Kinuyo Tanaka (?? ??, 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 an early age, appearing in Yasujir? Ozu's I Graduated, But... in 1929. The following year she played the lead in Aiyoku no ki, and in 1931 she appeared in Japan's first talkie, The Neighbor's Wife and Mine, directed by Heinosuke 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.
Joined the Shochiku Film Company as an actress in 1924. A significant star of Japanese film in the 1930's, she became best known for her work under director Kenji Mizoguchi. Directed from 1953. Occasionally appeared in films of her husband, the director Hiroshi Shimizu.
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Joined a music troupe at age eleven.
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In Japanese films from the age of 14, after brief experience in light opera.
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Was the first Japanese woman director
Actress
Title
Year
Status
Character
Lullaby of the Earth
1976
Farmer
Kita no misaki - Cap du nord
1976
Old Nun
Let's Go, Grandma!
1975
Kiku Sasaki
Sandakan 8
1974
Osaki Yamakawa, as an old woman
Three Old Ladies
1974
Taki Takeichi
Tora-san's Dream-Come-True
1972
Madame from a noble family
Momi no ki wa nokotta
1970
TV Series
Momotarô-zamurai
1967
TV Series
Arupusu no wakadaishô
1966
Shinjiro Ishiyama / Aodaisyô
Red Beard
1965
Madame Yasumoto, Noboru's mother
Kono sora no aru kagiri
1964
Shizue Matsuzaki
Kôge - Ichibu: Waremokô no shô
1964
Tsuna
Hikaru umi
1963
Nobuko Yazaki
Alone on the Pacific
1963
Youth's Mother
Shitô no densetsu
1963
Shizuko Sonobe
Kekkonshiki Kekkonshiki
1963
Masa
Kaasan nagaiki shitene
1962
Tateshi Danpei
1962
Oharu
Hôrô-ki
1962
Kishi, Fumiko's mother
Wakarete ikiru toki mo
1961
Michi's mother
Otôto
1960
Mother
Nippon tanjô
1959
Princess Yamato
Naniwa no koi no monogatari
1959
Myokan
Taiyô ni somuku mono
1959
Fumi - Ichikawa's wife
Hahakogusa
1959
Shige Ozawa
Kono ten no niji
1958
Fumi Kageyama
Higanbana
1958
Kiyoko Hirayama
The Ballad of Narayama
1958
Orin
Kanashimi wa onna dakeni
1958
Hideyo
Chijo
1957
Omitsu, Heiichiro's mother
Kottaisan yori: Nyotai wa kanashiku
1957
Oei
Ibo kyoudai
1957
Rie, Kido's second wife
Kiiroi karasu
1957
Yukiko Matsumoto
Nagareru
1956
Rika Yamanaka / Oharu
Arashi
1956
Otoku, housekeeper
Jôshû to tomo ni
1956
Takehara, head of prison
Aya ni ai shiki
1956
Iro zange
1956
Oyae
Chibusa yo eien nare
1955
Neighbor's wife
Osho ichidai
1955
Koharu Sakata
Tsukiyo no kasa
1955
Ritsuko Kotani
Shônen shikeishû
1955
Satoko Yamamoto
House of Many Pleasures
1955
Oshige
Tsuki wa noborinu
1955
Yoneya - servant of the Asai family
Uwasa no onna
1954
Hatsuko Mabuchi
Onna no koyomi
1954
Michi Saeki
Sansho the Bailiff
1954
Tamaki
Koibumi
1953
Landlady
Shishi no za
1953
Hisa Hôshô
Ugetsu
1953
Miyagi
Entotsu no mieru basho
1953
Hiroko Ogata
Sincerity
1953
Kuniko Ariga
Himitsu
1952
Miyo Tajima
Okaasan
1952
Masako Fukuhara
Nishijin no shimai
1952
Someka
The Life of Oharu
1952
Oharu
Inazuma sôshi
1951
Oyuki
Musashino fujin
1951
Michiko Akiyama
Oyû-sama
1951
Oyû Kayukawa
Ginza keshô
1951
Yukiko Tsuji
Oboro kago
1951
Munekata kyôdai
1950
Setsuko Munekata
Wedding Ring
1950
Noriko Kuki
Mahiru no embukyoku
1949
Tsuruyo Amemiya
Shinshaku Yotsuya kaidan: kôhen
1949
Osode
The Yotsuda Phantom
1949
Osode
Waga koi wa moenu
1949
Eiko Hirayama
Kaze no naka no mendori
1948
Tokiko Amamiya
Yoru no onnatachi
1948
Fusako Owada
Fushichô
1947
Sayoko Aihara
Joyû Sumako no koi
1947
Sumako Matsui
Kekkon
1947
Fumie Matsukawa
