Kinuyo Tanaka
Known for: Acting
Born: November 28, 1909
Died: March 21, 1977
Place of birth: Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi, Japan
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.
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Filmography
228 movies · 1 TV show, newest first
NR
Kinuyo Tanaka, a Woman We Talk About
2022
4.0
The Travels of Kinuyo Tanaka
2009
6.4
Lullaby of the Earth
1976
9.0
Cape of the North
1976
10.0
Let's Go, Grandma!
1975
7.2
Kenji Mizoguchi: The Life of a Film Director
1975
7.7
Sandakan No. 8
1974
9.0
Sanbaba
1974
8.3
Tora-san's Dream-Come-True
1972
NR
Mominoki wa Nokotta
1970
8.2
Red Beard
1965
NR
Kono sora no aru kagiri
1964
7.2
The Scent of Incense
1964
9.0
Bright Sea
1963
7.0
Alone Across the Pacific
1963
7.0
A Legend or Was It?
1963
NR
Double Wedding
1963
NR
Mama, I Need You!
1962
5.9
The Fencing Master
1962
7.2
A Wanderer's Notebook
1962
7.1
Love Under the Crucifix
1962
6.5
Girls of the Night
1961
8.0
Eternity of Love
1961
7.1
Her Brother
1960
6.5
The Wandering Princess
1960
5.5
The Three Treasures
1959
5.3
Chikamatsu's Love in Osaka
1959
NR
Hahakogusa
1959
7.2
The Eternal Rainbow
1958
7.4
Equinox Flower
1958
7.5
The Ballad of Narayama
1958
8.0
Sorrow Is Only for Women
1958
7.0
On This Earth
1957
10.0
Geisha in the Old City
1957
7.4
Stepbrothers
1957
6.7
Yellow Crow
1957
7.2
Flowing
1956
8.5
The Storm
1956
4.0
Women in Prison
1956NR
How Sorrowful
1956
NR
This Is Home
1956
NR
Confession
1956
7.6
Forever a Woman
1955
NR
Tsukiyo no kasa
1955
NR
Shōnen shikeishū
1955
9.0
House of Many Pleasures
1955
6.9
The Moon Has Risen
1955
7.3
The Woman in the Rumor
1954
8.0
Five Sisters
1954
8.1
Sansho the Bailiff
1954
6.8
Love Letter
1953
6.3
Brother and Sister
1953
10.0
An Heir's Place
1953
8.0
Ugetsu
1953
6.6
Where Chimneys Are Seen
1953
6.5
Sincere Heart
1953
8.0
Her Secret
1952
7.0
Mother
1952
5.5
The Ataka Family
1952
7.7
The Life of Oharu
1952
7.5
Sisters of Nishijin
1952
10.0
Story of Lightning
1951NR
Aizenbashi
1951
6.3
The Lady of Musashino
1951
7.2
Miss Oyu
1951
6.5
Ginza Cosmetics
1951
8.0
The Inner Palace Conspiracy
1951NR
The Actress and the Detective
1950
7.1
The Munekata Sisters
1950
6.6
Wedding Ring
1950
6.6
Yotsuya Ghost Story Part 2
19496.6
Yotsuya Ghost Story Part 1
1949
5.6
Flame of My Love
1949
7.1
A Hen in the Wind
1948
7.1
Women of the Night
1948
6.4
Phoenix
1947
7.0
The Love of the Actress Sumako
1947
7.7
Marriage
1947
7.2
Utamaro and His Five Women
1946
7.1
Victory of Women
1946NR
Kanojo no hatsugen
1946
5.9
A Tale of Archery at the Sanjusangendo
1945
5.7
Victory Song
1945
6.4
Miyamoto Musashi
1944
6.8
Army
1944
10.0
The Man Who Has Returned
1944
NR
Air Raid of the Enemy Plane
1943
NR
Kaisen no Zenya
1943
7.0
A Certain Woman
1942
6.0
Record of a Woman Doctor
1941
6.7
Ornamental Hairpin
1941
NR
Flower
1941
NR
Let's Go in Good Spirits
1941
10.0
Okinu and Banto
1940
7.0
Osaka Woman
1940NR
Seisen aiba fu: Akatsuki ni inoru
1940
7.5
Kinuyo's First Love
1940
NR
Weeds with flowers
1939
8.0
Zoku aizen katsura
1939
NR
Spring Thunder
1939
7.0
Okayo's Preparedness
1939
7.0
The Tree of Love
1938
NR
Mother and Child
1938
NR
Banchō sarayashiki
1937
NR
A Man's Recompense: Part 2
1937
NR
A Man's Recompense: Part 1
1937
5.5
Lady Doctor Kinuyo
1937
8.0
Song of the Flower Basket
1937
7.5
The New Road: Ryota
1936
8.5
The New Road: Akemi
1936
7.0
Men vs. Women
1936
6.6
Burden of Life
1935
6.8
Okoto and Sasuke
1935
7.0
An Innocent Maid
1935
6.0
My Elder Brother
193410.0
That Night's Woman
1934
8.0
Osayo Koi Sugata
1934NR
Storm in the City
1934NR
Honeymoon
19349.0
Constellations on Earth, Part 2: Constellations
193410.0
Constellations on Earth, Part One: Earth Chapter
19347.0
Sakura Ondo
1934
10.0
The Genealogy of Women
19347.0
Mother of the East
19348.0
Sôbô
1933
NR
Daphne
1933
NR
Before the Wedding
1933NR
The Road to Marriage
1933NR
Clear and Cloudy
1933
6.6
Dragnet Girl
19338.0
The Cheerleading Captain's Love
1933
6.8
Woman of Tokyo
1933
6.7
The Dancing Girl of Izu
1933
7.0
The Bride Talks in Her Sleep
1933
NR
The Loyal 47 Ronin
1932NR
Storm Zone
1932
6.5
Where Now Are the Dreams of Youth?
