Mamoru Watanabe
| Mamoru Watanabe | |
|---|---|
| Born |
March 19, 1931 Tokyo, Japan |
| Died | December 24, 2013 Tokyo, Japan |
| Occupation |
Film director Screenwriter Actor |
| Years active | 1965 – |
| Website | http://watanabemamoru.com |
Mamoru Watanabe (渡辺 護 Watanabe Mamoru?) (March 19, 1931 – December 24, 2013) was a Japanese film director, screenwriter and actor, known for his work in the pink film genre. Along with directors Genji Nakamura and Banmei Takahashi, Watanabe was known as one of the "Three Pillars of Pink".
Watanabe was born in Tokyo on March 19, 1931. His father owned a neighborhood movie theater, giving the young Watanabe an early interest in and a familiarity with the cinema. The family lived near the Daito Eiga studios, and Watanabe would go to watch the filming of jidaigeki. Daito was one of the studios that would be joined into the Daiei Motion Picture Company by the government during World War II. Watanabe's older brother, born about 1919, was also a film enthusiast. When he died of tuberculosis in 1941, Watanabe inherited his older brother's large collection of movie memorabilia, including film scripts and magazines.
Watanabe entered Waseda University in 1950 majoring in drama and graduated with honors in 1954. Until 1958, he studied acting techniques after graduation, at the Motō Hatta Theatrical Research Center. Beginning in 1960, Watanabe worked as an assistant director and script-writer for dramas and educational programs on television. This career came to an end in 1965, when Watanabe got into a fistfight with director Michiyoshi Doi, resulting in his banning from television.
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