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Kinuyo Tanaka
Acting
Biography
Kinuyo Tanaka (田中 絹代 Tanaka Kinuyo, 29 November 1909 – 21 March 1977) was a Japanese actress and director.
Tanaka was born in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. She became a leading actress at seventeen years old, appearing in Heinosuke Gosho's An Embarrassing Dream in 1927. She proceeded to take leading parts in, among others, Yasujirō Ozu's I Graduated, But... in 1929, Gosho's Aiyoku no ki in 1930, and in 1931, Japan's first talkie, The Neighbor's Wife and Mine, directed by Gosho.
She had a close working relationship with director Kenji Mizoguchi, having parts in 15 of his films, including leading roles in The Life of Oharu (1952), Ugetsu (1953) and Sansho the Bailiff (1954). Thei…
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Kinuyo Tanaka (田中 絹代 Tanaka Kinuyo, 29 November 1909 – 21 March 1977) was a Japanese actress and director. Tanaka was born in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. She became a leading actress at seventeen years old, appearing in Heinosuke Gosho's An Embarrassing Dream in 1927. She proceeded to take leading parts in, among others, Yasujirō Ozu's I Graduated, But... in 1929, Gosho's Aiyoku no ki in 1930, and in 1931, Japan's first talkie, The Neighbor's Wife and Mine, directed by Gosho. She had a close working relationship with director Kenji Mizoguchi, having parts in 15 of his films, including leading roles in The Life of Oharu (1952), Ugetsu (1953) and Sansho the Bailiff (1954). Their working relationship ended when Mizoguchi countered a recommendation from the Directors Guild of Japan for the Nikkatsu studio to hire her as a director. Despite this, the production of her second film as director went ahead, but Tanaka never forgave Mizoguchi, and the reasons for his behaviour are unclear. She also played Noboru Yasumoto's mother in Akira Kurosawa's Red Beard (1965). For her portrayal in Kei Kumai's Sandakan N° 8 she won the Best Actress Award at the 25th Berlin International Film Festival in 1975. Her last screen appearance was in 1976 in Kei Kumai's Kita No Misaki. Tanaka was the second Japanese woman who worked as a film director, after Sakane Tazuko (1904‐1975). Her first directing job was on the film Love Letter in 1953, and she made five further films in that role.
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BODY OF WORK
Kinuyo Tanaka's Filmography
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Kinuyo Tanaka, a Woman We Talk About
as Self (archive footage)
The Travels of Kinuyo Tanaka
as Self (archive footage)
Lullaby of the Earth
Cape of the North
as Old Nun
Let's Go, Grandma!
as Kiku Sasaki
Kenji Mizoguchi: The Life of a Film Director
as Self
Sandakan No. 8
as Old Osaki
Sanbaba
Tora-san's Dream-Come-True
as 旧家的夫人
Red Beard
as Madame Yasumoto
Kono sora no aru kagiri
The Scent of Incense
as Tsuna
Bright Sea
as Nobuko Yazaki
Alone Across the Pacific
as Youth's Mother
A Legend or Was It?
as Shizuko Sonobe
Double Wedding
Mama, I Need You!
