Kajirô Yamamoto

Kaijro as camera man

**Kajirō Yamamoto** was a film director, actor and screenwriter who was known for his war films and comedies and as the mentor of Akira Kurosawa. The combined list of his efforts as a director for documentaries, silent, and sound films includes over 90 film titles during his lifetime.

## Life

Kajiro Yamamoto lived from 15 March 1902 to 21 September 1974

### Early life

Born in Ginza Kameicho, Tokyo . His father was the general manager of the tengu.

After graduating from Keio University in 1920, she made an actor debut with " Kotoko Okada " in " Midsummer Night's Dream " . However, because of that, he was distrusted by his parents, and he established the " Unnamed Film Society " with that money and starred himself.

After that, while working at Nikkatsu as an assistant director, he also wrote a script, and wrote the script for Tomotaka Tasaka 's " Spring and Daughter " ( 1932, famous as the first all-voiced film by dubbing ).

After the Great Kanto Earthquake , he directed " Heatfire Crossball " (1924) at " Hayakawa Productions " formed in Kansai . This is the director's debut work  . In 1933, transferred to PCL and directed many Enoken movies. Among them, "Enoken's Acorn Tonbei" (1936) and "Enoken's Chunky Kinta" (1937) are said to be one of the best masterpieces in many Enoken movies, making the most of Enoken's characteristic musical gag.

1938 , Hideko Takamine "starring spelling classroom supervise", 1941 to Akira Kurosawa "to the assistant director horse has created a". These two works received high praise as honorable works dealing with a world that was not previously treated.

World War II in 1942 , Eiji Tsuburaya is special skill supervision served as " The War at Sea from Hawaii to Malaya the" Toho movie to work with. This movie was produced at the highest order of the Navy , but was unable to receive any materials from the aircraft carrier (Japan). For this reason, when he assembled a deck set based on US aircraft carrier materials (photos, etc.), he purchased Miyake's wrath (because it is similar to the US aircraft carrier) at the completion preview of the Navy's seat, and it was about to be stopped. After the war, Yamamoto said, "I still don't know who was there and how I was able to make it public."

In 1944, he produced and released " Kato Jun Hayabusa ", sponsored by the Ministry of Army, at Toho . With Fujita Susumu starring ( Kento Kato squadron commander ), the special skill director welcomes Eiji Tsuburaya as in the previous work, full armament of the army such as mobilizing many real aircraft such as set fighter "Haya" and army paratroopers Was filmed, and this work recorded the top box office income of the same year .

After that, 1951 to Takachiho Hizuru debut of "Hope's", Yokuyokunen 1953 , the first in the Toho color movie " daughters in the flowers to create a", the appeal alive.

1955 Married actress Keiko Matsuyama (Kikuyo Shibata). The eldest son, Kazumasa Yamamoto (Kazumasa Shibata) was born, but divorced two years later.

In his later years, he wasn't blessed with directing works, but wrote many screenplays. The stylish way of life, which calls itself "Katsudoya", attracted many cultural figures. Also, in the 1960s, he served as the director of Toho's actor training school and taught the next generation. At times, the trainees were attracted by the sincere attitude of teaching themselves, and they were called “Yamakaji-sensei” with respect.

In 1974, died of arteriosclerosis  .

## Career

He worked as an actor on the stage, joined Nikkatsu as an assistant director, and finally made his directorial debut in 1924 at Tōa Kinema. After working at Nikkatsu again, he was lured to Photo Chemical Laboratories (P. C. L.) in 1934, where he first made a name filming the comedies of Kenichi Enomoto. When P. C. L. became the Toho company, Yamamoto helmed realist dramas such as *Tsuzurikata kyōshitsu* and *Uma* (starring Hideko Takamine), and war films such as *Hawai Mare oki kaisen*.

After World War II, he continued directing films, but increasingly worked in television and radio.

## Legacy

He is now mostly known as the mentor of Akira Kurosawa, who served as his assistant director on 17 films.

He is also responsible for the career of Toshiro Mifune. In 1947, one of Mifune's friends who worked for the Photography Department of Toho Productions suggested Mifune try out for the Photography Department. He was accepted for a position as an assistant cameraman. At this time, a large number of Toho actors, after a prolonged strike, had left to form their own company, Shin Toho. Toho then organized a "new faces" contest to find new talent. Mifune's friends submitted an application and photo, without his knowledge. He was accepted, along with 48 others (out of roughly 4000 applicants), and allowed to take a screen test for Kajiro Yamamoto. Instructed to mime anger, he drew from his wartime experiences. Yamamoto took a liking to Mifune, recommending him to director Senkichi Taniguchi.

