How did a tiny, isolated nation reshape itself into a major hub of the entertainment industry overnight and the refuge for actors and singers in search of a fanbase? Thank the “Big Five,” oh, and Gunsmoke. In the late ’50s, Japanese entertainment was a mess, with competing companies and unions all fighting each other and themselves. The folks purchasing TVs quickly found there wasn’t much on, a problem created by the five largest movie studios. You think show biz is sordid now? 70 years ago, Japanese film studios fought a literal gang war, extorting their employees all in a bid to cripple television networks. TV won.