Live narration - Katsuben

An abbreviation of motion picture benshi. It refers to a person who explains the movie, which was the old name for movies. In the silent film era, an entertainer whose job was to stand beside the screen and explain the movie, the lines of the characters, and the scenery. The first movie was shown in Japan in 1896 (Meiji 29), but since all the arrangements for the screening were made by the promoter, there was a speech to attract customers. This was the origin of Katsuben. In the early days, there was a pre-show (maesetsu) where the principles of film and the movie were explained before the screening, and a middle show (nakasetsu) where the audience was told during the screening, but in the 1920s the pre-show was abolished, and the name Katsuben was replaced by the term film explainer or film commentator. Katsuben evolved from a format in which the actor on screen himself spoke the lines behind the screen, to an era in which the narrator used the actor's voice tone (kowairo), and then, at the end of the silent film era, to an era in which the narrator's own unique storytelling art was heard. The selling point of Katsuben was the art of storytelling, and the photographs were merely an accessory. Fans would not say, "Let's go see the action (the photographs)," but rather, "Let's go hear who (the narrator's name) speak." Katsuben's dominance was a characteristic of Japanese film exhibitions, whereas in foreign countries, films were usually screened with only subtitles and musical accompaniment. At the time, most Japanese audiences could not read the English subtitles of foreign films, and the tradition of storytelling, including Joruri, was also deeply rooted, so Katsuben became indispensable and established as a matter of course. Another aspect was that audiences did not have confidence in their own appreciation of the story, and wanted to follow the instructions of the narrator, even when it came to the level of emotion they felt. Famous narrators of the time included Komada Yoshihiro, Somei Saburo, Iwato Shisetsu, Tsuchiya Shouto, Hayashi Tenpu, Tani Tenro, Izumi Tenrei, Tokugawa Musei, Okura Mitsugu, Makino Shuichi, and Otsuji Shiro. According to government statistics, in 1926 (Showa 1), there were 7,576 narrators, including women, across Japan. However, with the spread of talkies in the 1930s, most narrators were forced to give up the profession, and the era of live-action narrators came to an end.

[Yoshida Chieo]

"Another Film History: The Age of Katsuben" by Yoshida Chieo (1978, Jiji Press)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

活動写真弁士の略称。映画の旧名称である活動写真の説明者をいう。サイレント映画時代、スクリーンの傍らで映画の解説、登場人物の台詞(せりふ)、情景の説明などを行うのを職業とした芸人。日本における映画の初公開は1896年（明治29）であるが、公開の手配はすべて興行師が行ったため、客引きの口上言(こうじょういい)がついた。これが活弁の元祖である。初期には上映前に映画の原理や作品の解説などをする前説(まえせつ)と、上映中にしゃべる中説(なかせつ)とがあったが、1920年代に入って前説は廃止になり、また活弁という名称にかわって、映画説明者あるいは映画解説者といわれるようにもなった。活弁は、スクリーンに映っている俳優自身がスクリーンの後ろで台詞をいう形式から、やがて弁士がその俳優の声色(こわいろ)を使う声色屋の時代、サイレント末期になると弁士自身の個性ある話芸を聞かせる時代へと推移した。活弁の話芸が売り物であり、写真は添え物で、ファンは活動（写真）を見に行こうといわず、だれだれ（弁士の名前）を聞きに行こうといった。活弁がこのような主導権をもったのは日本の映画興行の特性で、外国では字幕と音楽伴奏だけの上映が普通であった。当時の日本の観客の大部分は外国映画の欧文字幕が読めないということもあり、また浄瑠璃(じょうるり)をはじめとする語物の伝統も根強く、活弁は不可欠、当然のこととして定着した。観客が自己の鑑賞力に自信をもたず、感動の度合いまでも説明者の指示に従いたがったという側面もあった。当時の有名な説明者に、駒田(こまだ)好洋、染井三郎、岩藤(いわとう)思雪、土屋松濤(しょうとう)、林天風、谷天朗、泉天嶺、徳川夢声、大蔵貢(みつぐ)、牧野周一、大辻司郎(おおつじしろう)などがいた。政府統計によると、1926年（昭和1）には日本全国の弁士は女性も含め7576人であったが、30年代になり、トーキーの普及とともにほとんどの弁士は廃業せざるをえなくなり、活弁の時代は終わった。

［吉田智恵男］

『吉田智恵男著『もう一つの映画史――活弁の時代』（1978・時事通信社）』

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