Frankie Sakai
Encyclopedia
was a Japanese comedian
, actor
, and musician
.
, Sakai worked as a jazz drummer at American Army camps during the Occupation of Japan, often doing comic routines with his music. Becoming a professional comedian, he appeared in many famous film comedies
such as Sun in the Last Days of the Shogunate
and the Shachō and Ekimae series at the Toho Studios. He was named best actor at the Blue Ribbon Awards
for his work in Sun in the Last Days of the Shogunate and Shiawase wa orera no negai.
He also appeared in musicals
such as Kimi mo shusse ga dekiru, serious dramas such as I Want to Be a Shellfish, and kaiju eiga
like Mothra
. He was also known for his personal study of the ukiyo-e
artist Sharaku
and helped produce the film Sharaku
directed by Masahiro Shinoda
. He is best known to American audiences for his dramatic role in the 1980s television production of Shōgun (TV miniseries)
in which he played the part of Lord Yabu.
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
, actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, and musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
.
Career
From his days at Keio UniversityKeio University
,abbreviated as Keio or Keidai , is a Japanese university located in Minato, Tokyo. It is known as the oldest institute of higher education in Japan. Founder Fukuzawa Yukichi originally established it as a school for Western studies in 1858 in Edo . It has eleven campuses in Tokyo and Kanagawa...
, Sakai worked as a jazz drummer at American Army camps during the Occupation of Japan, often doing comic routines with his music. Becoming a professional comedian, he appeared in many famous film comedies
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
such as Sun in the Last Days of the Shogunate
Sun in the Last Days of the Shogunate
is a 1957 black-and-white Japanese film comedy directed by Yuzo Kawashima with a screenplay by Kawashima, Shōhei Imamura and Keiichi Tanaka. It was voted the fifth best Japanese film of all time in a poll of 140 Japanese critics and filmmakers conducted by the magazine Kinema Junpo in 1999.- Cast...
and the Shachō and Ekimae series at the Toho Studios. He was named best actor at the Blue Ribbon Awards
Blue Ribbon Awards
The are film-specific prizes awarded solely by movie critics and writers in Tokyo, Japan.The awards were established in 1950 by which is composed of film correspondents from seven Tokyo-based sports newspapers...
for his work in Sun in the Last Days of the Shogunate and Shiawase wa orera no negai.
He also appeared in musicals
Musical film
The musical film is a film genre in which songs sung by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, though in some cases they serve merely as breaks in the storyline, often as elaborate...
such as Kimi mo shusse ga dekiru, serious dramas such as I Want to Be a Shellfish, and kaiju eiga
Monster movie
Monster movie is a name commonly given to movies, which centre on the struggle between human beings and one or more monsters...
like Mothra
Mothra (film)
is a 1961 Kaiju film from Toho Studios, directed by genre regular Ishirō Honda with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. It is the kaiju eiga debut of screenwriter Shinichi Sekizawa, whose approach to the genre grew to prominence during the 1960s...
. He was also known for his personal study of the ukiyo-e
Ukiyo-e
' is a genre of Japanese woodblock prints and paintings produced between the 17th and the 20th centuries, featuring motifs of landscapes, tales from history, the theatre, and pleasure quarters...
artist Sharaku
Sharaku
is widely considered to be one of the great masters of the woodblock printing in Japan. Little is known of him, besides his ukiyo-e prints; neither his true name nor the dates of his birth or death are known with any certainty...
and helped produce the film Sharaku
Sharaku (film)
Sharaku is a 1995 Japanese drama film directed by Masahiro Shinoda. It was entered into the 1995 Cannes Film Festival.-Cast:* Hiroyuki Sanada - Tonbo* Frankie Sakai - Tsutaya* Shima Iwashita - Troupe Leader* Tsurutaro Kataoka - Goro...
directed by Masahiro Shinoda
Masahiro Shinoda
is a Japanese film director, originally associated with the Shochiku Studio, who came to prominence as part of the Japanese New Wave in the 1960s.-Career:...
. He is best known to American audiences for his dramatic role in the 1980s television production of Shōgun (TV miniseries)
Shogun (TV miniseries)
Shōgun is an American television miniseries based on the namesake novel by James Clavell. As with the novel, the title is often shown as Shōgun in order to conform to Hepburn romanization. The miniseries was broadcast over five nights, between September 15 and September 19, 1980 on NBC in the...
in which he played the part of Lord Yabu.
Selected filmography
- Midori haruka niMidori haruka niis a 1955 color Japanese film directed by Umetsugu Inoue.-Cast:* Ruriko Asaoka* Frankie Sakai * Mie Kitahara * Minoru Takada * * * Ayuko Fujishiro * Ichirō Arishima* and others...
(緑はるかに Midori haruka ni) (1955) - Sun in the Last Days of the ShogunateSun in the Last Days of the Shogunateis a 1957 black-and-white Japanese film comedy directed by Yuzo Kawashima with a screenplay by Kawashima, Shōhei Imamura and Keiichi Tanaka. It was voted the fifth best Japanese film of all time in a poll of 140 Japanese critics and filmmakers conducted by the magazine Kinema Junpo in 1999.- Cast...
(幕末太陽伝 Bakumatsu taiyōden) (1957) - I Want to Be a Shellfish (私は貝になりたい Watashi wa kai ni naritai) (1959)
- MothraMothra (film)is a 1961 Kaiju film from Toho Studios, directed by genre regular Ishirō Honda with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. It is the kaiju eiga debut of screenwriter Shinichi Sekizawa, whose approach to the genre grew to prominence during the 1960s...
(モスラ Mosura) (1961) - The Last WarThe Last War (1961 film)The Last War, known in Japan as , is a tokusatsu film produced and released by Toho Studios in 1961. Its special effects were created by Eiji Tsuburaya who is also known for working on Godzilla and Ultraman....
(世界大戦争 Sekai daisensō) (1961) - Kimi mo shusse ga dekiru (君も出世ができる Kimi mo shusse ga dekiru) (1964)
- Shinran: Path to PurityShinran: Path to Purityis a 1987 Japanese drama film directed by Rentaro Mikuni. The film won the Jury Prize at the 1987 Cannes Film Festival.-Cast:* Junkyu Moriyama - Zenshin * Michiyo Ookusu - Keishin, Shinran's wife* Ako - Shiina* Kazuo Andoh - Kazuto* Sen Hara - Ayae...
(親鸞 白い道 Shinran: Shiroi michi) (1987) - SharakuSharaku (film)Sharaku is a 1995 Japanese drama film directed by Masahiro Shinoda. It was entered into the 1995 Cannes Film Festival.-Cast:* Hiroyuki Sanada - Tonbo* Frankie Sakai - Tsutaya* Shima Iwashita - Troupe Leader* Tsurutaro Kataoka - Goro...
(写楽 Sharaku) (1995)