Hitoshi Ueki
Encyclopedia
was a Japanese
actor, comedian, singer, and guitarist. He won six awards for acting. His film credits stretch from 1960 to 1995.
Ueki came to fame through the comic jazz-band The Crazy Cats led by Hajime Hana
. His major appearances were in the Musekinin Otoko film series, the comedy variety show Shabondama Holiday, the prime-time television series The Hangman, and the ten 2-hour television shows in the Nagoya Yomeiri Monogatari franchise. He appeared in the Akira Kurosawa
epic jidaigeki
film Ran
, and received a nomination for the Japan Academy Prize
for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role. In 1978, he won that honor for his performance in Shukuji, directed by Tomio Kuriyama. On stage, he portrayed Billy Flynn in the musical Chicago
.
Additionally, Ueki voiced the Roddy McDowall
role in Planet of the Apes
.
His hit song with Hana Hajime and the Crazy Cats, Sūdara-bushi, placed in the Oricon
top ten,and landed him an appearance on the NHK
annual music spectacular Kōhaku Uta Gassen
.
Ueki received the Purple Ribbon Medal of Honour in 1993 and the 4th Class Order of the Rising Sun
in 1999.
He also served as a narrator in the Japanese version of Tom and Jerry
.
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
actor, comedian, singer, and guitarist. He won six awards for acting. His film credits stretch from 1960 to 1995.
Ueki came to fame through the comic jazz-band The Crazy Cats led by Hajime Hana
Hajime Hana
was a Japanese actor. He was the leader of the comic jazz band The Crazy Cats, which featured such talent as Hitoshi Ueki and Kei Tani, and which starred in a series of film comedies and in TV variety shows such as "Shabondama Holiday." He won the award for best actor at the 31st Blue Ribbon...
. His major appearances were in the Musekinin Otoko film series, the comedy variety show Shabondama Holiday, the prime-time television series The Hangman, and the ten 2-hour television shows in the Nagoya Yomeiri Monogatari franchise. He appeared in the Akira Kurosawa
Akira Kurosawa
was a Japanese film director, producer, screenwriter and editor. Regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers in the history of cinema, Kurosawa directed 30 filmsIn 1946, Kurosawa co-directed, with Hideo Sekigawa and Kajiro Yamamoto, the feature Those Who Make Tomorrow ;...
epic jidaigeki
Jidaigeki
is a genre of film, television, and theatre in Japan. The name means "period drama" and is usually the Edo period of Japanese history, from 1603 to 1868. Some, however, are set much earlier—Portrait of Hell, for example, is set during the late Heian period—and the early Meiji era is also a popular...
film Ran
Ran (film)
is a 1985 Japanese-French jidaigeki film written and directed by Akira Kurosawa. The film starred Tatsuya Nakadai as Hidetora Ichimonji, an aging Sengoku-era warlord who decides to abdicate as ruler in favor of his three sons. It also stars Mieko Harada as the wife of Ichimonji's eldest son...
, and received a nomination for the Japan Academy Prize
Japan Academy Prize
Japan Academy Prize may refer to:*Imperial Prize of the Japan Academy, an award of the Japan Academy to non-members in recognition of outstanding academic achievements....
for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role. In 1978, he won that honor for his performance in Shukuji, directed by Tomio Kuriyama. On stage, he portrayed Billy Flynn in the musical Chicago
Chicago (musical)
Chicago is a musical set in Prohibition-era Chicago. The music is by John Kander with lyrics by Fred Ebb and a book by Ebb and Bob Fosse. The story is a satire on corruption in the administration of criminal justice and the concept of the "celebrity criminal"...
.
Additionally, Ueki voiced the Roddy McDowall
Roddy McDowall
Roderick Andrew Anthony Jude "Roddy" McDowall was an English actor and photographer. His film roles included Cornelius and Caesar in the Planet of the Apes film series...
role in Planet of the Apes
Planet of the Apes (1968 film)
Planet of the Apes is a 1968 American science fiction film directed by Franklin J. Schaffner, based on the 1963 French novel La Planète des singes by Pierre Boulle. The film stars Charlton Heston, Roddy McDowall, Kim Hunter, Maurice Evans, James Whitmore, James Daly and Linda Harrison...
.
His hit song with Hana Hajime and the Crazy Cats, Sūdara-bushi, placed in the Oricon
Oricon
, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc...
top ten,and landed him an appearance on the NHK
NHK
NHK is Japan's national public broadcasting organization. NHK, which has always identified itself to its audiences by the English pronunciation of its initials, is a publicly owned corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television license fee....
annual music spectacular Kōhaku Uta Gassen
Kohaku Uta Gassen
, more commonly known as simply Kōhaku, is an annual music show on New Year's Eve produced by Japanese public broadcaster NHK and broadcast on both television and radio, nationally and internationally by NHK's networks and some overseas broadcasters which bought the program...
.
Ueki received the Purple Ribbon Medal of Honour in 1993 and the 4th Class Order of the Rising Sun
Order of the Rising Sun
The is a Japanese order, established in 1875 by Emperor Meiji of Japan. The Order was the first national decoration awarded by the Japanese Government, created on April 10, 1875 by decree of the Council of State. The badge features rays of sunlight from the rising sun...
in 1999.
He also served as a narrator in the Japanese version of Tom and Jerry
Tom and Jerry
Tom and Jerry are the cat and mouse cartoon characters that were evolved starting in 1939.Tom and Jerry also may refer to:Cartoon works featuring the cat and mouse so named:* The Tom and Jerry Show...
.