The Early Development of the Gendaigeki Screenplay--Kurihara Tomas. Tanizaki Jun′ichiro.and Taikatsu′sAmericanism

Shchiku Cinema and Taikatsu companies set out from the very start to produce artistic films completely free from stage conventions In February1920 announcements in Tokyo and Osaka newspapers confirmed the @that the Shochiku theater monopoly was embarklng on a new venture in film production According to these articles the new studio would produce moving picture films for both the domestic and foreign market These would include historical dramas that could be understood by foreign audiences as well as films that would depict contemporary Japanese life in as humorous a light as possible In addition the company would hire a director from America who specialized in comedies and could supervise the production of such innovative contemporary films He would also be responsible for coaching amateur actors and actresses in film acting technique In exchange for pictures introducing Japanese culture to audiences abroad Shchiku would in turn import the latest foreign movies for Japanese viewers In brief not only would the new studio use the most modern production techniques to rival the widespread popularity of the1Lfgf but lt would also contribute to international harmony by making exportable films that truthfully portrayed Japanese culture3 shese were bold promises at the time and they reveal Shochiku s timely awareness of the growing demand for a reformation of the domestic industry that would include the importation of foreign technique and the creation of a foreign ?@forJapanese films Shochiku s objectives also reflect the overwhelming popularity of American fllms at the time The European pictures trickling in from overseas were generally regarded as artistically superior to the American imports but they were no match for them at the box office4 she same month that Shochiku announced the establishment of its new fllm C a former Hollywood actor and novice director Kurihara Tomas returned to Japan after an unsuccessful attempt to market several of his films in the United States These films including a five-reel comedy calledV7f(The Nouveau RicheGoto SanjiThe Upstart)starring an actor(Iwajiro Nakajima)billed as the Japanese Charlie Chaplin had been Kurihara s bid to bring a glimpse of contemporary Japan to foreign audiences5 His failure brought Kurihara and his ?