Tanaka, Kinuyo (1907–1977)

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Tanaka, Kinuyo (1907–1977)

Japanese actress and director. Born Nov 28 (also seen as Nov 29), 1907 (also seen as 1909 and 1910), in Shinomoseki, Japan; died Mar 21, 1977, in Japan; m. Hiroshi Shimizu (director), 1929 (div.); no children.

The only woman film director in Japan during 1950s, began career as an actress in the silent era and acted in more than 240 films, including Japan's 1st talkie and 1st color film; won the Japan Kinema Jumpo Award for Best Actress for her work in Ballad of Narayama (1958) and Best Actress Award at Berlin Festival for Sandakan 8 (1975); met with vehement opposition, particularly from the directors' union, when she set out to direct; brought a female sensitivity to previously established cinematic forms in The Moon Has Risen (1955) and Love Under the Crucifix (1962); had feminist writer Sukie Tanaka script 2 of her films, The Eternal Breasts (1955) and Girls of the Night (1961); faced with continued professional hostility and audience indifference, abandoned directoral pursuits (1962) but continued to act in films until 1975.

See also Women in World History.