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.
Known for
Sandakan No. 8
Old Osaki
Chikamatsu's Love in Osaka
Myokan
The Inner Palace Conspiracy
Onaka
The Three Treasures
Princess Yamato
The Ballad of Narayama
Orin
Spring Thunder
Zoku aizen katsura
A Tale of Archery at the Sanjusangendo
Okinu
Sincere Heart
Kuniko
Ginza Cosmetics
Yukiko Tsuji
Yotsuya Ghost Story Part 1
Oiwa / Osode
Young Master
Tamako (Geisha in training)
Wakarete ikiru toki mo
Michi's Mother
The New Road: Ryota
Miyamoto Musashi
Shinobu Nonomiya
The Father and His Son
The Moon Has Risen
Yoneya
The Fencing Master
Oharu
Osaka Woman
Song of the Flower Basket
Yoko
Village Pasture
Oharu
Stepbrothers
Rie
Sôbô
Yoshiko Chō
The Eternal Rainbow
Fumi
A Hen in the Wind
Tokiko Amamiya
Utamaro and His Five Women
Okita
Weeds with flowers
Wedding Ring
Noriko Kuki
Osayo Koi Sugata
Osayo
I Flunked, But...
Cafe's Waitress
The Lady of Musashino
Michiko Akiyama
A Wanderer's Notebook
Kishi, Fumiko's mother
The Life of Oharu
Oharu
Woman of Tokyo
Harue
The Dancing Girl of Izu
Kaoru, a dancer
On This Earth
Omitsu, Heiichiro's mother
Dragnet Girl
Tokiko
Mother
Masako Fukuhara
Alone Across the Pacific
Youth's Mother
Miss Oyu
Oyû Kayukawa
Okayo's Preparedness
Okayo
Tora-san's Dream-Come-True
the old family mistress
A Man's Recompense: Part 2
The Munekata Sisters
Setsuko Munekata
Okoto and Sasuke
Okoto
Cape of the North
Old Nun
Young Lady
Kinuko
A Woman from the Genroku Era
Troubled Days
Osaki (Reiko's Sister)
The Genealogy of Women
Otsuta
The Woman in the Rumor
Hatsuko Mabuchi
Five Sisters
Sisters of Nishijin
Lady Doctor Kinuyo
Kinuyo Yamaoka
King of the Land
Namiko
The Killing of a Hundred Men at Isshinji Temple
Otami
The Scent of Incense
Tsuna
Mother and Child
Chieko
Song of Youth
Kinuko Yamada
That Night's Woman
Nature Is the Judge
Mama, I Need You!
Let's Go, Grandma!
Kiku Sasaki
The Neighbour's Wife and Mine
Wife of the playwright
The Village Bride
Kaisen no Zenya
The Oath of a Thousand Kills
Kaōgi (courtesan)
The Blacksmith of the Forest
Omitsu
A Man's Recompense: Part 1
Kono sora no aru kagiri
Banchō sarayashiki
Lullaby of the Earth
Burden of Life
Itsuko Kuriyama
Bright Sea
Nobuko Yazaki
Flower
The New Road: Akemi
Army
Waka
Echigo Lion
The Loyal 47 Ronin
Yae
A Legend or Was It?
Shizuko Sonobe
Flowing
Rika Yamanaka / Oharu
How Sorrowful
The Big City: Labor
Okimi (cleaning woman)
A Wife Quits
Sanbaba
Cheerful Song
Mamoko
Brave Love
Geisha in the Old City
Oei
Victory of Women
Hiroko Hosokawa
Women of the Night
Fusako Owada
Yellow Crow
Yukiko Matsumoto
Air Raid of the Enemy Plane
Kiyo
Fallen Samurai
Omaki
Story of Lightning
Yotsuya Ghost Story Part 2
Oiwa / Osode
Her Brother
Mother
Sorrow Is Only for Women
The Love of the Actress Sumako
Sumako Matsui
Men vs. Women
Hahakogusa
Shige Ozawa
The Beating
The Ataka Family
Kuniko Ataka
Seisen aiba fu: Akatsuki ni inoru
Chiyo
Shōnen shikeishū
Night is a Trickster
Forever a Woman
Neighbor's Wife
Double Wedding
Love's Snare
Osato (Thread Shop Owner)
Secret Struggle
The Little Traveling Entertainer
Okiku
Clear and Cloudy
Fusako Kawahara
Sankichi the Flying Squirrel
Oshizu (Tazaemon's daughter)
The Model of New Women
An Heir's Place
Hisa Hosho
Modern Warrior Training
Where Do Women Go?