19327.0
Love in Tokyo
1932
10.0
Shine, Japanese Women
1932
10.0
Studio Romance: A Guide to Love
19327.0
The Sun Rises from the East
19329.0
The Willows of Ginza
193210.0
My Brother's a Fool
1932
NR
Victory or Defeat
1932NR
The Golden Demon
1932NR
Woman of Suffering
1931
6.7
ABC Lifeline
1931
NR
ABC Lifeline: Fujieda Chapter
1931NR
The Tramp and His Daughter
1931
6.6
The Neighbour's Wife and Mine
1931NR
Sisters: Part 1
19317.0
Sisters: Part 2
1931NR
Cry Cheerfully!
1931
7.0
Love, Be with Humanity: Part 1
19318.0
Love, Be with Humanity: Part 2
1931
8.0
Young Lady
1930
NR
Youth, Why Do You Cry?
1930
9.0
Record of Love and Desire
1930
9.0
The Tale of Kinuyo
1930
10.0
Mother, Don't Tarnish Your Name
1930NR
The Great Ship
1930NR
The Big City: Explosion
1930
NR
Where Do Women Go?
193010.0
A Smiling Life
1930
5.9
I Flunked, But...
1930NR
Song of Youth
1930
10.0
Marching On
1930NR
The Beating
1930NR
Triumphant Song of the Mountain
192910.0
The Father and His Son
1929
5.8
I Graduated, But...
1929NR
Cheerful Song
1929NR
The Model of New Women
19299.0
The Big City: Labor
1929NR
The Village Where the Skylark Sings
19298.0
Him and Life
1929NR
Echigo Lion
1929
8.0
The Blacksmith of the Forest
1929NR
Symphony of Youth
1928
NR
The Glory of the Shōwa Era
1928
NR
King of the Land
1928NR
Thank You for Your Hard Work
1928NR
A Wife Quits
19287.0
The Face of Humanity
1928NR
What a Handsome Man!
1928NR
Iron Virgin
1928
NR
The Eternal Heart
1928NR
Immortal Love
19288.0
The Age of Emotion
19288.0
The Village Bride
1928NR
If Only She...
1928
9.0
Chronicles of a Sea Country
1928NR
Modern Warrior Training
1928NR
Night is a Trickster
1927NR
Lovers' Suicide at Kiso
1927NR
Sankichi the Flying Squirrel
1927NR
The Oath of a Thousand Kills
1927NR
Madame Pearl
1927NR
Song of the Border Patrol
1927NR
Magic
19279.0
An Embarrassing Dream
1927NR
Takada no Baba
1927NR
The Harakiri at Tennōji
1927NR
The Basement
1927NR
Yakko no Koman
1927NR
Secret Struggle
19279.0
Her
1926NR
Flashing Blade
1926NR
Buried Youth
1926NR
The Complete Story of Jirocho Shimizu, Part 2: Ashura's Revenge
1926NR
Useless Button
1926NR
The Cursed Sword
1926NR
Love and Courage
1926NR
The Betrayed
19269.0
Torrent
1926
NR
Young Master
1926NR
Oh! Carefree, Aren't You?
19268.0
Townspeople
1926NR
Troubled Days
1926NR
No Need for Your Opinion
1925
NR
Fallen Samurai
1925NR
Love's Snare
1925NR
The Killing of a Hundred Men at Isshinji Temple
1925NR
Nature Is the Judge
1925NR
Brave Love
1925NR
Cry of the Raging Current
1925NR
The Little Traveling Entertainer
1925
7.0
Village Pasture
1924NR
A Woman from the Genroku Era
1924