female silent film narrator
Historical term for a woman who provided live narration and character voices during silent films in Japan, analogous to a male 弁士.
See also: 弁士
Female silent film narrators were active in the Taisho era.
The narration by the female benshi was popular at this movie theater.
Refers to a (typically male) silent film narrator or orator; 女弁士 specifically denotes a female narrator.
Standard modern spelling.
Contains outdated kanji 辯; historical or pre-reform spelling.
Compound of 女 (onna, 'woman') and 弁士 (benshi, 'silent film narrator'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term emerged in early 20th-century Japan alongside the silent film industry.