Taishu Bungei Eiga-sha (大衆文芸映画社)
Taishu Bungei Eiga-sha (established in September 1931 and ceased operations in July 1932) was a film company that existed in Kyoto. Masatsugu TAKAMURA established the company in collaboration with Sanjugo NAOKI. This company produced films that were to be shown together with films made by Shinko Kinema, but it stopped production in less than a year after its establishment. The concept of 'taishu bungei' (popular literature) was created by Naoki and the company produced films based on popular literature.
Prior to establishment
The 'Tojiin Studio' constructed by Shozo MAKINO had been owned by Toa Kinema since June 1924. Masato Ozasa, who had served as the head of Toa Kinema Tojiin Studio after Makino left the company in 1925, resigned in March 1929 when Yachiyo Insurance, the parent company from which he had been dispatched, withdrew from the film business. Masatsugu TAKAMURA, the husband of Makino's oldest daughter, became the head of the studio in place of Ozasa.
Takamura strived to restore Toa Kinema, which had lost its parent company, and in 1930 a capital alliance was formed with 'Takarazuka Eiga' which had been established by Ichizo KOBAYASHI of Hankyu Railway. As a result, Toa Kinema continued to exist while 'Tokatsu Eiga-sha' was established in September 1931 as a company to produce films for Toa Kinema, and Tatsugoro ABE became the head of 'Tokatsu Eiga Tojiin Studio' in place of Takamura.
At around the same time in October of the same year, Makino Productions, or more precisely 'Shin Makino Eiga Kabushiki Kaisha,' which was established by Makino in 1925 was liquidated. Makino passed away by 1929.
Establishment
After resigning from Toa Kinema as well as its production company Tokatsu Eiga, Masatsugu TAKAMURA established 'Taishu Bungei Eiga-sha' in September 1931 in collaboration with Sanjugo NAOKI, a novelist and film producer who had worked together with Shozo MAKINO. The company used 'Tokatsu Eiga Tojiin Studio' for its productions and made an alliance with Shinko Kinema for distribution.
Taishu Bungei Eiga-sha's first production was a film based on a novel by Naoki called "Hinomaru Wakashu", with a screenplay written by Jun Shigemasa, a former film director of Toa Kinema Kyoto Studio, and directed by Taizan GOTO who remained at Tokatsu after Toa assigned production to it. The film was released on December 24 of the same year together with the contemporary drama "Ane", a film produced by Shinko Kinema and directed by Sadae TAKAMI. In January 1932, the company produced and released its second film titled "Shoin Muramase Edohen" directed by Goto. Thereafter, the company produced contemporary dramas directed by Joji FUKUNISHI, a director from Toa Kinema.
In February of the same year, Ryosuke TACHIBANA, the senior managing director of Shinko Kinema, and Takamura became partners with the Makino family and established 'Shoei Makino Kinema' at the former Makino Productions' 'Omuro Studio.'
Shozo Makino's wife Chiyoko became the head of the studio, and the company produced the film "Adauchi Kyodai Kagami", a joint production by 'Taishu Bungei Eiga-sha' and 'Shoei Makino Kinema' and directed by Goto. This film was to be distributed by Kokusai Eiga-sha together with "Kenka Dochuki", a film produced by 'Shoei Makino Kinema' and directed by Masao AOYAMA. However, Kokusai Eiga-sha was liquidated two months after its establishment due to financial difficulties, leaving the two films it produced undistributed.
From March of the same year, Taishu Bungei Eiga-sha made a partnership with Onoe Kikutaro Productions and produced three historical dramas using the producer Taizo FUYUSHIMA as a director and Kikutaro ONOE as a leading character. Taishu Bungei Eiga-sha' ceased its operations after producing "Kajin yo dokoe" and "Hitotsubu no Mugi" directed by Fukunishi.
Takarazuka Kinema
In October of the same year, Tokatsu Eiga-sha was liquidated only one year after its establishment, and Toa Kinema closed 'Tojiin Studio.'
Then in November, Takamura purchased Toa Kinema, established 'Takarazuka Kinema Kogyo' with Kisaburo MINAMI and changed 'Omuro Studio' to 'Takarazuka Kinema Studio.'
This company began producing films using Toa Kinema employees, the remnants of Tokatsu Tojiin and Shoei Makino Omuro.