## Home life

He was very curious, learned, and was a gourmet, so he was nicknamed "Nandemo Kajirou" by his surname. There are many books. Also appeared on the radio program " Story no Izumi " hosted by Yume Tokugawa with Sato Hachiro and Keizo Horiuchi . I showed off the exhibition.

He was known to have raised Honda Inoshiro , Chikichi Taniguchi , Akira Kurosawa , Hideko Takamine, and was also the most coherent director with Kenichi Enomoto .

When I was the manager of the examination department for the recruitment of assistant directors at PCL, I managed to recruit Akira Kurosawa, who was narrowed down to the last three people, through the opposition of the upper management. Kurosawa was worn out on the day and didn't have a good interview attitude, but Yamamoto, who felt a strong passion only for the story of Kurosawa's paintings, said he strongly recommended Kurosawa to the company. After the war, there was a strong request from Toho Shooting Department's Kazuo Yamada at the time of Toshiro Mifune 's recruitment interview, but he said, "It would be okay if there was only one eccentric person like that." I was forced to adopt the fierce opposition of other interviewers who were doing it, and further I asked Susumu Kurobe who was polishing shoes in Shibuya to become a guarantor to take the new face test. There was a light.

Conditions to adopt the assistant director is, "and that Nomeru sake is beautiful, tripper had professed jokingly and that there be suffering from." The assistant directors were called " **Yama-san** " instead of being called "sensei"  .

