Isuzu Yamada
Isuzu Yamada (山田 五十鈴, Yamada Isuzu, 5 February 1917 – 9 July 2012) was a Japanese stage and screen actress whose career spanned seven decades.
Yamada was born in Osaka as Mitsu Yamada, the daughter of Kusudu Yamada, a shinpa actor specialising in onnagata roles, and Ritsu, a geisha. Yamada debuted as a film actress in 1930 at age twelve, appearing in the Nikkatsu film Tsurugi wo koete. She soon became one of Nikkatsu's top actresses, but it was her portrayals of strong-willed modern girls in Kenji Mizoguchi's Osaka Elegy and Sisters of the Gion in 1936 at the new Daiichi Eiga studio that earned her popularity and critical acclaim. Moving to Shinkō Kinema and then to Toho, she became a star with Mikio Naruse's Tsuruhachi and Tsurujiro (1938).
During the second half of the 1950s, Yamada's main attention shifted towards the stage, but she still appeared in a number of distinguished films like Naruse's Flowing (1956), Yasujirō Ozu's Tokyo Twilight (1957) and Akira Kurosawa's The Lower Depths (1957) and Throne of Blood (1957). Other directors she worked with during this decade include Keisuke Kinoshita, Kaneto Shindō and Shirō Toyoda. In addition to her theatre engagements, she appeared on television, including the long-running Hissatsu series. Her last TV appearance was in 2002.
Yamada died from multiple organ failure in Tokyo on 9 July 2012 at the age of 95. She was married four times, to actor Ichirō Tsukita, to producer Kazuo Takimura, to actor Yoshi Katō, and to actor Tsutomu Shimomoto. Her daughter with Tsukita, Michiko, became known as the actress Michiko Saga (1935–1992).
Description above from the Wikipedia article Isuzu Yamada, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia
Acted in
Akira Kurosawa: It Is Wonderful to Create: 'Throne of Blood'
2002
as Self
Kurosawa
2000
as Self
Sure Death! Brown, You Bounder!
1985
as Oriku
Sure Death
1984
Suspicion
1982
as Tokie Horiuchi
Arashi Tatsunari
1982
as Tatsu
新必殺仕事人
1981
Hissatsu Shigotonin
1979
as Otowa
Shogun's Samurai
1978
as Oeyo
Kenji Mizoguchi: The Life of a Film Director
1975
Woman Boss
1970
Minamoto no Yoshitsune
1966
as Joban
Akō Rōshi
1964
as Riku
The Body
1962
The Great Wall
1962
as Dowager Empress
365 Nights
1962
Glory on the Summit
1962
as Taka Hirooka
Four Sisters
1962
as Tatsuko Katagiri
Buddha
1961
as Kalideva
Case of a Young Lord 9: Black Camellia
1961
The Orphan Brother
1961
as Yashio (voice)
Yojimbo
1961
as Orin
The Shrikes
1961
誰よりも金を愛す
1961
Daredevil in the Castle
1961
as Yodogami
風来物語 あばれ飛車
1960
Deep River Melody
1960
The Lovelorn Geisha
1960
Hanjiro of Kusama: Bird of Passage
1960
as Otoku
Bonchi
1960
as Sei
Secret
1960
Goodbye to Glory
1960
as Otake
Mission Accomplished
1960
Princess Sen in Edo
1960
as Kisaragi
Pineapple Butai
1959
as Shigeyo (Mother)
風来物語任侠篇
1959
Love in the Mountains
1959
The Hidden Treasure
1959
The Days of Evil Women
1958
The Undefeated Woman
1958
The Spell of the Hidden Gold
1958
The Spell of the Hidden Gold
1958
as Chizuin
Taikoki - The Saga of Hideyoshi
