Kiyoshi Atsumi and Tetsuko Kuroyanagi became close friends after co-starring in an NHK TV program. In 1968, the drama version of “Otoko wa Tsuraiyo,” which became synonymous with the actor’s life, was broadcast, and the first movie was released the following year. The first film was released the following year. In the beginning, Mr. Atsumi ad-libbed a lot, and Director Yamada often said to him, “I don’t want that play. He often had to say, “I don’t want that play, please stop it. This article is an excerpted and edited version of Yoji Yamada and Tetsuko Kuroyanagi’s “I want to meet Kiyoshi Atsumi” (Magazine House, published September 5, 2024). Tetsuko Kuroyanagi, who was the main character in “Tora-san” in the first “Otoko wa Tsuraiyo” film (1969), was like this. Kuroyanagi: What made you think of the character “Tora-san” in the first place? Yamada: First of all, I had made several comedies starring Hajime Hanana before “Otoko wa Tsuraiyo”. Kuroyanagi That’s right. Yamada In those days, various actors often appeared in films as “special appearances. It was a way of saying, “There are so many interesting actors in the film. Then one day, the company asked me to cast Kiyoshi Atsumi, a popular comedian. Kuroyanagi That was it. Yamada But the schedule only allowed for one day, so I only had to do one scene. That is why Mr. Atsumi came for one day for a film called “Idiot Marudashi”. Kuroyanagi What was your impression? Yamada I thought, “What a noisy actor! (Laughs.) At that time, he was a very unpredictable actor. He would improvise like a machine gun and say, “How’s it going, how’s it going? Both Hajime Hanana and Hiroshi Inuzuka of the Crazy Cats were taken aback by Atsumi’s overwhelmingly unusual performance, and they were at a loss. I, too, was kept on my toes. Kuroyanagi: So it was a chairman’s play? Yamada: Yes, it was. It was a very intense play. When we finally finished filming and I thanked him for his hard work, Mr. Atsumi said, “Mr. Yamada, it will be longer this time. Mr. Atsumi said to me, “Mr. Yamada, let’s have a long play together this time! Kuroyanagi: “A long time”? Kuroyanagi: “A long one”?
