Ichitarô Kataoka
- Actor
Kataoka Ichitaro was born in 1877 in Kyoto. His real name was Tsukamoto
Suekichi. His father died when Kataoka was only four years old, as a
result of which he was adopted by the stage actor Tsukamoto Seizaburo.
Soon after entering elementary school, Kataoka became an apprentice of
Kataoka Ichizo in Otani Tomomatsu's theater company, making his debut
stage appearance at the Masagoza theater in Kyoto under the name of
Kataoka Ichitaro. After this, he went on tour with his foster father,
before he began performing as the top onnagata of Ichikawa Shinshiro's
theater company in Nagoya. Kataoka first met Makino Shozo when the
company moved permanently to the Senbonza theater in Kyoto. He then
went on to marry Makino's youngest sister, Okyo and became a member of
Makino Productions. Makino actually began making films in 1908, and
Kataoka made the switch from theater to cinema with his appearance as
Yoshitsune in Goban Tadanobu. He then went on to work with Makino at
Nikkatsu, Mikado & Co., Makino Educational Films and the Makino Film
Studios, giving support to Makino in its early days as he appeared in
roughly 50 films, including Miyako ni Akogarete (The Beloved City),
Shonanko, Yamanouchi Kazutoyo no Tsuma and Nogitsune Sanji. In 1924,
Kataoka starred in the lead role of Hayashi Seinosuke opposite Bando
Tsumasaburo's Lord Komai Sagami in the film series Moyuru Uzumaki. As
the new star Bando Tsumasaburo's rise to the top became increasingly
alarming, Kataoka made less and less films before finally disappearing
from the scene altogether.
