A Ship of Oranges

Original Title みかん舩
Japanese kana Rendering Mikanbune
English Title A Ship of Oranges
Production Date 1927
Author Noburo Ofuji
Duration (minutes) 6
Sound silent
Color b/w
Plot Kinokuniya Bunzaemon tries to ship oranges from a port in Kishu to Edo. His fiancee Osode sees him off. Above the clouds, the Wind God tries to sink his ship. The Wind God sees his wife, the Mountain Goddess, and sheds tears seeing how beautiful she is. The Wind God has a child, Raiko. An orange crate is thrown out of the ship and it hits the Wind God. He reacts in fury and causes a hurricane. The storm subsides and they are glad to find that they are near the port of Edo. The oranges sell quickly, and Bunzaemon becomes a very rich man. They celebrate by singing and dancing merrily.
Description A Chiyogami Eiga created based on a story about Kinokuniya Bunzaemon, a wealthy merchant in the Edo period, who made a large profit by shipping oranges from Kishu (present-day Wakayama) to Edo. The unique family of the Wind God that causes a great storm attracts our attention. A Japanese traditional comical dance (kappore dance), performed to the well-known song "I see a ship of oranges in the dark," is used in the scene of singing and dancing that characterizes Noburo Ofuji's films. The existing film is a Pathé Baby version created by reducing the 35mm original (three reels with a total length of 732 meters, lasting 35 min. at 18 fps) to a 9.5mm film. The reason why the captions seem to be pausing is because the frame speed is slowed down by 3.5 seconds due to the 9.5mm projection mechanism used to project the film. In addition to the existing version, a 16mm Sakura Graph version was also released.
Production Company Ofuji Noburo Production*/Chiyogami Eigasha*
Distribution 35mm version: Chuo Eigasha* 
9.5mm version: Banno Shoten*
Release Date 35mm Version: Feb 11 1927
9.5mm version: 1931
Credits: Director Noburo Ofuji
Credits: Staff, Cast, etc.
Intertitles T1「Pathé-Baby」、T2「BANNO」、T3「文部省推薦映画 みかん舩」、T4「原案操手 大藤信郎」、T5「沖の暗いのに白帆が見える あれは紀の国みかん船」、T6「まかり出でたるは紀の国屋文左ヱ門と申すものでござる」、T7「これからみかんを江戸に積み出し一もうけいたそうと存ずる」、T8「みかんを船につみこめ…つみこめ…」、T9「出船を見送る文左ヱ門の許嫁おそで」、T10「文左さま……」、T11「おそでさん……」、T12「かくして みかん船は紀伊の 港を出帆に及んだ」、T13「雲の上では風の神吹右ヱ門がみかん船を打沈めんと待って居る」、T14「風の神の女房山の神」、T15「でも…美しうござる」、T16「風の子 雷公」、T17「第一卷 終」、T18「Pathé-Baby」、T19「Pathé-Baby」、T20「BANNO」、T21「文部省推薦映画 みかん舩」、T22「第二卷」、T23「小癪なみかん船 覺悟を致せ…」、T24「嵐だ 嵐だ 帆を下せ」、T25「嵐が納った時は船は幸ひにも江戸の港近くに進んでゐた」、T26「文左様 江戸のお城が見えまする」、T27「江戸ぢや 江戸ぢや 江戸ぢや」、T28「みかんは飛ぶやうに賣れ文左ヱ門は勿ち 百万長者となつた」、T29「祝へや 祝へ 喜べ 喜べ」、T30「沖の暗いのに白帆が見える あれは紀の国みかん船」、T31「終」、T32「Pathé-Baby」。
Censorship - Date and Number [参考]内務省検閲番号:C3321(1927年3月9日)
References
Frames per Second 16fps
Source of Digital Copy The 9.5mm positive donated from individuals -> The 35mm internegative owned by NFC 
Completeness complete
Additional Notes The mark of "*" will provide an additional explanation gained from the bibliographical information.
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