Utamaro o meguru gonin no onna
1946
Okita
Josei no shôri
1946
Hiroko Hosokawa
Nikoniko taikai uta no hanakago
1946
Sanjûsangen-dô, tôshiya monogatari
1945
Okinu
Hisshôka
1945
Woman who sings lullaby
Miyamoto Musashi
1944
Shinobu Nonomiya
Rikugun
1944
Waka
Kaette kita otoko
1944
Hatsue Kotani
Danjuro sandai
1944
Okano
Aru onna
1942
Oshige
Joi no kiroku
1941
Nurse Natsuki
Kanzashi
1941
Emi
Hana
1941
Genkide yukôyo
1941
Okinu to bantô
1940
Butai sugata
1940
Okinu
Naniwa onna
1940
Ochika
Kinuyo no hatsukoi
1940
Kinuyo Miyoshi
Watashi ni ha otto ga aru
1940
Aizen tsubaki
1940
Aizen katsura - Kanketsu-hen
1939
Katsue Takaishi
Kuwa no mi wa akai
1939
Hana no aru zassô
1939
Miss Natsuki
Zoku aizen katsura
1939
Katsue Takaishi
Shunrai
1939
Okayo no kakugo
1939
Okayo
Shinshaku: Tôjin Okichi - Funshin-hen
1938
Aizen katsura
1938
Katsue Takaishi
Shuppatsu
1938
Joi Kinuyo sensei
1937
Kinuyo Yamaoka
Hana-kago no uta
1937
Yoko Mori
Shindo: Kohen Ryota no maki
1936
Akemi
Shindo: Zempen Akemi no maki
1936
Akemi Munakata
Dansei tai josei
1936
Tokiko, Fujimura's daughter
Jinsei no onimotsu
1935
Itsuko Kuriyama
Eikyû no ai ramûru ekuruneru kohen
1935
Eikyû no ai ramûru ekuruneru zenpen
1935
Shunkinsho: Okoto to Sasuke
1935
Okoto
Hakoiri musume
1935
Oshige
Watashi no niisan
1934
Sumako
Sono yo no onna
1934
Osayo koisugata
1934
Osayo
Machi no bôfû
1934
Chijô no seiza - Kôhen: Seiza-hen
1934
Chijô no seiza - Zempen: Chijô-hen
1934
Sakura ondo
1934/I
Onna keizu
1934
Otsuta
Sôbô
1933
Yoshiko Hinoto
Seidon
1933
Fusako Hara
Hijôsen no onna
1933
Tokiko
Ôendanchô no koi
1933
Omitsu
Tôkyô no onna
1933
Harue
Koi no hana saku Izu no odoriko
1933
Kaoru, a dancer
Hanayome no negoto
1933
Haruko, bride
Chûshingura - Zempen: Akahokyô no maki
1932
Yae
Seishun no yume ima izuko
1932
Shigeko, bakery assistant
Koi no Tokyo
1932
Satsueijo romansu, renai annai
1932
Taiyo wa higashi yori
1932
Miyoko
Ginza no yanagi
1932/I
Niisan no baka
1932
Sister
Shôhai
1932
Konjiki yasha
1932/I
Kamosawa Miya
Chûshingura
1932
Seikatsu-sen ABC
1931
Fujie
Madamu to nyôbô
1931
Wife of the playwright
Shimai kohen
1931
Shimai zenpen
1931
Ai yo jinrui to tomo ni are - Kohen: Beikoku hen
1931
Ai yo jinrui to tomo ni are - Zenpen: Nihon hen
1931
Mayumi
Ojôsan
1930
Kinuko
Aiyoku no ki
1930
Kinuyo monogatari
1930
Daitokai: Bakuhatsu-hen
1930
Hohoemu jinsei
1930
Kânôjo wa dôkoê iku
1930
Rakudai wa shitakeredo
1930
Cafe's waitress
Shingun
1930
Toshiko Yamamoto
Oyaji to sono ko
1929
Daigaku wa detakeredo
1929
Machiko Nomoto
Yôkina uta
1929
Daitokai: Rôdô-hen
1929
Okimi
Kare to jinsei
1929
Mori no kajiya
1929
Omitsu
Riku no ôja
1928
Namiko
Hito no yo no sugata
1928
Eien no kokoro
1928
Kangeki jidai
1928
Mura no hanayome
1928
Okinu
Moshimo kanojo ga
1928
Kaikokuki
1928
Oaki
Shinju fujin
1927
Hazukashii yume
1927
Ten'nôji no harakiri
1927
Kanojo
1926
Karabotan
1926
Yôtô
1926
Uragiraremono
1926
Honryû
1926
Machi no hitobito
1926
Nayamashiki koro
1926
Raku-musha
1925
Isshindera no hyakunin-giri
1925
Gekiryû no sakebi
1925
Goiken gomuyô
1925
Koi no hobakû
1925
Ochimusâ
1925
Mura no bokujô
1924
Oharu
Genroku onna
1924
Director
Title
Year
Status
Character
Love Under the Crucifix
1962
Onna bakari no yoru
1961
Ruten no ôhi
1960
Chibusa yo eien nare
1955
Tsuki wa noborinu
1955
Koibumi
1953
Self
Title
Year
Status
Character
Kenji Mizoguchi: The Life of a Film Director
1975
Documentary
Herself
Watashi wa josei no. 1
1950
Short
Herself
Archive Footage
Title
Year
Status
Character
Tanaka Kinuyo no tabidachi - Senryôka no nichibei shinzen geijutsu shisetsu