was a Japanese

film actor An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...

famous for starring roles in

jidaigeki is a genre of film, television, and theatre in Japan. Literally meaning "historical drama, period dramas", it refers to stories that take place before the Meiji Restoration of 1868. ''Jidaigeki'' show the lives of the samurai, farmers, crafts ...

from the 1920s to the 1960s. Trained in

kabuki is a classical form of Theatre of Japan, Japanese theatre, mixing dramatic performance with Japanese traditional dance, traditional dance. Kabuki theatre is known for its heavily stylised performances, its glamorous, highly decorated costumes ...

from childhood, he made his film debut in 1925 at

Makino Film Productions Makino Film Productions was a successful early film producing company active in Japanese cinema in the 1920s and 1930s. It was founded by the pioneering film director Shozo Makino in 1923. Makino produced many prominent films of the early era, a ...

under Shōzō Makino. Quickly gaining popularity, he followed the example of Makino stars such as Tsumasaburō Bandō in starting his own independent production company, Utaemon Ichikawa Productions, in 1927. It was there he first began the "Idle Vassal" (Hatamoto taikutsu otoko) series, which would become his signature role. When his company folded in 1936 as

sound film A sound film is a Film, motion picture with synchronization, synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, bu ...

came to the fore, he moved to Shinkō Kinema and then Daiei Studios before helping form the

Toei Company , simply known as Toei Company or Toei, is a Japanese entertainment company. Headquartered in Ginza, Chūō, Tokyo, it is involved in film and television production, distribution, video game development, publishing, and ownership of 34 movi ...

after

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. He served on the board of directors along with fellow samurai star

Chiezō Kataoka Masayoshi Ueki (植木正義, ''Ueki Masayoshi''; March 30, 1903 – March 31, 1983), known professionally as , was a Japanese film and television actor most famous for his starring roles in jidaigeki. Career Born as Masayoshi Ueki in 1903, in G ...

. Utaemon appeared in over 300 films during his career. His son,

Kin'ya Kitaōji is a Japanese actor. Biography Early life He was born in Kyoto, son of ''jidaigeki'' film star Ichikawa Utaemon, and graduated from Waseda University School of Letters, Arts and Sciences II in Tokyo. Acting career Kin'ya made his debut with ...

, is also a famous actor in film and television.

Selected filmography

Kōkichi Takada (left) and Utaemon in 1950 *'' Dokuro'' (恐苦呂) (1927) *''

Nishikie Edosugata Hatamoto to Machiyakko is a 1939 black and white Japanese silent film with ''benshi'' accompaniment directed by Kazuo Mori. It is a cheerful period drama, sprinkled with comical scenes and tells the story of a loyal and handsome Edo period The , also known as the , ...

'' (錦絵江戸姿旗本と街奴, The Color Print of Edo: Hatamoto to Machiyakko) (1939) *'' The 47 Ronin'' (元禄忠臣蔵, Genroku chūshingura) (1941/1942) *'' Kojiki Taishō'' (1952) *''

Ninkyō Shimizu-minato is a 1957 color Cinema of Japan, Japanese film, directed by Sadatsugu Matsuda (松田定次), and the first of an all-star cast trilogy, loosely based on the legend of Shimizu Jirocho (1820–1893), Japan's most famous gangster and folk hero, who ...

'' (任侠清水港, Ninkyō Shimizu-minato) (1957) *'' The Idle Vassal: House of the Snake Princess'' (旗本退屈男謎の蛇姫屋敷, Hatamoto taikutsu otoko: Nazo no Hebihime yashiki) (1957) *'' Akō Rōshi'' (赤穂浪士, Akō Rōshi) (1961)

Honours

* Medal with Purple Ribbon (1972) * Order of the Rising Sun, 4th Class, Gold Rays with Rosette (1979)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ichikawa, Utaemon 1907 births 1999 deaths Actors from Kagawa Prefecture Japanese male silent film actors 20th-century Japanese male actors People from Marugame, Kagawa Recipients of the Medal with Purple Ribbon Recipients of the Order of the Rising Sun, 4th class