The Fencing Master
as Oharu
A Wanderer's Notebook
as Kishi, Fumiko's Mother
Eternity of Love
as Michi's Mother
Her Brother
as Mother
The Three Treasures
as Princess Yamato
Chikamatsu's Love in Osaka
as Myokan
Hahakogusa
as Shige Ozawa
The Eternal Rainbow
as Fumi
Equinox Flower
as Kiyoko Hirayama
The Ballad of Narayama
as Orin
Sorrow Is Only for Women
On This Earth
as Omitsu, Heiichiro's mother
Geisha in the Old City
as Oei
Stepbrothers
as Rie
Yellow Crow
as Yukiko Matsumoto
Flowing
as Rika Yamanaka / Oharu
The Storm
Women in Prison
as Prison Warden
No Poster
How Sorrowful
This Is Home
Confession
Forever a Woman
as Neighbor's Wife
Tsukiyo no kasa
Shōnen shikeishū
House of Many Pleasures
as Oshige
The Moon Has Risen
as Yoneya
The Woman in the Rumor
as Hatsuko Mabuchi
Five Sisters
Sansho the Bailiff
as Tamaki
Love Letter
as Landlady
An Heir's Place
as Hisa Hosho
Ugetsu
as Miyagi
Where Chimneys Are Seen
as Hiroko Ogata
Sincere Heart
as Kuniko
Her Secret
Mother
as Masako Fukuhara
The Ataka Family
as Kuniko Ataka
The Life of Oharu
as Oharu
Sisters of Nishijin
Story of Lightning
No Poster
Aizenbashi
The Lady of Musashino
as Michiko Akiyama
Miss Oyu
as Oyû Kayukawa
Ginza Cosmetics
as Yukiko Tsuji
The Inner Palace Conspiracy
as Onaka
No Poster
The Actress and the Detective
The Munekata Sisters
as Setsuko Munekata
Wedding Ring
as Noriko Kuki
Yotsuya Ghost Story Part 2
as Oiwa / Osode
Yotsuya Ghost Story Part 1
as Oiwa / Osode
Flame of My Love
as Eiko Hirayama
A Hen in the Wind
as Tokiko Amamiya
Women of the Night
as Fusako Owada
Phoenix
as Sayoko Aihara
The Love of the Actress Sumako
as Sumako Matsui
Marriage
as Fumie Matsukawa
Utamaro and His Five Women
as Okita
Victory of Women
as Hiroko Hosokawa
No Poster
Kanojo no hatsugen
A Tale of Archery at the Sanjusangendo
as Okinu
Victory Song
as Woman who sings lullaby
Miyamoto Musashi
as Shinobu Nonomiya
Army
as Waka
The Man Who Has Returned
Air Raid of the Enemy Plane
as Kiyo
Kaisen no Zenya
A Certain Woman
Record of a Woman Doctor
Ornamental Hairpin
as Emi
Flower
Let's Go in Good Spirits
Okinu and Banto
Osaka Woman
No Poster
Seisen aiba fu: Akatsuki ni inoru
as Chiyo
Kinuyo's First Love
Weeds with flowers
Zoku aizen katsura
Spring Thunder
Okayo's Preparedness
as Okayo
The Tree of Love
as Katsue Takaishi
Mother and Child
as Chieko
Banchō sarayashiki
A Man's Recompense: Part 2
A Man's Recompense: Part 1
Lady Doctor Kinuyo
as Kinuyo Yamaoka
Song of the Flower Basket
as Yoko
The New Road: Ryota
The New Road: Akemi
Men vs. Women
Burden of Life
as Itsuko Kuriyama
Okoto and Sasuke
as Okoto
An Innocent Maid
as Oshige
My Elder Brother
as Sumako
No Poster
That Night's Woman
Osayo Koi Sugata
as Osayo
No Poster
Storm in the City
No Poster
Honeymoon
No Poster
Constellations on Earth, Part 2: Constellations
No Poster
Constellations on Earth, Part One: Earth Chapter
No Poster
Sakura Ondo
The Genealogy of Women
as Otsuta
No Poster
Mother of the East
as Taeko
No Poster
Sôbô
as Yoshiko Chō
Daphne
as Tamayō (Geisha)
Before the Wedding
as Yukiko Takada
No Poster
The Road to Marriage
No Poster
Clear and Cloudy
as Fusako Kawahara
Dragnet Girl
as Tokiko
No Poster
The Cheerleading Captain's Love
as Omitsu
Woman of Tokyo
as Harue
The Dancing Girl of Izu
as Kaoru, a dancer
The Bride Talks in Her Sleep
as Haruko, bride
The Loyal 47 Ronin
as Yae
No Poster
Storm Zone
Where Now Are the Dreams of Youth?
as Oshige
No Poster
Love in Tokyo
Shine, Japanese Women
as Shigeko
Studio Romance: A Guide to Love
No Poster
The Sun Rises from the East
as Miyoko
No Poster
The Willows of Ginza
No Poster
My Brother's a Fool
Victory or Defeat
No Poster
The Golden Demon
as Omiya
No Poster
Woman of Suffering
ABC Lifeline
ABC Lifeline: Fujieda Chapter
No Poster
The Tramp and His Daughter
The Neighbour's Wife and Mine
as Wife of the Playwright
No Poster
Sisters: Part 2
No Poster
Sisters: Part 1
No Poster
Cry Cheerfully!
