Isuzu Yamada
Acting • Born 1917-02-05 – Died 2012-07-09
Biography
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
Filmography
155 credits
Throne of Blood
Movie • 1957
Lady Asaji Washizu
Bangaku no issho
Movie • 1933
Yojimbo
Movie • 1961
Orin
The Lower Depths
Movie • 1957
Osugi the Landlady
Love in the Mountains
Movie • 1959
Wild Lion
Movie • 1953
Pineapple Butai
Movie • 1959
Shigeyo (Mother)
Professional Killer
Movie • 1932
The Undefeated Woman
Movie • 1958
Osaka Elegy
Movie • 1936
Ayako Murai
The Stand in Hakone
Movie • 1952
Oyuki the Virgin
Movie • 1935
Oyuki
Flowing
Movie • 1956
Otsuta
A Man from Akagi
Movie • 1950
The Great Wall
Movie • 1962
Dowager Empress
The 26 Martyrs of Japan
Movie • 1931
Tokyo Twilight
Movie • 1957
Kisako Soma
Sisters of the Gion
Movie • 1936
O-mocha
Kurosawa
Movie • 2000
Self
Yataro's Hat - Comings and Goings
Movie • 1932
Woman Boss
Movie • 1970
Shinpen Tange Sazen: Sekigan no maki
Movie • 1939
Oshiho
Happy Daughter
Movie • 1934
Michiko Yamada
The Downfall of Osen
Movie • 1935
Osen
The Sword
Movie • 1945
Sasae Onoda
A Billionaire
Movie • 1954
Hanakuma
Until Victory Day
Movie • 1945
Tsuruhachi and Tsurujiro
Movie • 1938
Tsuruhachi
Shozo, a Cat and Two Women
Movie • 1956
Shinako
Daredevil in the Castle
Movie • 1961
Yodogami
The Lovelorn Geisha
Movie • 1960
Kagebōshi
Movie • 1950
お夏
Zoku kagebōshi ryūkoaiutsutsu
Movie • 1950
風雲金毘羅山
Movie • 1950
江戸いろは祭
Movie • 1953
女房おなか
振袖釼法
Movie • 1955
母つじ
Arashi Tatsunari
Movie • 1982
Tatsu
荒木又右衛門
Movie • 1955
妻みね
A Matter of Valour
Movie • 1957
The Revenge Champion
Movie • 1931
Christ in Bronze
Movie • 1955
Kimika
Modern People
Movie • 1952
The Motherland Far Far Away
Movie • 1950
Masako
Taikoki - The Saga of Hideyoshi
Movie • 1958
大当り男一代
Movie • 1956
お吉
Namida no hanamichi
Movie • 1956
江戸紫女将そよ
A Lonely Woman in a Lonely Land
Movie • 1953
Sayo Yamada
A Boy and Three Mothers
Movie • 1958
Natsu, the Foster Mother
風来物語 あばれ飛車
Movie • 1960
風来物語任侠篇
Movie • 1959
The Spell of the Hidden Gold
Movie • 1958
Home Sweet Home
Movie • 1951
Namiko, Kosaku's wife
Miniature
Movie • 1953
Tamiko
Keshô yuki
Movie • 1940
Miss Okichi
Movie • 1935
Okichi
Minamoto Yoshitsune
Movie • 1955
Tange Sazen - Dai-ippen
Movie • 1933
Fencing Master
Movie • 1950
Oharu
Suronin Chuya
Movie • 1930
Kantaro of Ina
Movie • 1943
Kurama Tengu: Acrobat in a lion mask
Movie • 1951
The Inner Palace Conspiracy
Movie • 1951
Misawa
The Fighting Firemen
Movie • 1939
Koina
Mission Accomplished
Movie • 1960
Buddha
Movie • 1961
Kalideva
Five Men of Edo
Movie • 1951
Okane, Chobei's wife
Black River
Movie • 1957
Landlady
The Comb of Oroku
Movie • 1935
Okinu
Fireworks Over the Sea
Movie • 1951
Kaoru Uozumi
Chutaro of Banba
Movie • 1955
A Mother's Love
Movie • 1950
How Sorrowful
Movie • 1956
The Way of Drama
Movie • 1944
誰よりも金を愛す
Movie • 1961
The Snake Princess
Movie • 1940
Oshima
Deep River Melody
Movie • 1960
Such is Life
Movie • 1955
Oharu
Ichiyo Higuchi
Movie • 1939
Ichiyo Higuchi
The Spell of the Hidden Gold
Movie • 1958
Chizuin
The Horse Boy
Movie • 1957
Tsukigata Hanpeita
Movie • 1952
Somehachi
Bonchi
Movie • 1960
Sei
The Song Lantern
Movie • 1943
O-Sode
365 Nights
Movie • 1962
Yukiko and Natsuyo
Movie • 1941
Natsuyo
Three Loves
Movie • 1954
Mother
Lord for a Night
Movie • 1946
Onna keizu
Movie • 1942
Otsuta
The Man Who Waited
Movie • 1942
Hiroshima
Movie • 1953
Mineh Obah
音楽大進軍
Movie • 1943
Isuzu Yamada
In Search of Mother
Movie • 1931
Otose
The Man Who Disappeared Yesterday
Movie • 1941
Four Sisters
Movie • 1962
Tatsuko Katagiri
Goodbye to Glory
Movie • 1960
Otake
Suspicion
Movie • 1982
Tokie Horiuchi
Burden of Love
Movie • 1955
Some Kaita
Sure Death! Brown, You Bounder!
