Sadao Yamanaka (?? ??, Yamanaka Sadao, November 7, 1909—September 17, 1938) was a Japanese film director and screenwriter who directed 26 films between 1932 and 1938. He was a contemporary of Yasujir? Ozu, Mikio Naruse and Kenji Mizoguchi and one of the primary figures in the development of the jidaigeki, or historical film. Yamanaka died of dysentary in Manchuria after being drafted into the Imperial Japanese Army. He is the uncle of the Japanese film director Tai Kato, who once penned a book about Yamanaka, Eiga kantoku Yamanaka Sadao.Only three of his films survive in nearly complete form. While long considered a master filmmaker in his native Japan, interest in Yamanaka's work redeveloped after the restoration and Japanese DVD release of the three surviving films. His most internationally discussed film, Humanity and Paper Balloons (1937), was given its first non-Japanese DVD release in the UK as a Masters of Cinema release.
Because he depicted the samurai as less than heroic, he was sent to fight on the Chinese front and was killed there.
2
He got into movie-making when a schoolmate, the son of early film mogul Shozo Makino, helped him get a job in the script department of Makino Film Productions.
3
ALong with Daisuke Itô, he popularized a genre of movies that depicted the plight of the poor with unprecedented realism.
4
Only three out of his 23 films are known to exist.
5
He completed 23 films in seven years.
Writer
Title
Year
Status
Character
Gambare! Bangaku
1960
story
Sengoku gunto-den
1959
previous screenplay
Sono zen'ya
1939
as Kinpachi Kajiwara / idea
Mori no Ishimatsu
1937
screenplay
Sengoku guntô-den - Dai nibu: Akatsuki no zenshin
1937
as Kinpachi Kajiwara
Sengoku guntô-den - Dai ichibu: Toraôkami
1937
as Kinpachi Kajiwara
Uminari kaidô
1936
as Kinpachi Kajiwara
Ochaduke-zamurai
1936
story
Kôchiyama Sôshun
1936
Kaitô Shirozukin: Kôhen
1936
as Kinpachi Kajiwara
Kaitô Shirozukin: Zempen
1935
as Kinpachi Kajiwara
Mito Kômon: Dai-nihen - Missho no maki
1935
Mito Kômon: Dai-sampen - Ketsujin no maki
1935
Machi no irezumi mono
1935
screenplay
Seki no yatappe
1935
as Kinpachi Kajiwara
Fuji no shirayuki
1935
as Kinpachi Kajiwara
Kunisada Chûji
1935
story
Mito Kômon: Rai Kunitsugu no maki
1934
screenplay
Ashigaru shusse-tan
1934
screenplay
Furyû katsujinken
1934
writer
Nezumikozô Jirokichi: Futatabi edo no maki
1933
screenplay
Nezumikozô Jirokichi: Dôchû no maki
1933
screenplay
Nezumikozô Jirokichi: Edo no maki
1933
screenplay
Bangaku no issho
1933
screenplay
Satsuma-bikyaku: Kenkô aiyoku-hen
1933
screenplay
Tengu kaijô: Zenpen
1932
screenplay
Umon torimonochô sanjûban tegara: Obitoke buppô
1932
screenplay
Kuchibue o fuku bushi
1932
screenplay
Ogasawara Ikinokami
1932
screenplay
Koban shigure
1932
screenplay
Iso no Genta: Dakine no nagawakizashi
1932
screenplay
Umon torimonochô - Rokuban tegara
1930
Umon ichiban tegara - Namban yûrei
1929
writer
Director
Title
Year
Status
Character
Ninjô kami fûsen
1937
Mori no Ishimatsu
1937
Uminari kaidô
1936
Kôchiyama Sôshun
1936
Kaitô Shirozukin: Kôhen
1936
Kaitô Shirozukin: Zempen
1935
Machi no irezumi mono
1935
Seki no yatappe
1935
Tange Sazen yowa: Hyakuman ryô no tsubo
1935
Kunisada Chûji
1935
Gantarô kaidô
1934
Ashigaru shusse-tan
1934
Furyû katsujinken
1934
Nezumikozô Jirokichi: Futatabi edo no maki
1933
Nezumikozô Jirokichi: Dôchû no maki
1933
Nezumikozô Jirokichi: Edo no maki
1933
Bangaku no issho
1933
Satsuma-bikyaku: Kenkô aiyoku-hen
1933
Tengu kaijô: Zenpen
1932
Umon torimonochô sanjûban tegara: Obitoke buppô
1932
Kuchibue o fuku bushi
1932
Ogasawara Ikinokami
1932
Koban shigure
1932
Iso no Genta: Dakine no nagawakizashi
1932
Miscellaneous
Title
Year
Status
Character
Daibosatsu tôge: dai-ippen - Kôgen itto-ryû no maki
1935
supporting director
Known for movies
Kôchiyama Sôshun (1936) as Writer
Sono zen'ya (1939) as Writer
Kaitô Shirozukin: Kôhen (1936) as Writer
Iso no Genta: Dakine no nagawakizashi (1932) as Writer
$300,000
