Utaemon Ichikawa
Birthday: 1904-02-11
Place of Birth: Marugame, Kagawa, Japan
Biography: Utaemon Ichikawa was a Japanese film actor famous for starring roles in Jidaigeki from the 1920s to the 1960s. Trained in kabuki from childhood, he made his film debut in 1925 at Makino Film Productions 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 came to the fore, he moved to Shinkō Kinema and then Daiei Studios before helping form the Toei Company after World War II. He served on the board of directors along with fellow samurai star Chiezō Kataoka. Utaemon appeared in over 300 films during his career. His son, Kin'ya Kitaōji, is also a famous actor in film and television.
Movies
Thus the Divine Wind Blows
Set in the late thirteenth century, this film depicts the defense of southern Japan led by the Kono ...
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G-men of Japan 2: Bloody Duel at Shipwreck Cape
The second part of an action-packed action movie about the struggle between smugglers, the Japanese ...
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The 47 Ronin
In 1701, Lord Takuminokami Asano has a feud with Lord Kira and he tries to kill Kira in the corridor...
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Eight Views of Samurai
Bright samurai movie innovatively adapted from a classic story. A traveling masterless samurai is as...
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The Samurai Markets
The success story of a group of ronin who fights against traffickers during the Edo Tenpo period....
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A Thousand Standards of Stone
A film about the rivalry and friendship between firefighter Chоji and sumo wrestler Sokichi Fudoyama...
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Bored Hatamoto Detective, Part 2: Poisoning of the Demon Lord
Bored Hatamoto movie #11...
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Kisaragi Sword
The story concerns the efforts of seven master swordsman who join together to protect the new inexpe...
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Bored Hatamoto: The Imposter
Around the Genroku era, there was a man named Saotome Shusui-no-Suke, nephew to the senior councilor...
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Skull
A rare film which depicts the tragic fate of a Christian lord who fought for his fate in the Edo per...
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Travels of Lord Mito Pt.1
The deputy shogun of the realm, accompanied by his loyal and capable aides, makes a stop at Jigokuda...
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Travels of Lord Mito Pt.2
At the transformed Fumaden (Demon Subduing) Temple, with the dynamic efforts of Sukesan and Kakusan,...
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Ancient Coins
This 1956 adaptation of the novel with the same title puts more focus on the characters and their i...
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Shadow Over Fuji
The year is 1805. Napoleon ruled Europe. Ienari is the 11th Tokugawa Shogun. An incident, which was ...
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Epic Crash
Utaemon Ichikawa plays the role of Hikoshiro Navate, who has a strong sense of justice and opposes p...
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Fencing Master
Swordfighting instructor Danpei works at a local theater in Tokyo, instructing the actors how to fig...
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Kojiki Taishô
Gotō Matabei is the most able and fierce samurai of the Kuroda clan. However, he gradually dislikes ...
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Aoi Secret Book
A Golden Age drama depicting the exploits of passionate patriot Uotaro Toge in the midst of a myster...
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The Lord's spy
Maeda Tsunanori, the lord of Kaga Domain, had two young princes - Katsumaru, the son of his legitima...
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The Loyal 47 Ronin
This 1932 adaptation is the earliest sound version of the ever-popular and much-filmed Chushingura s...
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豪快三人男
In the midst of the Siege of Osaka in the Sengoku period, a thrilling tale unfolds featuring a trio ...
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Bored Hatamoto: The Mysterious Demon Palace
In Kyoto, a samurai named Boredom Otoko, Saotome Mondonosuke , appears and helps a woman being chase...
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Drenched Swallow Gonpachi
This is the story of Gonpachi, a ronin who falls in love with the daughter of a man he had killed ma...
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Queen of the Treasure Island
At a tavern in Shimoda, Ronin Tadakazu Yamakawa saved a samurai girl named Mino from the clutches of...
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Samurai Hawk
1716, Yoshimune becomes the 8th Shogun as high Shogunate officials are attacked. While the governmen...
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Five Men of Edo
During the 17th Century roving bands of hatamoto were causing trouble in the new capital city of Edo...
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Seven from Edo
When Katsukawa, a low ranking vassal, learns that his greedy superior, Tatewaki, has hatched a plan ...
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The 47 Masterless Samurai
While the story of the Ako Clan's vendetta has been told countless times, never before has there bee...