## Other film works

* " Passion's group " ( 1923 June 14, the public, Kiyomatsu Hososan Director) dramatization
* " Poison Dust " (Published October 12, 1923, directed by Kiyomatsu Hosoyama) Screenplay
* " Sea country boy " (1926 October 14, the public, Kenji Mizoguchi Director) original , dramatization
* " Beyond the continent " (1926 December 10, the public, Osamu Wakayama Director) Screenplay
* " Astro Reporters " ( 1927 January 3, public, Tomotaka Tasaka Director) Screenplay
* " The Hero of Justice " ( released January 14, 1927, directed by Tomotaka Tasaka)
* " Three days of racing " ( released on February 9, 1927, directed by Yume Uchida )
* " A38 Room " ( published on April 17, 1927, directed by Shigeru Kito ) Original work, adapted
* Screenplay of " Toyo Budodan " ( released on July 15, 1927, directed by Yume Uchida)
* " Shabon Musume " ( published on October 21, 1927, directed by Takashi Tasaka)
* " Cannon smoke rain " ( published on December 31, 1927, directed by Tomu Uchida)
* The original script for "The 2nd floor general " (published in 1927, directed by Seiichi Ina )
* " Lucky " ( 1928 February 23, the public, Shigeru Kito Director) Original
* Based on "The Deadly Era " (Published March 15, 1928, directed by Tomotaka Tasaka)
* " Ai no Machi " ( released on August 31, 1928, directed by Tomotaka Tasaka), adapted and adapted
* " Omoi out of the sailor " (1928 October 5, the public, Tomotaka Tasaka Director) Screenplay
* " Light " (Published October 19, 1928, directed by Tomu Uchida) Screenplay
* "The sun falls in the desert " (Published November 16, 1928, directed by Shigeru Kito)
* " Hibiki Feast Vol. 1 " ( Published March 15, 1929, directed by Tomotaka Tasaka) Screenplay
* " Nikatsu March Concert Factory Record " ( released July 7, 1929, directed by Tomotaka Tasaka)
* " Scenery of Love " (Published September 7, 1929, directed by Tomotaka Tasaka) Screenplay
* " Ukina Zange " ( released on October 11, 1929, directed by Genjiro Saegusa )
* " Cloud Throne " ( released October 25, 1929, directed by Tomotaka Tasaka) Original, adapted
* " Pull out the sword " (Published October 25, 1929, directed by Toshiyasu Takahashi ) Screenplay
* " Horse of Tragedy " ( 1930 January 7 public, Shigeru Kito Director) Screenplay
* " Snow Rescue Train " ( Published March 21, 1930, directed by Shigeru Kito) Screenplay
* " Destruction " ( published on April 15, 1930, directed by Akiho Ogasawara )
* " Sado Okesa " (1930 May 1, the public, Shigeru Kito Director) Original, Screenplay
* " Taiyo Heart " (1930 August 29, the public, Tokunaga Frank Director) Screenplay
* " Sea Festival " ( released on September 5, 1930, directed by Seiichi Ina) Original, adapted
* " Untimely stop of love orゝ " (1930 November 31, the public, Tokunaga Frank Director) Screenplay
* " To blow, Spring Breeze " ( 1931 January 8, the public, Tomotaka Tasaka Director) dramatization, embellishment
* " Million Grooms " ( Published January 30, 1931, directed by Tokunaga Frank) Screenplay
* " Kankan Mushi wa Utafu " ( released on May 8, 1931, directed by Tomotaka Tasaka)
* Screenplay of " Spy " ( released July 1, 1931, directed by Seiichi Ina)
* Screenplay of " Kin wa Oda no Michi " (Published July 31, 1931, directed by Frank Tokunaga)
* " Five people's pleasant friends " ( released on August 14, 1931, directed by Tomotaka Tasaka)
* " Woman who blows the pigeon flute " ( Published March 3, 1932, directed by Tomotaka Tasaka) Screenplay
* " The World of Ours " ( Published March 25, 1932, directed by Frank Tokunaga) Screenplay
* " Spring and Daughter " (1932 June 17, the public, Tomotaka Tasaka Director) Original, dramatization
* " Umiyan " (Published July 1, 1932, directed by Yutaka Nagakura )
* " Lover in full bloom " ( published on July 29, 1932, directed by Satoshi Taguchi )
* " Edo three thickness of Enoken " (1936 December 31, the public, Takashi Okada Director) Original, dramatization
* " Edokko Ken-chan " (Published May 1, 1937, directed by Takashi Okada) Screenplay
* " Enoken's Sarutobi Sasuke no Ohta Vol. " (Published December 31, 1937, directed by Takashi Okada) Screenplay
* " Enoken no Sarutobi Sasuke Drondon no Maki " (Published January 7, 1938, directed by Takashi Okada) Screenplay
* Screenplay of " Dekansho Samurai " (released on January 14, 1938, directed by Toshio Otani )
* " Roppa's Garama Don " ( released March 16, 1938, directed by Takashi Okada)
* Based on " Enoken no Furaibo " ( released March 24, 1938, directed by Toshio Otani)
* " Europe of Otochan " (1938 November 9, the public, Torajiro Saito Director) Screenplay
* " Hatasui Chochobei " ( released May 29, 1940, directed by Yasuki Chiba )
* " Doggy General of Enoken " (1940 June 23, the public, Nobuo Nakagawa Director) Screenplay
* The composition of " Akira five men " ( released on November 30, 1940, directed by Tojiro Saito)[3]
* Screenplay of " Shindaika Daisho " ( published on May 2, 1948, directed by Masahisa Sunohara )
* " Enoki's surprised hiccuping era " (Published July 5, 1948, directed by Koji Shima ) Screenplay
* " Gough Enoken Torimonocho " (1948 December 31, the public, Kunio Watanabe Director) Screenplay
* " Ginza Kankan Musume " ( released on August 16, 1949, directed by Koji Shima) Screenplay
* " Enoken No Tobisuke Adventure Trip " (Published September 20, 1949, directed by Nobuo Nakagawa) Screenplay
* " Derailment passion Daughter " (1949 December 8, public, Hideo Oba Director) Screenplay
* " Uta Uboroshi Goten " ( released on December 27, 1949, directed by Motoyoshi Oda )
* " Flesh of the White Paper " (1950 July 4 public, Toshio Shimura Director) Screenplay
* " Designated criminal " ( published on September 2, 1950, directed by Shizuko Hisamatsu ) Screenplay
* " Widows at Night " (Published July 27, 1951, directed by Koji Shima) Screenplay
* " SanFutoshi Story " (1951, September 21, the public, Seiji Maruyama Director) Screenplay
* " Third Executive " (Published May 29, 1952, directed by Masahisa Sunohara) Screenplay
* " Santa and Chiyo no Yama " (Published September 18, 1952, directed by Oda Motoyoshi) Screenplay
* " Cheating Heaven " (1953 November 17, the public, Eisuke Takizawa Director) Screenplay
* " First laughing bottomless travel diary " (Published January 3, 1955, directed by Nobuo Aoyagi ) Screenplay
* The original script , " Chatkari Kinta " ( released June 2, 1958, directed by Nobuo Aoyagi)
* " Sequentially Chunky Kinta " ( released on July 8, 1958, directed by Nobuo Aoyagi) based on the script
* Screenplay of " Greengrocer Ochichi Edo Festival Ichibanmusume " ( released on August 9, 1960, directed by Eiji Iwaki )
* Produced " Roppongi's Night Love and Love " ( released January 29, 1963, directed by Katsumi Iwauchi )[4]Born in [5]Born in [6]
* Planning Director , " My Beret " (published in 1964, directed by Nagisa Oshima )
* " Bochan employee youth belongs to me! "( 1967 April 1, public, Ken Matsumori Director) screenplay, embellishment
* “ Bochan employee, run in youth! (Published May 20, 1967, directed by Ken Matsumori) Screenplay, Junshiro
* " Comto No. 55 Human Weaknesses " ( released on August 13, 1969, directed by Jun Fukuda ) Screenplay \*Hirado Nobusuke