Denmei Suzuki
Encyclopedia
was a Japanese film actor most famous for starring roles in gendaigeki
of the silent
era.
and was a championship swimmer at Meiji University
when he first appeared in Souls on the Road in 1921 under the name Zeya Tōgō (東郷是也, a pun on the English "to go there"). After graduating in 1924, he joined the Nikkatsu
studio and began acting under his own name. He moved to Shōchiku
's Kamata
studio the next year and became a major star appearing in youth films often directed by Kiyohiko Ushihara
. He also worked with directors such as Kenji Mizoguchi
, Minoru Murata
, Masahiro Makino
, and Yasujiro Shimazu
He also directed some films and even ran for political office, though unsuccessfully.
Gendaigeki
Gendai-geki is a genre of film and television or theater play in Japan. Unlike the jidai-geki genre of period dramas, whose stories are set in the Edo period, gendaigeki stories are contemporary dramas set in the modern world.-See also:...
of the silent
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
era.
Career
Suzuki was born in TokyoTokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
and was a championship swimmer at Meiji University
Meiji University
is a private university in Tokyo and Kawasaki, founded in 1881 by three lawyers of the Meiji era, Kishimoto Tatsuo, Miyagi Kōzō, and Yashiro Misao. It is one of the largest and most prestigious Japanese universities in Tokyo, Japan....
when he first appeared in Souls on the Road in 1921 under the name Zeya Tōgō (東郷是也, a pun on the English "to go there"). After graduating in 1924, he joined the Nikkatsu
Nikkatsu
is a Japanese entertainment company well known for its film and television productions. It is Japan's oldest major movie studio. The name Nikkatsu is an abbreviation of Nippon Katsudō Shashin, literally "Japan Cinematograph Company".-History:...
studio and began acting under his own name. He moved to Shōchiku
Shochiku
is a Japanese movie studio and production company for kabuki. It also produces and distributes anime films. Its best remembered directors include Yasujirō Ozu, Kenji Mizoguchi, Mikio Naruse, Keisuke Kinoshita and Yōji Yamada...
's Kamata
Kamata
- Geography and History :*Kamata, Ōta, Tokyo, a neighborhood in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan.*Kamata Kingdom, a former kingdom of the 13th century, Assam, India.- People :*Pedro Kamata, an Angola born Congolese-French footballer.*Tor Kamata, an American-Canadian wrestler....
studio the next year and became a major star appearing in youth films often directed by Kiyohiko Ushihara
Kiyohiko Ushihara
was a Japanese film director most famous for his gendaigeki of the silent era.-Career:Born in Kumamoto Prefecture and graduating from Tokyo University, Ushihara joined the Shochiku studio in 1920 on the invitation of Kaoru Osanai...
. He also worked with directors such as Kenji Mizoguchi
Kenji Mizoguchi
Kenji Mizoguchi was a Japanese film director and screenwriter. His film Ugetsu won the Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival, and appeared in the Sight & Sound Critics' Top Ten Poll in 1962 and 1972. Mizoguchi is renowned for his mastery of the long take and mise-en-scène...
, Minoru Murata
Minoru Murata
was a Japanese film director, screenwriter, and actor who was one of the major directors of the silent era in Japan.-Career:Born in Tokyo, Murata started out as a shingeki actor on the stage. Murata's troupe appeared in the first "pure films" directed by Norimasa Kaeriyama at Tenkatsu in 1918...
, Masahiro Makino
Masahiro Makino
was a Japanese film director of more than 260 films, primarily in the chanbara and yakuza genres. His real name was Masatada , but he took the stage name Masahiro, the kanji for which he changed multiple times .-Career:...
, and Yasujiro Shimazu
Yasujirō Shimazu
was a Japanese film director and screenwriter, who was one of the major creators of the shōshimingeki genre at the Shōchiku studios in pre-World War II Japan....
He also directed some films and even ran for political office, though unsuccessfully.
Selected filmography
- Souls on the Road (路上の霊魂, Rojō no reikon) (1921)
- Marching On (進軍, Shingun) (1930)
- The Mountain Pass of Love and HateThe Mountain Pass of Love and Hateis a 1934 black-and-white Japanese film directed by Kenji Mizoguchi.-External links:...
(愛憎峠 Aizo toge) (1934) - Ahen sensoAhen sensoaka The Opium War is a 1943 black-and-white Japanese film directed by Masahiro Makino."Ahen senso" in Japan refers to the First Opium War...
(阿片戦争) (1943)