Interviewing Dr. Ono Hiroyuki
This month, I interviewed Dr. Ono Hiroyuki,
the reigning wunderkind of things Chaplin
in Japan. I first met Ono at the London
Charlie Chaplin conference a couple of years
ago, where it was clear that most folks
"in the know" knew about his energy and
devotion to Chaplin and his seemingly effortless
ability to move mountains when it came to
putting on big events in Charlie's honor.
He was already garnering support and enthusiasm
for his Chaplin Kono conference that was
held well over a year ago already. Since
that time, as you will see below, Ono has
helped to ignite Chaplin in Japan-or should
I say re-ignite-because really the enthusiasm
for him has always been there just a little
bit under the surface and somewhat dormant.
I met up with Ono by chance in Bologna,
Italy last May (May a year ago) when I was
there approving graphic choices for Un comico
vede il mundo (A Comedian Sees the World).
He had been in Bologna doing research at
the archive, of course, and I had the pleasure
of joining Tim Brock and Cecilia Cenciarelli
at dinner on Ono's last night in town. It
was during this dinner that I found out
that among Ono's many talents is his ability
to speak good Italian! He is, indeed, an
amazing individual. I hope you all enjoy
learning much more about him.
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Ono Hiroyuki was born in Osaka, Japan. He
is a film and theatre critic, and director-playwright-composer
of the Tottemo Benri Musical Theatre
Company. He is also the author of the
book Chaplin: Mikokai NG film no
Zembo (The Whole Story of Chaplin
Out-takes) and The Official
Brochure of the Chaplin Film Festival
2003-2004 in Japan. He supervised
the Japanese version of the Chaplin
DVD set released in 2004. Ono's musical
pieces include "Utsukushii Hito (The
Beautiful Man)", which won the Alice
Award in 2003. He lives in Kyoto. He
is currently planning to revive the
kabuki version of City Lights
with Ichikawa Somegoro the 7th.
What is the Chaplin Society
of Japan and how did you come to found
it?
The Chaplin Society of Japan is a Chaplin
fan club as well as an academic society
for Chaplin researchers. Chaplin's films
are very funny even for those who are
seeing them for the first time, and
we can find something new even when
we see them for the 100th time. We are
open to beginners as well as researchers.
Chaplin has been extremely popular
in Japan. At the same time, many people
still believe the "legends" about him
--rumors such as "he is Jewish." And
Chaplin is always considered as a man
of love and peace rather than the great
comedian. I thought we should modernize
our knowledge on the greatest figure
of the cinema in this country. Also
it is simply fun to communicate with
other Chaplin enthusiasts. I have learned
many things from older people who have
seen Chaplin onscreen for a long time.
Someone told me, for instance, that
when he saw Modern Times in
1938, there was no strike scene!
Why do you think Chaplin
and his art have such a special appeal
to the Japanese?
It is said that Japanese people like
human drama with laughter and tears.
We are very sentimental. We like the
sentimentality in his films. Also many
Japanese people consider him as kind
of "philosopher." Almost all Japanese
know the famous line in Limelight:
"All it needs is courage, imagination
and a little dough." To be honest, I
do not like the way the Japanese view
Chaplin. There is, for sure, something
sentimental in his films, but we can
see the cruelty of humans there, too.
However, we tend to neglect such aspects.
 Anyway, Chaplin is still extremely
popular. We have a 12-year-old girl
who is a member and she nicknames herself
Edna. I appeared on an educational TV
program on Chaplin every Tuesday last
June, and my book for Chaplin beginners
has sold 50,000 copies. I get at least
one phone call every other day from
a TV station saying, "We are planning
to make a new program on Chaplin" or
"We are making a quiz show. Can you
please tell me how many shrimp tempuras
Chaplin ate when he visited Japan?"
I supervised the Chaplin DVD box set
which cost 400 dollars, and 7,000 sets
sold in just one week! --while the Keaton
box sets have sold only 400 copies.
Sadly, Keaton is forgotten. I once asked
my students who were the three great
comedians. Everybody could answer Chaplin,
but I have never met someone who can
name the other two. Why is Chaplin so
popular? --I do not know, but he is
popular!
Can you talk about the second
Chaplin conference in Kyoto in March 2007?
How did it differ from last year's conference?
The main theme of the conference was
"Chaplin and War." Chaplin was involved
in the First World War, the Second World
War and the Cold War. And now The
Great Dictator has become a revival
hit in the era of the Iraq war. Thinking
about Chaplin and war teaches many things
to us living in this world of confusion.
We had an exhibition of 90 pieces of
the production designs of Modern
Times, The Great Dictator and
Monsieur Verdoux in the David Robison
collection, which were shown in public
for the first time, and precious materials
such as the draft of the last speech
of The Great Dictator which
was displayed thanks to Kate Guyonvarch
and Cecilia Cenciarelli.
 We had many guests including Charles
(Charly) Sistovaris, the grandson of
the comedian, and the most poplar kabuki
actor, Ichikawa Somegoro the 7th. Mr.
Ichikawa and I are planning to revive
the kabuki version of City Lights.
I know Charly has starred in the Bejart's
Ballet, so here ballet met kabuki through
love for Chaplin! Also, Chaplin saw
Nakamura Kichiemon the First, the famous
kabuki actor, at the dressing room of
the Kabukiza Theatre in 1932. Mr. Ichikawa
is the great grandson of Nakamura. It
was very moving that the grandson of
the comedian and the great grandson
of the kabuki actor met after 75 years.
We also held the first Kyoto Silent
Film Festival with the help of Davide
Pozzi at Bologna and Tochigi Akira at
the National Film Centre. Tim Brock
conducted Shoulder Arms. The
cherry blossom season in Kyoto was the
Chaplin season this year!
What other
Chaplin projects are you currently working
on?
I have just finished my new book on
the Chaplin Mutual out-takes, in which
I described the contents of every shot.
Then the exhibition from last year's
conference, "Chaplin and Japan-the Kono
Toraichi exhibition" will tour a few
cities in Japan. The exhibition was
well received in Sacile last year, so
I hope we can do it in other countries.
Then I will supervise the new special
TV program on Chaplin and Kono, I will
write a new book on Kono, a revival
of the kabuki version of City Lights,
as I mentioned, and then the conference
next year and many more.
Participants of the 2nd Kyoto Chaplin Conference. Back row from right to left: David Robinson, Kate Guyonvarch, Tim Brock, Cecilia Cenciarelli, et al.
And, before we go, dear readers,
Dr. Ono would like your input on next
year's conference theme. He has suggested
the following as possibilities: Chaplin
and music, Chaplin and America, Chaplin
and his roots, or Chaplin and technology.
Do you like any of these or do you have
an idea of your own? Please send us
a message!
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