Movie • 1985
Oriku
Sure Death
Movie • 1984
Banquet Under the Midnight Sun
Movie • 1932
Oichi
The Greatest Man in the World
Movie • 1932
Oyae
The Elegant Swordsman
Movie • 1934
The Battle of Kawanakajima
Movie • 1941
Oshino
Kenji Mizoguchi: The Life of a Film Director
Movie • 1975
Self
Shogun's Samurai
Movie • 1978
Oeyo
The Orphan Brother
Movie • 1961
Yashio (voice)
Akira Kurosawa: It Is Wonderful to Create: 'Throne of Blood'
Movie • 2002
Self
The Days of Evil Women
Movie • 1958
The Day Before
Movie • 1939
Osaki
The Seasons of Love
Movie • 1958
Urako
The Hidden Treasure
Movie • 1959
Schoolgirl Records
Movie • 1941
Glory on the Summit
Movie • 1962
Taka Hirooka
Growing Up
Movie • 1955
The Shop Curtain
Movie • 1958
Farewell to Dream
Movie • 1956
Seiji's mother, Kiyo
The Shrikes
Movie • 1961
Devil’s Statue
Movie • 1952
Princess Sen in Edo
Movie • 1960
Kisaragi
The Killing of Otsuya
Movie • 1951
Otsuya
Hanjiro of Kusama: Bird of Passage
Movie • 1960
Otoku
Down Town
Movie • 1957
Riyo Yazawa
Case of a Young Lord 9: Black Camellia
Movie • 1961
Four Marriages
Movie • 1944
Shanghai Moon
Movie • 1941
The Body
Movie • 1962
The Big Ambition
Movie • 1955
Actress
Movie • 1947
Sumako Matsui
Ai Sureba Koso
Movie • 1955
Yaeko (segment 3)
Chushingura
Movie • 1954
Oishi Riku
Satsuma-bikyaku
Movie • 1951
Become a Mother, Become a Woman
Movie • 1952
Harue Yasukawa
Castle of Revenge
Movie • 1952
Musashibo Benkei
Movie • 1942
Hirate Miki the Swordman
Movie • 1954
At the End of the Clouds
Movie • 1953
The Siege of Osaka
Movie • 1937
Senhime
Secret
Movie • 1960
Ishigassen
Movie • 1955
Martial Arts Encyclopedia
Movie • 1934
Onatsu Detective Case: Mad Slasher
Movie • 1960
Karatachi no hana
Movie • 1954
The Shadow Daughter
Movie • 1957
The Mandarin Room
Movie • 1956
木曽路の決闘 夏祭り三度笠
Movie • 1951
Mother and Child
Movie • 1956
Hinoki Butai
Movie • 1946
Japanese Ghost Story Masterpiece Theater: The Ghost of Yotsuya
Movie • 1979
假名手本忠臣蔵
Movie • 1962
Sakiko-san chotto
Movie • 1963
中川しの
The Canary Cage, Spellbound Love
Movie • 1959
Minamoto no Yoshitsune
TV • 1966
Joban
Akō Rōshi
TV • 1964
Riku
Shin Hissatsu Shigotonin
TV • 1981
Hissatsu Shigotonin
TV • 1979
Otowa