Kinuyo Tanaka
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.
223 acting credits · 6 directing credits
Acting · 223
Red Beard
1965
Mominoki wa Nokotta
1970
Sansho the Bailiff
1954
Ugetsu
1953
Equinox Flower
1958
The Three Treasures
1959
The Ballad of Narayama
1958
The Life of Oharu
1952
Sandakan No. 8
1974
Her Brother
1960
Flowing
1956
A Wanderer's Notebook
1962
The Woman in the Rumor
1954
Mother
1952
How Sorrowful
1956
Dragnet Girl
1933
Love, Be with Humanity: Part 1
1931
Yotsuya Ghost Story Part 2
1949
The Munekata Sisters
1950
Lullaby of the Earth
1976
The Love of the Actress Sumako
1947
Eternity of Love
1961
A Hen in the Wind
1948
The Lady of Musashino
1951
Miss Oyu
1951
Army
1944
The Moon Has Risen
1955
On This Earth
1957
The Loyal 47 Ronin
1932
Mama, I Need You!
1962
Yotsuya Ghost Story Part 1
1949
The Scent of Incense
1964
A Legend or Was It?
1963
Where Now Are the Dreams of Youth?
1932
Women of the Night
1948
Burden of Life
1935
Ornamental Hairpin
1941
House of Many Pleasures
1955
Chikamatsu's Love in Osaka
1959
Ginza Cosmetics
1951
Double Wedding
1963
I Flunked, But...
1930
The Inner Palace Conspiracy
1951
Love, Be with Humanity: Part 2
1931
The Eternal Rainbow
1958
The Fencing Master
1962
Forever a Woman
1955
Bright Sea
1963
The Genealogy of Women
1934
The Storm
1956
Mother and Child
1938
Stepbrothers
1957
Five Sisters
1954
The Neighbour's Wife and Mine
1931
Tora-san's Dream-Come-True
1972
Zoku aizen katsura
1939
Sisters of Nishijin
1952
Kono sora no aru kagiri
1964
The Ataka Family
1952
Yellow Crow
1957
Where Chimneys Are Seen
1953
I Graduated, But...
1929
The New Road: Akemi
1936
Cape of the North
1976
Alone Across the Pacific
1963
Flame of My Love
1949
Wedding Ring
1950
Spring Thunder
1939
Okoto and Sasuke
1935
The Blacksmith of the Forest
1929
Banchō sarayashiki
1937
Geisha in the Old City
1957
Kinuyo Tanaka, a Woman We Talk About
2022
Let's Go, Grandma!
1975
Woman of Tokyo
1933
Men vs. Women
1936
King of the Land
1928
A Tale of Archery at the Sanjusangendo
1945
Osaka Woman
1940
Love Letter
1953
Air Raid of the Enemy Plane
1943
Miyamoto Musashi
1944
The Dancing Girl of Izu
1933
Useless Button
1926
Sanbaba
1974
Lady Doctor Kinuyo
1937
Sôbô
1933
Flower
1941
Seisen aiba fu: Akatsuki ni inoru
1940
Women in Prison
1956
Story of Lightning
1951
Osayo Koi Sugata
1934
Sincere Heart
1953
Okayo's Preparedness
1939
That Night's Woman
1934
Weeds with flowers
1939
Sorrow Is Only for Women
1958
Utamaro and His Five Women
1946
Kaisen no Zenya
1943
Victory Song
1945
Shōnen shikeishū
1955
Youth, Why Do You Cry?
1930
Hahakogusa
1959
An Heir's Place
1953
The Father and His Son
1929
The Village Bride
1928
The Big City: Labor
1929
Young Lady
1930
Tsukiyo no kasa
1955
Marching On
1930
My Elder Brother
1934
An Innocent Maid
1935
The Man Who Has Returned
1944
Marriage
1947
Let's Go in Good Spirits
1941
Victory of Women
1946
The Bride Talks in Her Sleep
1933
Kenji Mizoguchi: The Life of a Film Director
1975
Confession
1956
A Certain Woman
1942
A Man's Recompense: Part 1
1937
Symphony of Youth
1928
The Model of New Women
1929
The New Road: Ryota
1936
The Tree of Love
1938
The Travels of Kinuyo Tanaka
2009
Young Master
1926
ABC Lifeline: Fujieda Chapter
1931
Song of the Flower Basket
1937
Love's Snare
1925
Night is a Trickster
1927
Cry of the Raging Current
1925
Mother, Don't Tarnish Your Name
1930
Iron Virgin
1928
ABC Lifeline
1931
The Age of Emotion
1928
Kinuyo's First Love
1940
Record of Love and Desire
1930
Okinu and Banto
1940
Flashing Blade
1926
A Woman from the Genroku Era
1924
Triumphant Song of the Mountain
1929
The Betrayed
1926
Phoenix
1947
Victory or Defeat
1932
Takada no Baba
1927
The Eternal Heart
1928
Lovers' Suicide at Kiso
1927
No Need for Your Opinion
1925
An Embarrassing Dream
1927
Shine, Japanese Women
1932
The Cursed Sword
1926
The Little Traveling Entertainer
1925
Townspeople
1926
The Cheerleading Captain's Love
1933
A Man's Recompense: Part 2
1937
Brave Love
1925
The Glory of the Shōwa Era
1928
Daphne
1933
The Face of Humanity
1928
Constellations on Earth, Part One: Earth Chapter
1934
Chronicles of a Sea Country
1928
Where Do Women Go?
1930
Himitsu
1952
The Tramp and His Daughter
1931
Before the Wedding
1933
Record of a Woman Doctor
1941
Magic
1927
Oh! Carefree, Aren't You?
1926
The Complete Story of Jirocho Shimizu, Part 2: Ashura's Revenge
1926
The Great Ship
1930
Him and Life
1929
Kanojo no hatsugen
1946
Madame Pearl
1927
Cheerful Song
1929
Clear and Cloudy
1933
The Golden Demon
1932
Song of Youth
1930
The Basement
1927
A Smiling Life
1930
The Beating
1930
Yakko no Koman
1927
Sisters: Part 1
1931
What a Handsome Man!
1928
Sankichi the Flying Squirrel
1927
Her
1926
Nature Is the Judge
1925
A Wife Quits
1928
Village Pasture
1924
Thank You for Your Hard Work
1928
The Tale of Kinuyo
1930
The Oath of a Thousand Kills
1927
Storm in the City
1934
Troubled Days
1926
Storm Zone
1932
Buried Youth
1926
Fallen Samurai
1925
Immortal Love
1928
Cry Cheerfully!
1931
The Sun Rises from the East
1932
The Big City: Explosion
1930
Mother of the East
1934
If Only She...
1928
Modern Warrior Training
1928
Love in Tokyo
1932
The Road to Marriage
1933
The Village Where the Skylark Sings
1929
Torrent
1926
Sakura Ondo
1934
Constellations on Earth, Part 2: Constellations
1934
The Killing of a Hundred Men at Isshinji Temple
1925
Song of the Border Patrol
1927
Love and Courage
1926
Secret Struggle
1927
This Is Home
1956
Honeymoon
1934
Sisters: Part 2
1931
Studio Romance: A Guide to Love
1932
Woman of Suffering
1931
The Harakiri at Tennōji
1927
My Brother's a Fool
1932
Echigo Lion
1929
The Willows of Ginza
1932
