The Makino Mamoru Collection on the History of East Asian Film, 1863-2015, bulk 1920s-1990s

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Series IV: Film Production Company Files (Studio Files), 1920-1995

The term film production company refers here to companies that produce films (a.k.a. film studios/satsueijo/撮影所). The series is arranged in 5 subseries: (1) Nikkatsu/日活, (2) Shōchiku/松竹, (3) Tōei/東映 and Daiei/大映, (4) Tōhō/東宝 (which includes P.C.L. or Photo Chemical Laboratories) and (5) Independent film companies/独立系映画会社. The bulk of materials are in the Tōhō/東宝 section, subseries 4. All subseries in this series are in alphabetical order except for the Tōhō/東宝 subseries 4, which retained the general grouping of materials found in the Makino files. They are ordered by subject in the scope content notes and in alphabetical order within each subject. The files from production company Tōhō/東宝 May have once belonged to Iwashita Ichirō/岩下一郎 (head of General Affairs in the main office of Tōhō in the 1940s). Papers in the Tōhō files are addressed to Iwamoto. The show and distribution related materials include some materials from the Kume Masao Collection.

See also, Subseries III.7: Film-related Individuals' Files: Kume Masao/久米正雄 for production company notices/postcards that were addressed to and owned by Kume Masao. For handbills and programs relating to the specific production companies, see Series XII: Movie Theater Handbills/ Chirashi, which includes some notes as to the production companies in the scope contents. See also in Subseries XII.17: Movie Theater Handbills/ Chirashi: Movie Theater Labor Dispute Materials/労働争議資料 for personnel documents related to film studios that concern theater personnel. For materials related to the film production company, Nippon Eigasha/日本映画社/Nichiei, see Subseries VI.22: Subject Files: Wartime (Asia-Pacific) Materials. For newsletters and promotional documents of film production companies during the post-war Occupation period, see Sub-subseries VI.14.6: Subject Files: Occupation Period Materials: Production Company Promotional Materials. For materials relating to production companies that focused on documentary films, including Kyōdō Eiga/共同映画, see Subseries VI.7: Subject Files: Documentary Film Materials. For materials from the post-war film production company, Miki Film Company/Miki Eigasha/三木映画社, see Subseries III.8: Film-related Individuals' Files: Miki Shigeru/三木茂.


Subseries IV.1: Nikkatsu/日活, 1921-1962

This subseries contains publications ofNippon Katsudō Shashin (Nikkatsu)/日本活動写真/Japan Cinematograph Company,including confidential documents, newsletters, postcards, magazines and a name list of Nikkatsu workers from the 1930s. Newsletters related to the Nikkatsu Tamagawa/日活多摩川 part of Nikkatsu can also be found in Subseries I.14: Director Files: Uchida Tomu.

A detailed listing of the items in Subseries IV.1 can be consulted in adownloadable Excel spreadsheet.


Subseries IV.2: Shōchiku/松竹, 1920-1967

This subseries contains publications of Shōchiku Kabushikigaisha/松竹株式会社 (Shōchiku). These include confidential booklets, reports, newsletters, film catalogs, and magazines, as well as 1930s postcards to film critic Kume Masao/久米正雄 from Shōchiku staff.

A detailed listing of the items in Subseries IV.2 can be consulted in adownloadable Excel spreadsheet.


Subseries IV.3: Tōei/東映 and Daiei/大映, 1946-1980

This subseries contains post-war magazines published by Tōei Kabushikigaisha/東映株式会社 (Tōei) or about Tōei films, programs, newspapers, and confidential papers. There are also files related to Daiei Kabushikigaisha/大映株式会社, including correspondence circa 1946.

A detailed listing of the items in Subseries IV.3 can be consulted in adownloadable Excel spreadsheet.


Subseries IV.4: Tōhō/東宝 (including P.C.L, J.O. Studio, Takarazuka), 1933-1982

This subseries contains publications of the film production company Tōhō Eiga Kabushikigaisha/東宝映画株式会社 later Tōhō Kabushikigaisha/東宝株式会社, 1943) (Tōhō) and documents from the studios P.C.L. (an abbreviation of Photo Chemical Laboratories, (December 1933 -- 1937) and J.O. Studio (J.O. スタジオ, December 1934 -- 1937) that merged to form Tōhō Eiga Kabushikigaisha in August of 1937. Tōhō Eiga Kabushikigaisha then merged with Takarazuka/Tokyo Takarazuka Gekijō/東京宝塚劇場 in December 1943. These publications include union magazines and company newsletters as well as various internal departmental documents, mainly accounting documents, with salary and personnel records, business (distribution) reports, meeting notes, and studio plans, and company histories.

It also contains a book written by the founder of Tōhō, Kobayashi Ichizō/小林一三 and diaries written by the head of Marketing, Iwamoto Ichirō/岩下一郎. Of note are postcard notices, letters, and informational mailings from P.C.L. that were addressed to playwright and novelist Kume Masao/久米正雄. Still photographs from P.C.L films by the comedian Enomoto Ken'ichi/榎本健一 or "Enoken" can be found in Subseries XVII.1: Photos and Posters: Albums, Bromides and Stills. Also included in this Series are business surveys for film premieres during the years of government control of film, 1942-1944. This subseries also contains a Tōhō training manual,Chōsa shiryō/調査資料 no.4,which was a translation of Paul Rotha's book (translated into Japanese),Bunka eigaron/文化映画論.For more on Rotha, see Subseries VI.7: Subject Files: Documentary Film Materials. For more on Kume Masao and Takarazuka related materials see, Subseries III.7: Film-related Individuals' Files: Kume Masao/久米正雄.

The Subseries retains the general grouping of materials found in the Makino files, although not in the order Makino has written about in "Tōhō eiga bunken shiryō mokuroku (Senzen-hen) to kaidai," Kawasaki-shi Shimin Myūjiamu kiyō 8 (1996):79-124. Here, they are ordered by subject in the scope content notes and in alphabetical order within each subject in the description section as follows: P.C.L. materials, accounting documents, correspondence, diaries, General Affairs, labor unions (labor dispute materials), magazines, magazines (film technique), newsletters, miscellaneous company documents, and Tōhō company histories (in chronological order). This subseries contains some leaflets of bunka eiga (culture films) produced by Tōhō, but it does not contain the following Tōhō related materials for the most part: programs, handbills/fliers, scenarios, photographs or posters. These items can be found in other parts of the Makino collection.

A detailed listing of the items in Subseries IV.4 can be consulted in adownloadable Excel spreadsheet.


Subseries IV.5: Independent Film Companies/独立系映画会社, 1925-1995

This Subseries contains materials related to several independent film companies. It includes documents from Ekuransha/エクラン社 film company and has post-war distribution materials from the independent film company, Art Theatre Guild/Nihon Āto Shiatā Girudo/日本アート・シアター・ギルド (ATG), which turned from distribution to production in the late 1960s. It also has documents from Shinsei Eiga/新星映画 and film school rules of Tōa Kinema/東亜キネマ.

A detailed listing of the items in Subseries IV.5 can be consulted in adownloadable Excel spreadsheet.