto
* 1936: Kyūkon sanjūshi (求婚三銃士), Director: Shigeo Yagura
* 1936: Majutsu no joō (魔術の女王), Director: Sotoji Kimura
* 1936: Utau yajikita (歌ふ弥次喜多), Director: Kei Okada et Osamu Fushimizu
* 1936: I Am a Cat (1936 film) (吾輩は猫である), Director: Kajirō Yamamoto
* 1936: Tochuken Kumoemon (film) (桃中軒雲右衛門), Director: Mikio Naruse
* 1936: Shojo Hanazono (処女花園), Director: Shigeo Yagura
* 1936: Brother and Sister (兄いもうと), Director: Sotoji Kimura
* 1936: Enoken no senbanchōja (エノケンの千万長者), Director: Kajirō Yamamoto
* 1936: Kore wa shitsurei (これは失礼), Director: Kei Okada
* 1936: Uta no yononaka (唄の世の中), Director: Osamu Fushimizu
* 1936: Taiyō no chōji (大洋の寵児), Director: Shigeo Yagura
* 1936: Zoku enoken no senbanchōja (続エノケンの千万長者), Director: Kajirō Yamamoto
* 1937: Kafuku kōhen (禍福 後篇), Director: Mikio Naruse
* 1936: The Road I Travel with You (君と行く路), Director: Mikio Naruse
* 1936: Haha nareba koso (母なればこそ), Director: Sotoji Kimura
* 1936: O ho berabō (おほべら棒), Director: Kei Okada
* 1936: Ren'ai no sekinin (恋愛の責任), Director: Tomoyoshi Murayama
* 1936: Kappo re jinsei (かっぽれ人生), Director: Shigeo Yagura
* 1936: Asa no namiki-ji (朝の並木路), Director: Mikio Naruse
* 1936: Hikoroku ōini emi fu (彦六大いに笑ふ), Director: Sotoji Kimura
* 1936: Tokyo Rhapsody (東京ラプソディ), Director: Osamu Fushimizu

* 1936: Takeshidō hogaraka narishi koro (武士道朗らかなりし頃), Director: Minoru Matsui
* 1936: Shinkon ura omote (新婚うらおもて), Director: Kajirō Yamamoto
* 1936: Enoken no Edo-kko santa (エノケンの江戸っ子三太), Director: Kei Okada
* 1937: Shinzō ga tsuyoi (心臓が強い), Director: Toshio Ōtani
* 1937: A Woman's Sorrows (女人哀愁, Nyonin aishū) Director: Mikio Naruse
* 1937: Fūryū enkatai (風流演歌隊), Director: Osamu Fushimizu
* 1937: Sengoku gunto-den (戦国群盗伝 前篇 虎狼), Director: Eisuke Takizawa
* 1937: Sengoku guntō-den: Kōhen akatsuki no zenshin (戦国群盗伝 後篇 暁の前進), Director: Eisuke Takizawa
* 1937: Uso kurabu (うそ倶楽部), Director: Kei Okada
* 1937: Karayuki-san (からゆきさん), Director: Sotoji Kimura
* 1937: Seishun butai (青春部隊), Director: Minoru Matsui
* 1937: Otto no teiso: Haru kitareba (良人の貞操 前篇 春来れば), Director: Kajirō Yamamoto
* 1937: Harikiri Boy (ハリキリ・ボーイ), Director: Toshio Ōtani
* 1937: Otto no teiso: Aki futatabi (良人の貞操 後篇 秋ふたたび), Director: Kajirō Yamamoto
* 1937: Edokko Ken-chan (江戸っ子健ちゃん), Director: Kei Okada
* 1937: Nihon josei dokuhon (日本女性読本), Directors: Kajirō Yamamoto, Sotoji Kimura & Toshio Ōtani
* 1937: Misemono okuni (見世物王国), Director: Minoru Matsui
* 1937: Avalanche (雪崩), Director: Mikio Naruse
* 1937: Tōkaidō wa nihonbare (東海道は日本晴れ), Director: Eisuke Takizawa
* 1937: Wealthy Woman (お嬢さん), Director: Satsuo Yamamoto
* 1937: Enoken no chakkiri Kinta: Zenpen (エノケンのちゃっきり金太 前篇), Director: Kajirō Yamamoto
* 1937: Shirosōbi wa sakedo (白薔薇は咲けど), Director: Osamu Fushimizu
* 1937: Enoken no chakkiri Kinta: Kōhen (エノケンのちゃっきり金太 後篇), Director: Kajirō Yamamoto
* 1937: Humanity and Paper Balloons (人情紙風船), Director: Sadao Yamanaka
* 1937: Minamikaze no oka (南風の丘), Director: Minoru Matsui
* 1937: Rakuen no gasshō (楽園の合唱), Director: Toshio Ōtani
* 1937: Hokushi no sora wo tsuku (北支の空を衝く), Director: Kunio Watanabe
* 1937: Boko wa dareda (俺は誰だ), Director: Kei Okada
* 1937: Ishin hiwa tatakahi no kyoku (維新秘話 戦ひの曲), Director: Kunio Watanabe
* 1937: Utsukushiki taka (美しき鷹), Director: Kajirō Yamamoto
* 1937: Kafuku zenpen (禍福 前篇), Director: Mikio Naruse
* 1937: Shinsengumi (新選組), Director: Sotoji Kimura

## Short animated films produced

* 1933: Ugokie kori no tatehiki (動絵狐狸の達引), Director: Ikuo Ōishi
* 1934: Pon suke no haru (ポン助の春), Director: Ikuo Ōishi
* 1934: Kachikachi yama (かちかち山), Director: Ikuo Ōishi
* 1935: Bīru banzai (ビール万才), Director: Ikuo Ōishi
* 1935: Ari to kawazu (蟻と蛙), Director: Ikuo Ōishi
* 1936: Tōkī no hanashi (トーキーの話), Director: Ikuo Ōishi