Kinuyo Tanaka
- Acting
- November 28, 1909 · Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi, Japan
- March 21, 1977
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). 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
Filmography
- Kinuyo Tanaka, a Woman We Talk About · Self
- The Travels of Kinuyo Tanaka · Self
- Lullaby of the Earth
- Cape of the North · Old Nun
- Let's Go, Grandma! · Kiku Sasaki
- Kenji Mizoguchi: The Life of a Film Director · Self
- Sandakan No. 8 · Old Osaki
- Sanbaba
- Tora-san's Dream-Come-True · 旧家的夫人
- Mominoki wa Nokotta · Tsuta
- Red Beard · Madame Yasumoto
- Kono sora no aru kagiri
- The Scent of Incense · Tsuna
- Bright Sea · Nobuko Yazaki
- Alone Across the Pacific · Youth's Mother
- A Legend or Was It? · Shizuko Sonobe
- Double Wedding
- Mama, I Need You!
- The Fencing Master · Oharu
- A Wanderer's Notebook · Kishi, Fumiko's Mother
- Love Under the Crucifix · Director
- Girls of the Night · Director
- Eternity of Love · Michi's Mother
- Her Brother · Mother
- The Wandering Princess · Director
- The Three Treasures · Princess Yamato
- Chikamatsu's Love in Osaka · Myokan
- Hahakogusa · Shige Ozawa
- The Eternal Rainbow · Fumi
- Equinox Flower · Kiyoko Hirayama
- The Ballad of Narayama · Orin
- Sorrow Is Only for Women
- On This Earth · Omitsu, Heiichiro's mother
- Geisha in the Old City · Oei
- Stepbrothers · Rie
- Yellow Crow · Yukiko Matsumoto
- Flowing · Rika Yamanaka / Oharu
- The Storm
- Women in Prison · Prison Warden
- How Sorrowful
- This Is Home
- Confession
- Forever a Woman · Neighbor's Wife, Director
- Tsukiyo no kasa
- Shōnen shikeishū
- House of Many Pleasures · Oshige
- The Moon Has Risen · Yoneya, Director
- The Woman in the Rumor · Hatsuko Mabuchi
- Five Sisters
- Sansho the Bailiff · Tamaki
- Love Letter · Landlady, Director
- Brother and Sister · Assistant Director
- An Heir's Place · Hisa Hosho
- Ugetsu · Miyagi
- Where Chimneys Are Seen · Hiroko Ogata
- Sincere Heart · Kuniko
- Her Secret
- Mother · Masako Fukuhara
- The Ataka Family · Kuniko Ataka
- The Life of Oharu · Oharu
- Sisters of Nishijin
- Story of Lightning
- Aizenbashi
- The Lady of Musashino · Michiko Akiyama
- Miss Oyu · Oyû Kayukawa
- Ginza Cosmetics · Yukiko Tsuji
- The Inner Palace Conspiracy · Onaka
- The Actress and the Detective
- The Munekata Sisters · Setsuko Munekata
- Wedding Ring · Noriko Kuki
- Yotsuya Ghost Story Part 2 · Oiwa / Osode
- Yotsuya Ghost Story Part 1 · Oiwa / Osode
- Flame of My Love · Eiko Hirayama
- A Hen in the Wind · Tokiko Amamiya
- Women of the Night · Fusako Owada
- Phoenix · Sayoko Aihara
- The Love of the Actress Sumako · Sumako Matsui
- Marriage · Fumie Matsukawa
- Utamaro and His Five Women · Okita
- Victory of Women · Hiroko Hosokawa