Taisuke Matsumoto

Matsumoto Taisuke was born in Tottori in 1895. After dropping out of the elective program of the Tokyo Fine Arts School, he went from Kawakami Otojiro Acting School, to Iniwa Takashi's Kabuki Theater Association, to Yamamoto Kaichi's Kessaku Theater, then was asked to join Teikoku Cinema Ashiya Studios in 1923. During his Teikine era, he paired up with Utakawa Yaeko time and again with whom he costarred in Mori Kundotetsuro no Tsuyu. They were called the High-Profile Duo of the West as opposed to the Iwata Yukichi-Kurishima Sumiko of the West. Their films include Nageki no Kyoku, which he himself directed, and Shuchu Nikki (Diary of a Drunkard) in which he enacted the lead role, Okawa Imazo. His starring films are director Ito Daisuke's Hoshi wa Midaretobu, Rutsubo no Nakani (Into the Melting Pot), Nekketsu wo Hisomete (Hide the Warm Bread), and Chi de Chi wo Arafu. Upon transferring to historical play division of Nikkatsu in 1946, he performed in eight films including Eto Shinpei and Myokokuji Jiken. At this time, he displayed superb acting techniques in director Ito Daisuke's Shinban Yotsuya Kaidan (The New Yotsuya Kaidan) as Tamiya Iuemon. His other main roles were in Edojo Sozeme written by Mayama Seika, Osen directed by Ishii Tamizo, and Orokubushi directed by Ito Daisuke. Ever since the release of Mito Komon Henreki Kitan in 1930 he performed as Tokugawa Kunimitsu four times, and became known as the Mito Komon actor who measured up to Yamamoto Kaichi of Nikkatsu.