Isuzu Yamada
Born
February 5, 1917
Died
July 9, 2012 (95 years old)
Known For
Acting
Place of Birth
Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan
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).
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Akira Kurosawa: It Is Wonderful to Create: 'Throne of Blood'
Self
2002
Kurosawa
Self
2000
Sure Death! Brown, You Bounder!
Oriku
1985
Sure Death
1984
Suspicion
Tokie Horiuchi
1982
Arashi Tatsunari
Tatsu
1982
新必殺仕事人
(1 episode)
1981
Hissatsu Shigotonin
Otowa · (333 episodes)
1979
Shogun's Samurai
Oeyo
1978
Kenji Mizoguchi: The Life of a Film Director
1975
Woman Boss
1970
Minamoto no Yoshitsune
Joban · (52 episodes)
1966
Akō Rōshi
Riku · (52 episodes)
1964
The Body
1962
The Great Wall
Dowager Empress
1962
365 Nights
1962
Glory on the Summit
Taka Hirooka
1962
Four Sisters
Tatsuko Katagiri
1962
Buddha
Kalideva
1961
Case of a Young Lord 9: Black Camellia
1961
The Orphan Brother
Yashio (voice)
1961
Yojimbo
Orin
1961
The Shrikes
1961
誰よりも金を愛す
1961
Daredevil in the Castle
Yodogami
1961
風来物語 あばれ飛車
1960
Deep River Melody
1960
Onatsu Detective Case: Mad Slasher
1960
The Lovelorn Geisha
1960
Hanjiro of Kusama: Bird of Passage
Otoku
1960
Bonchi
Sei
1960
Secret
1960
Goodbye to Glory
Otake
1960
Mission Accomplished
1960
Princess Sen in Edo
Kisaragi
1960
Pineapple Butai
Shigeyo (Mother)
1959
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
Chizuin
1958
Taikoki - The Saga of Hideyoshi
1958
The Shop Curtain
1958
The Seasons of Love
Urako
1958
A Boy and Three Mothers
Natsu, the Foster Mother
1958
Down Town
Riyo Yazawa
1957
Black River
Landlady
1957
The Lower Depths
Osugi the Landlady
1957
A Matter of Valour
1957
Tokyo Twilight
Kisako Soma
1957
The Horse Boy
1957
Throne of Blood
Lady Asaji Washizu
1957
Flowing
Otsuta
1956
Shozo, a Cat and Two Women
Shinako
1956
How Sorrowful
1956
Farewell to Dream
Seiji's mother, Kiyo
1956
Namida no hanamichi
江戸紫女将そよ
1956
大当り男一代
お吉
1956
Ishigassen
1955
Such is Life
Oharu
1955
Christ in Bronze
Kimika
1955
荒木又右衛門
妻みね
1955
Minamoto Yoshitsune
1955
振袖釼法
母つじ
1955
Ai Sureba Koso
Yaeko (segment 3)
1955
Growing Up
1955
The Big Ambition
1955
Chutaro of Banba
1955
Burden of Love
Some Kaita
1955
Three Loves
Mother
1954
A Billionaire
Hanakuma
1954
Hirate Miki the Swordman
1954
Chushingura
Oishi Riku
1954
Hiroshima
Mineh Obah
1953
Wild Lion
1953
At the End of the Clouds
1953
Miniature
Tamiko
1953
A Lonely Woman in a Lonely Land
Sayo Yamada
1953
江戸いろは祭
女房おなか
1953
Modern People
1952
Tsukigata Hanpeita
Somehachi
1952
Devil’s Statue
1952
Castle of Revenge
1952
The Stand in Hakone
1952
Become a Mother, Become a Woman
Harue Yasukawa
1952
Satsuma-bikyaku
1951
Five Men of Edo
Okane, Chobei's wife
1951
Fireworks Over the Sea
Kaoru Uozumi
1951
Kurama Tengu: Acrobat in a lion mask
1951
Home Sweet Home
Namiko, Kosaku's wife
1951
The Killing of Otsuya
Otsuya
1951
The Inner Palace Conspiracy
Misawa
1951
A Man from Akagi
1950
風雲金毘羅山
1950
Fencing Master
Oharu
1950
A Mother's Love
1950
The Motherland Far Far Away
Masako
1950
Zoku kagebōshi ryūkoaiutsutsu
1950
Kagebōshi
お夏
1950
Actress
Sumako Matsui
1947
Lord for a Night
1946
The Sword
Sasae Onoda
1945
Until Victory Day
1945
Four Marriages
1944
The Way of Drama
1944
音楽大進軍
Isuzu Yamada
1943
The Song Lantern
O-Sode
1943
Kantaro of Ina
1943
Onna keizu
Otsuta
1942
The Man Who Waited
1942
Musashibo Benkei
1942
The Battle of Kawanakajima
Oshino
1941
Schoolgirl Records
1941
Yukiko and Natsuyo
Natsuyo
1941
Shanghai Moon
1941
The Man Who Disappeared Yesterday
1941
The Snake Princess
Oshima
1940
Keshô yuki
1940
Shinpen Tange Sazen: Sekigan no maki
Oshiho
1939
The Day Before
Osaki
1939
The Fighting Firemen
Koina
1939
Ichiyo Higuchi
Ichiyo Higuchi
1939
Tsuruhachi and Tsurujiro
Tsuruhachi
1938
The Siege of Osaka
Senhime
1937
Sisters of the Gion
O-mocha
1936
Osaka Elegy
Ayako Murai
1936
Oyuki the Virgin
Oyuki
1935
Miss Okichi
Okichi
1935
The Comb of Oroku
Okinu
1935
The Downfall of Osen
Osen
1935
Happy Daughter
Michiko Yamada
1934
The Elegant Swordsman
1934
Martial Arts Encyclopedia
1934
Bangaku no issho
1933
Tange Sazen - Dai-ippen
1933
Banquet Under the Midnight Sun
Oichi
1932
Professional Killer
1932
Yataro's Hat - Comings and Goings
1932
The Greatest Man in the World
Oyae
1932
The Revenge Champion
1931
The 26 Martyrs of Japan
1931
In Search of Mother
Otose
1931
Suronin Chuya
1930