Person
Kazuo Hasegawa
Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan
Kazuo Hasegawa was a Japanese film and stage actor. He appeared in over 300 films from 1927 to 1963. Born to a sake brewing family in Kyoto, he first appeared on stage at age fiv…
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Kazuo Hasegawa was a Japanese film and stage actor. He appeared in over 300 films from 1927 to 1963. Born to a sake brewing family in Kyoto, he first appeared on stage at age five in a theater run by his family as a side business. In 1918, he became a student of Nakamura Ganjirō I and performed kabuki in the Kansai region. He joined the Shochiku studio in 1927 and made his film debut in Chigo no kenpō under the name Chōjirō Hayashi. His good looks and graceful fighting style made him a major jidaigeki star, and he appeared in more than 120 films for Shochiku in 11 years, with the best works being directed by Teinosuke Kinugasa. He moved to the Toho studio in 1937. On 11 November 1937, however, he was attacked by ruffians and his face slashed with razor blades. According to the historian Daisuke Miyao, "Even though there was no clear evidence, it was widely assumed that this violent incident was Shochiku's retaliatory measure against Hayashi's so-called betrayal." He recovered and changed his stage name to his real name, Kazuo Hasegawa. Hasegawa appeared in many successful films for Toho, including several "national-policy pictures with Chinese settings," such as Song of the White Orchid (1939) and China Night (1940), with co-star Ri Koran. He moved to Daiei Film in 1950 and continued appearing in the popular Zenigata Heiji series. He also appeared in many classic films including Kozaburo Yoshimura's The Tale of Genji (1951), Kinugasa's Gate of Hell (1953), and Kenji Mizoguchi's The Crucified Lovers (1954). He was appointed to Daiei's board of directors in 1957. To celebrate his 300th film, Hasegawa appeared in a new version of Yukinojō henge (known abroad as An Actor's Revenge) in 1963, directed by Kon Ichikawa. He left Daiei that year and continued to appear on stage and television, including starring in the second NHK Taiga drama Akō Rōshi in 1964. He also directed the Takarazuka Revue version of The Rose of Versailles in 1974.
Filmography
Movies and shows, newest first
-
1976
The Rose of Versailles III
Movie Director
-
1976
The Rose of Versailles -Andre and Oscar-
Movie Director
-
1964
Akō Rōshi
TV show Ooishi Kuranosuke
-
1963
An Actor's Revenge
Movie Yukinojo Nakamura / Yamitaro the Thief
-
1962
The Great Wall
Movie
- 1962
- 1962
- 1962
- 1961
-
1961
Mito Komon’s Journey to Ezo
Movie Mito Komon
-
1961
Zenigata Heiji Case Files: Enma's Nightly Ledger
Movie Zenigata Heiji
-
1961
晴小袖
Movie
-
1960
風来物語 あばれ飛車
Movie
-
1960
Scars of Honor
Movie Chouemon Takakura
-
1960
The Last Betrayal
Movie Ryūtarō Tsumura
- 1960
More credits
-
1960
The Demon of Mount Oe
Movie Shuten-dôji
-
1960
The Casebooks of Heiji Zenigata: Beautiful Spider
Movie Zenigata Heiji
-
1960
The Two Musashis
Movie
-
1959
風来物語任侠篇
Movie
-
1959
Utamaro, Painter of the Woman
Movie Kitagawa Utamaro
-
1959
Actor Shark
Movie
-
1959
The Ghost of Yotsuya
Movie Iemon Tamiya
-
1959
Jirocho Fuji
Movie Shimizu no Jirocho
-
1959
The Gaijin
Movie
-
1959
The Woman and the Pirate
Movie 御崎庄五郎
-
1959
Gambler and the Princess
Movie Yatarô
-
1958
Ambush at Iga Pass
Movie Araki Mataemon
-
1958
Nichiren and the Great Mongol Invasion
Movie Nichiren
-
1958
Hana no yukyo-den
Movie
-
1958
Inochi wo Kakeru Otoko
Movie
-
1958
The Loyal 47 Ronin
Movie Kuranosuke Ôishi
-
1958
Shogun's Holiday
Movie
-
1958
The Magnificent Five
Movie
-
1957
Secret of Naruto
Movie
-
1957
Ninjō misui
Movie
-
1957
Floating Vessel
Movie
-
1957
Daiei Studio is Bustling
Movie
-
1957
Case Files of Zenigata Heiji: The Cursed Coin
Movie Zenigata Heiji
-
1956
Tsukigata Hanpeita
Movie Tsukigata Hanpeita
