Saito Torajiro (斎藤寅次郎)
Torajiro SAITO (January 30, 1905 - May 1, 1982) was a film director. His real name was Torajiro. He originated from Yashima Town, Yuri County, Akita Prefecture. He excelled in comedy films and was occasionally referred to as the god of comedy.
His wife was Tomoko NANIWA, who was a comedian and an actress in one of his films. His eldest son, Minoru SAITO, was a script writer. He changed his pen name into his real name of 'Torajiro' perhaps due to the popularity of 'Torajiro KURUMA' in his late years in 1972.
Biography and Personal Profile
He was born as the second son among eight siblings. Since a motion picture arrived once a year, he watched it zealously.
He became a boarding shosei (a student who is given room and board in exchange for performing domestic duties) of a clinic of his relatives (younger brother of his grandfather) when he went to Tokyo after graduating from high school in 1919 and commuted to Meiji Pharmaceutical School. However, he was expelled from the residence for his love of mischief and went to school while working in a clinic in Asakusa. However, since Asakusa Rokku (Downtown Six Districts of Asakusa, Tokyo Prefecture) was nearby, he zealously watched motion films.
Since Hoshi Seiyaku (Hoshi Pharmaceutical Company) was recruiting cinematographers for their advertisements, he entered the company. He became interested in advertisement films created by Makino Eiga Seisakujo (film studio) and went touring around the country. He eventually started to want to be at the 'side of film productions' and quit the job while he was touring in Nagasaki. In order to save on travel fees, he used the 'Nagasaki and Tokyo Marathon' held at that time to return to Tokyo.
He entered Shochiku Co., Ltd while seeking the position of director with the recommendation of his relative and artist, Kazo SAITO (a lecturer in Ueno Art School and Art Department Director of Shochiku Kamata Studio) in 1923. He became an assistant director for historical films at the beginning and made his debut with "Kogoro KATSURA and Ikumatsu" in 1925. He made his first film as a director in a comedy, "Fukeiki Seibatsu" (Suppression of recession) with Hiroshi SHIMIZU in 1927. He directed alone for "Uwaki Seibatsu" (The Fast Set) in 1928. Afterwards, he created many nonsense comedies pioneered by Shiro KIDO at Shochiku Kamata Studio.
He hired Atsushi WATANABE and Shigeru OGURA called as 'Japanese Chaplin.'
Shiro KIDO was assigned to be the CEO from the Director of the Studio position in 1937 and the newly assigned director was a person, who did not have an understanding of comedies so he went to Toho which gave him a position. He directed comedies played by many comedians such as Kenichi ENOMOTO, Roppa FURUKAWA, Entatsu YOKOYAMA, Achako HANABISHI, Kingoro YANAGIYA, and Haruhisa KAWADA. Shue MATSUBAYASHI, who later directed comedies based on businessmen was the assistant director for Saito when he worked in Toho.
He took many comedy films at Shintoho (New Toho), Toei Company, LTD., and the Daiei film company after the war and became known for filming within a short span of time. He also directed many Hibari films (films acted by actress Hibari MISORA) after 'Nodojimankyo jidai' (Mad Period of Being Proud of Throat) in 1949. Junzaburo BAN, who made a huge debut with "Ajapar" (onomatopoeia and slang for being surprised) was the work of Saito. He worked as a freelance director in his late years.
Only a few of his silent films remain that he made in his Kamata Studio years, which were reputed to be filled with radical gags.
His hobby was to participate in marathons within and outside of Japan. He was awarded with the Fourth Class of Order of the Order of the Sacred Treasure posthumously.