Omitsu
The Tale of Kinuyo
Kinuyo
Where Chimneys Are Seen
Hiroko Ogata
Marching On
Toshiko Yamamoto
Yakko no Koman
The Complete Story of Jirocho Shimizu, Part 2: Ashura's Revenge
Thank You for Your Hard Work
Record of Love and Desire
The Storm
I Graduated, But...
Machiko Nomoto
The Man Who Has Returned
The Age of Emotion
Where Now Are the Dreams of Youth?
Oshige
Tsukiyo no kasa
Cry of the Raging Current
Okimi
(Street of Wandering Pigeons) When Will the Birds Come Home
Oshige
What a Handsome Man!
Shikanyu (geisha)
Useless Button
The Great Ship
The Big City: Explosion
Okinu and Banto
The Bride Talks in Her Sleep
Haruko, bride
Magic
Record of a Woman Doctor
Torrent
ABC Lifeline: Fujieda Chapter
Women in Prison
Prison Warden
Before the Wedding
Yukiko Takada
No Need for Your Opinion
Daughter
Takada no Baba
The Tramp and His Daughter
Constellations on Earth, Part 2: Constellations
Love Letter
Landlady
Phoenix
Sayoko Aihara
Kenji Mizoguchi: The Life of a Film Director
Self
Storm in the City
The Village Where the Skylark Sings
Sakura Ondo
Constellations on Earth, Part One: Earth Chapter
The Eternal Heart
The Road to Marriage
My Elder Brother
Sumako
Triumphant Song of the Mountain
Yuki Matsuyama
Ugetsu
Miyagi
Shine, Japanese Women
Shigeko
Marriage
Fumie Matsukawa
Sisters: Part 2
Red Beard
Madame Yasumoto
Honeymoon
Flame of My Love
Eiko Hirayama
Mominoki wa Nokotta
Tsuta
Sisters: Part 1
Let's Go in Good Spirits
The Travels of Kinuyo Tanaka
Self (archive footage)
Sansho the Bailiff
Tamaki
The Tree of Love
Katsue Takaishi
Confession
Madame Pearl
Equinox Flower
Kiyoko Hirayama
Victory Song
Woman who sings lullaby
Immortal Love
Woman of Suffering
Oh! Carefree, Aren't You?
Song of the Border Patrol
Tsutae
The Basement
Flashing Blade
Love and Courage
The Harakiri at Tennōji
Cry Cheerfully!
Lovers' Suicide at Kiso
Buried Youth
Love, Be with Humanity: Part 1
Mayumi
Kinuyo's First Love
ABC Lifeline
A Certain Woman
Love, Be with Humanity: Part 2
Mayumi
Mother of the East
Taeko
Ornamental Hairpin
Emi
The Sun Rises from the East
Miyoko
An Innocent Maid
Oshige
Victory or Defeat
An Embarrassing Dream
Studio Romance: A Guide to Love
Chronicles of a Sea Country
Oaki (sister)
The Glory of the Shōwa Era
Yayoi Sakurai (Shōwa chapter)
Daphne
Tamayō (Geisha)
Her
If Only She...
Youth, Why Do You Cry?
Kozue Uesugi
The Golden Demon
Omiya
A Smiling Life
The Cursed Sword
Owaka
Love in Tokyo
The Willows of Ginza
Storm Zone
Townspeople
The Face of Humanity
Mother, Don't Tarnish Your Name
Symphony of Youth
Kinuko Noguchi
Iron Virgin
Namiko
My Brother's a Fool
Him and Life
The Cheerleading Captain's Love
Omitsu
The Betrayed
O-Fumi
Kinuyo Tanaka, a Woman We Talk About
Self (archive footage)