1958
The Shop Curtain
1958
The Seasons of Love
1958
as Urako
A Boy and Three Mothers
1958
as Natsu, the Foster Mother
Down Town
1957
as Riyo Yazawa
Black River
1957
as Landlady
The Lower Depths
1957
as Osugi the Landlady
A Matter of Valour
1957
Tokyo Twilight
1957
as Kisako Soma
The Horse Boy
1957
Throne of Blood
1957
as Lady Asaji Washizu
Flowing
1956
as Otsuta
Shozo, a Cat and Two Women
1956
as Shinako
How Sorrowful
1956
Farewell to Dream
1956
as Seiji's mother, Kiyo
涙の花道
1956
as 江戸紫女将そよ
大当り男一代
1956
as お吉
Ishigassen
1955
Such is Life
1955
as Oharu
Christ in Bronze
1955
as Kimika
荒木又右衛門
1955
as 妻みね
Minamoto Yoshitsune
1955
振袖釼法
1955
as 母つじ
Ai Sureba Koso
1955
as Yaeko (segment 3)
Growing Up
1955
The Big Ambition
1955
Chutaro of Banba
1955
Burden of Love
1955
as Some Kaita
Three Loves
1954
as Mother
A Billionaire
1954
as Hanakuma
Hirate Miki the Swordman
1954
Chushingura
1954
as Oishi Riku
Hiroshima
1953
Wild Lion
1953
At the End of the Clouds
1953
Miniature
1953
as Tamiko
A Lonely Woman in a Lonely Land
1953
as Sayo Yamada
江戸いろは祭
1953
as 女房おなか
Modern People
1952
Tsukigata Hanpeita
1952
as Somehachi
Devil’s Statue
1952
Castle of Revenge
1952
The Stand in Hakone
1952
Become a Mother, Become a Woman
1952
as Harue Yasukawa
Satsuma-bikyaku
1951
Five Men of Edo
1951
as Okane, Chobei's wife
Fireworks Over the Sea
1951
as Kaoru Uozumi
Kurama Tengu: Acrobat in a lion mask
1951
Home Sweet Home
1951
as Namiko, Kosaku's wife
The Killing of Otsuya
1951
as Otsuya
The Inner Palace Conspiracy
1951
as Misawa
A Man from Akagi
1950
風雲金毘羅山
1950
Fencing Master
1950
as Oharu
A Mother's Love
1950
The Motherland Far Far Away
1950
as Masako
続影法師
1950
Kagebōshi
1950
as お夏
Actress
1947
as Sumako Matsui
Lord for a Night
1946
The Sword
1945
as Sasae Onoda
Until Victory Day
1945
Four Marriages
1944
The Way of Drama
1944
音楽大進軍
1943
as Isuzu Yamada
The Song Lantern
1943
as O-Sode
Kantaro of Ina
1943
Onna keizu
1942
as Otsuta
The Man Who Waited
1942
Musashibo Benkei
1942
The Battle of Kawanakajima
1941
as Oshino
Schoolgirl Records
1941
Yukiko and Natsuyo
1941
as Natsuyo
Shanghai Moon
1941
The Man Who Disappeared Yesterday
1941
The Snake Princess
1940
as Oshima
Keshô yuki
1940
Shinpen Tange Sazen: Sekigan no maki
1939
as Oshiho
The Day Before
1939
as Osaki
The Fighting Firemen
1939
as Koina
Ichiyo Higuchi
1939
as Ichiyo Higuchi
Tsuruhachi and Tsurujiro
1938
as Tsuruhachi
The Siege of Osaka
1937
as Senhime
Sisters of the Gion
1936
as O-mocha
Osaka Elegy
1936
as Ayako Murai
Oyuki the Virgin
1935
as Oyuki
Miss Okichi
1935
as Okichi
The Comb of Oroku
1935
as Okinu
The Downfall of Osen
1935
as Osen
Happy Daughter
1934
as Michiko Yamada
The Elegant Swordsman
1934
Martial Arts Encyclopedia
1934
Bangaku no issho
1933
Tange Sazen - Dai-ippen
1933
Banquet Under the Midnight Sun
1932
as Oichi
Professional Killer
1932
Yataro's Hat - Comings and Goings
1932
The Greatest Man in the World
1932
as Oyae
The Revenge Champion
1931
The 26 Martyrs of Japan
1931
In Search of Mother
1931
as Otose
Suronin Chuya
1930