Love, Be with Humanity: Part 2
as Mayumi
Love, Be with Humanity: Part 1
as Mayumi
Young Lady
as Kinuko
Youth, Why Do You Cry?
as Kozue Uesugi
Record of Love and Desire
The Tale of Kinuyo
as Kinuyo
Mother, Don't Tarnish Your Name
No Poster
The Great Ship
No Poster
The Big City: Explosion
Where Do Women Go?
as Omitsu
No Poster
A Smiling Life
I Flunked, But...
as Cafe's Waitress
No Poster
Song of Youth
as Kinuko Yamada
Marching On
as Toshiko Yamamoto
No Poster
The Beating
No Poster
Triumphant Song of the Mountain
as Yuki Matsuyama
No Poster
The Father and His Son
I Graduated, But...
as Machiko Nomoto
No Poster
Cheerful Song
as Mamoko
No Poster
The Model of New Women
No Poster
The Big City: Labor
as Okimi (cleaning woman)
No Poster
The Village Where the Skylark Sings
No Poster
Him and Life
No Poster
Echigo Lion
The Blacksmith of the Forest
as Omitsu
No Poster
Symphony of Youth
as Kinuko Noguchi
The Glory of the Shōwa Era
as Yayoi Sakurai (Shōwa Chapter)
King of the Land
as Namiko
No Poster
Thank You for Your Hard Work
No Poster
A Wife Quits
No Poster
The Face of Humanity
No Poster
What a Handsome Man!
as Shikanyu (geisha)
No Poster
Iron Virgin
as Namiko
The Eternal Heart
No Poster
Immortal Love
No Poster
The Age of Emotion
No Poster
The Village Bride
No Poster
If Only She...
Chronicles of a Sea Country
as Oaki (Sister)
No Poster
Modern Warrior Training
No Poster
Night is a Trickster
No Poster
Lovers' Suicide at Kiso
No Poster
Sankichi the Flying Squirrel
as Oshizu (Tazaemon's Daughter)
No Poster
The Oath of a Thousand Kills
as Kaōgi (Courtesan)
No Poster
Madame Pearl
No Poster
Song of the Border Patrol
as Tsutae
No Poster
Magic
No Poster
An Embarrassing Dream
No Poster
Takada no Baba
No Poster
The Harakiri at Tennōji
No Poster
The Basement
No Poster
Yakko no Koman
No Poster
Secret Struggle
No Poster
Flashing Blade
No Poster
Her
No Poster
Buried Youth
No Poster
The Complete Story of Jirocho Shimizu, Part 2: Ashura's Revenge
No Poster
Useless Button
No Poster
The Cursed Sword
as Owaka
No Poster
Love and Courage
No Poster
The Betrayed
as O-Fumi
No Poster
Torrent
Young Master
as Tamako (Geisha in training)
No Poster
Oh! Carefree, Aren't You?
No Poster
Townspeople
No Poster
Troubled Days
as Osaki (Reiko's Sister)
No Poster
No Need for Your Opinion
as Daughter
No Poster
Love's Snare
as Osato (Thread Shop Owner)
Fallen Samurai
as Omaki
No Poster
Nature Is the Judge
No Poster
The Killing of a Hundred Men at Isshinji Temple
as Otami
No Poster
Brave Love
No Poster
Cry of the Raging Current
as Okimi
No Poster
The Little Traveling Entertainer
as Okiku
Village Pasture
as Oharu
No Poster