Kaoru Morimoto - Morimoto Kaoru

Playwright. Born in Osaka City on June 4, 1912. Graduated from the Department of English Literature at Kyoto Imperial University. While still a student, he became a member of the "Gekisaku" group, and in 1934 (Showa 9), he published "Wagaie" (My House) in "Shinshicho" (New Thoughts), which was performed at the Tsukiji Theater, marking his start as a playwright. After that, he released a series of refreshing works with stylish dialogue, such as "Migotona Onna" (A Beautiful Woman) (1934), "Hanayashiki Ichizoku" (The Splendid Clan) (1935), and "Toritsuna Jikan" (Boring Time) (1937), and played a part as an artistic sect against left-wing theater. During this period, he also wrote film scripts, and produced excellent works in the field of radio dramas, such as "Bara" (Roses) (1936) and "Namareta Tsuchi" (The Land Where I Was Born) (1938). In 1966, she joined the Bungakuza Literary Department and wrote works such as "The Legend of Tomishima Matsugoro" (1942), an adaptation of an original story by Iwashita Shunsaku, "The Raging Waves" (1944), based on the life of Dr. Kitasato Shibasaburo, and "A Woman's Life" (1945), which depicts the path of one woman's hardships over three generations of the Meiji, Taisho, and Showa eras. "A Woman's Life" in particular has become an important part of the Bungakuza repertoire, thanks to the brilliant performance of Sugimura Haruko, who played the lead role of Nunobiki Kei. She died young of pulmonary tuberculosis on October 6, 1946.

[Tsutomu Ohshima]

"The Complete Works of Kaoru Morimoto, one volume (1968, Bokuyosha)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

劇作家。明治45年6月4日、大阪市に生まれる。京都帝国大学英文科卒業。在学中『劇作』同人となり、1934年（昭和9）『新思潮』に発表した『わが家』が築地(つきじ)座で上演され、劇作家としてのスタートを切った。以後『みごとな女』（1934）、『華々しき一族』（1935）、『退屈な時間』（1937）などしゃれた台詞(せりふ)運びによる清新な作品を次々と発表し、左翼演劇に対する芸術派の一翼を担った。また、この期には映画シナリオも手がけ、放送劇の分野でも『薔薇(ばら)』（1936）、『生れた土地』（1938）などの佳品を残している。41年文学座文芸部に入り、岩下俊作(しゅんさく)原作による脚色『富島松五郎伝』（1942）、北里柴三郎(きたさとしばさぶろう)博士をモデルとする『怒濤(どとう)』（1944）、明治・大正・昭和の三代にわたる一女性の苦難の足跡を描いた『女の一生』（1945）などの作品を書いた。とくに『女の一生』は主人公布引けいを持ち役とする杉村春子の名演によって、文学座の重要なレパートリーの一つとなっている。昭和21年10月6日、肺結核で早世した。

［大島　勉］

『『森本薫戯曲全集』全一巻（1968・牧羊社）』

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