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Runway to Hell
When Kaneko Ichinosuke aims to avenge his father who was wrongly accused of embezzlement, the samura...
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A Spectacular Showdown
One of the great stories from Japan’s rich history comes to life in this true tale of the bloody sho...
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The Man Who Challenged 8,000,000-Koku
A story of an orphan boy who wanted the love of parents so badly, another orphan sincerely pitied hi...
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Tsukigata Hanpeita
During the ultra-violent era of the downfall of the Tokugawa Shogunate one man rose above the rest w...
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A Chivalrous Spirit
An all-star cast highlights this Jidai-Geki classic. Set in the samurai era, this is the tale of per...
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Lord Mito
This most celebrated all-star movie version of the popular series features Tsukigata Ryunosuke as Mi...
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Shimizu Port of Chivalry
An all-star cast highlights this Jidai-Geki classic. Set in the samurai era, this is the tale of per...
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The Mansion of Intrigue
A swordsman must foil a minister's sinister plan to assassinate the shogun....
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The Acrobats of Death
Saotome, a sword master and guard of the Shogunate, pursues the mystery of a deadly aerial weapon th...
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Ninja Assassins
Saotome Mondonosuke pursues the culprit who placed a malicious curse upon Shogun Tsunekichi....
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The Mysterious Cape
Ryujin Misaki, located at the edge of the Genkai Sea, is known as an isolation ward for leprosy pati...
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Showdown at Lightning Pass
A story about a spear master’s spiritual and martial discipline....
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The Ako Retainers
Toei’s 10th anniversary film, featuring an all-star cast from the golden movie era of the 1960s. A f...
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Rebellion
In the mist of the warring age (Sengoku Era), the Kyushu based Hayato Clan is faced with a monumenta...
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Drunken Sword
Tetsunosuke, an eccentric doctor and an owner of a fencing school, takes aim against corrupt authori...
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No Stronger Swords
Featuring some of the finest swordsmen ever to grace the silver screen, this Toei classic tells the ...
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Bored Hatamoto: The Daimonji Conspiracy
Master swordsman and loyal vassal Saotome Mondonosuke goes on a mission to find a missing princess....
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Bored Hatamoto: Idle Vassal Tribute
Master swordsman and loya 'Hatamoto' (direct vassal to the Shogun), Saotome Mondonosuke, is sent to ...
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Bored Hatamoto: Island of No Return
Part of the Bored Hatamoto series. The most popular samurai in Edo, Saotome Mondonosuke, known to mo...
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Tokaido Fullhouse
When Kanbe Nagakichi has his turf taken over by Ano-Toku, the father-in-law of his sworn brother Kir...
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Street of Wandering Men
When a group of men from the Hanya clan search his town for a missing geisha, a brave ronin decides ...
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Road of Chivalry
While on the road, famed Yakuza Boss Jirocho is falsely accused of starting a peasant's uprising and...
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Travels of Gonkuro
Sugimoto Gonkuro is travelling along from Tosa to Edo. On his journey he will meet both good and bad...
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The Cave of the Vampire Bats
A maiden is murdered by a mysterious ninja, unfortunately two young ladies witness this, good thing ...
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The Lost Public Funds
Four thousand gold coins were stolen from the vault of Nijo Castle in Kyoto, which were collected as...
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Lord Mito: All Star Version
In 1691 a terrible fire broke out in Denmacho, Yotsuya, burning down the towns around it, up to the ...
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Lord of Steel Heart
A Tokugawa Daimyo rebels against an his lord after the battle of Sekigahara. Samurai Matabei, a famo...
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Bloody Battle at Dawn
A story of revenge between two samurai families on the Igagoe Road. Araki Mataemon born in the provi...
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Golden Valley
A samurai thief fights a gang of ghostly thieves using scorpions for treasure in the unexplored Shin...
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A Color Print of Edo
The Color Print of Edo is a 1939 black and white Japanese silent film with benshi accompaniment dire...
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Mito Kōmon Manyu-ki
This is the only surviving "Mito Komon Manyu-ki" film. This release also known as Adrift Tour Memoir...
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The Terror of Z
Marune Santaro directed this actionner about two fearless Kobe Harbor Patrol Officers who fight to k...
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