This paper analyzes the unique film personae of HASEGAWA Kazuo and FURUKAWA Roppa just before and during the Pacific War in order to demonstrate how these actors’ performances were deeply influenced by the wartime conditions.

HASEGAWA was a handsome actor, and appeared in many jidaigeki melodramas, while FURUKAWA was a popular comedian and was especially known for his work in musical comedies. However, though their characters were totally opposite, their combination was very popular. They appeared together as a team in five movies from 1941 to 1944: Hasegawa-Rappa no Yemitsu to Hikoza (1941, MAKINO Masahiro); Otoko no Hanamichi (1941, MAKINO); Onna Keizu (1942, MAKINO); Zoku Onna Keizu (1942, MAKINO); and Shibai Do (1944, NARUSE Mikio).

By examining their pairing in the context of the war, I will show how the dynamics between HASEGAWA and FURUKAWA’s characters changed from a Pre-Oedipal homosexual relation to Oedipal homosocial relation under the greater and greater oppression of the militaristic nationalism of Japan.

In prewar Japan, posters were produced using the advanced technology of the prepress and press of the day. In particular, a marked tendency was observed in posters on women. The oldest existing poster in color lithography was produced in 1894, it advertised cigarettes, was small and utilized colors within single figures. In 1905, the size of the posters was enlarged to approximately 90 cm × 60 cm, and were approximately 20. Simultaneously, the printing technique was lithography; therefore, the platemakers decided how many colors or printings were utilized in the original picture. Consequently, producing posters with added layers of color requires considerable work and high-quality techniques. In 1919, Japan imported the photomechanical processes that are theoretically employed today. However, color films were not available; therefore the platemakers had no choice but to add layers of color on their own. The processes of platemaking depended on the platemakers' abilities. During the fifteen-year war, a variety of posters were produced, which meant that people at the time enjoyed a rich culture of posters.