Kazuo Hasegawa
Born February 27, 1908 (Age: 118)
•
Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan
Biography
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.
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.
Read more
Filmography
The Demon of Sendai's Castle
1962
•
as
•
Age: 54
Nakayoshi ondo: Nippon ichi dayo
1962
•
as
•
Age: 54
Sabakareru Echizen no kami
1962
•
as
•
Age: 54
The Casebooks of Zenigata Heiji: The Beautiful Shark
1961
•
as
•
Age: 53
Mito Komon’s Journey to Ezo
1961
•
as Mito Komon
•
Age: 53
Zenigata Heiji Case Files: The Night of Enma
1961
•
as
•
Age: 53
No Image
Zenigata Heiji Case Files: Enma's Nightly Ledger
1961
•
as Zenigata Heiji
•
Age: 53
晴小袖
1961
•
as
•
Age: 52
風来物語 あばれ飛車
1960
•
as
•
Age: 52
Scars of Honor
1960
•
as Chouemon Takakura
•
Age: 52
The Last Betrayal
1960
•
as Ryūtarō Tsumura
•
Age: 52
No Image
Jirocho Fuji 2: The Chivalrous
1960
•
as
•
Age: 52
The Two Musashis
1960
•
as
•
Age: 51
風来物語任侠篇
1959
•
as
•
Age: 51
Utamaro, Painter of the Woman
1959
•
as Kitagawa Utamaro
•
Age: 51
Actor Shark
1959
•
as
•
Age: 51
The Ghost of Yotsuya
1959
•
as Iemon Tamiya
•
Age: 51
Jirocho Fuji
1959
•
as Shimizu no Jirocho
•
Age: 51
The Gaijin
1959
•
as
•
Age: 51
The Woman and the Pirate
1959
•
as 御崎庄五郎
•
Age: 51
Gambler and the Princess
1959
•
as Yatarô
•
Age: 50
Ambush at Iga Pass
1958
•
as Araki Mataemon
•
Age: 50
Nichiren and the Great Mongol Invasion
1958
•
as Nichiren
•
Age: 50
Hana no yukyo-den
1958
•
as
•
Age: 50
Inochi wo Kakeru Otoko
1958
•
as
•
Age: 50
Shogun's Holiday
1958
•
as
•
Age: 49
The Magnificent Five
1958
•
as
•
Age: 49
Tsukigata Hanpeita
1956
•
as Tsukigata Hanpeita
•
Age: 48
No Image
Notebooks of Heiji Zenigata: Spider on the Skin
1956
•
as
•
Age: 48
Zangiku monogatari
1956
•
as Kikunosuke
•
Age: 48
Zenigata Heiji Case Files: The Dead Beauty in the Bathhouse
1956
•
as
•
Age: 47
Three Women Around Yoshinaka
1956
•
as Jirô-Yoshinaka Kiso
•
Age: 47
Migratory Birds of the Flowers
1956
•
as
•
Age: 47
A Girl Isn't Allowed to Love
1955
•
as
•
Age: 47
No Image
I Believe I Am Being Followed
1945
•
as
•
Age: 37
Dance of the Capital
1942
•
as
•
Age: 34
Omokage no machi
1942
•
as
•
Age: 34
No Image
Onna keizu
1942
•
as Hayase
•
Age: 34
The Man Who Waited
1942
•
as
•
Age: 34
A Man's Flower Road of Triumph
1941
•
as Utaemon Nakamura
•
Age: 33
The Battle of Kawanakajima
1941
•
as Hyakuzô
•
Age: 33
Dancers of Awa
1941
•
as
•
Age: 33
Iemitsu and Hikoza
1941
•
as
•
Age: 33
The Seven Changes of a Paper Crane (Part 2)
1941
•
as
•
Age: 33
The Seven Changes of a Paper Crane (Part 1)
1941
•
as
•
Age: 32
The Man Who Disappeared Yesterday
1941
•
as
•
Age: 32
The Loyal 47 Ronin
1932
•
as Asano Takuminokami and Yoshida Sawaemon (as Chôjirô Hayashi)
•
Age: 24
Chûshingura - Zempen: Akahokyô no maki
1932
•
as
•
Age: 24
No Image
Rikugun Daikoshin
1932
•
as
•
Age: 24
No Image
The Golden Demon
1932
•
as Kanichi Hazama
•
Age: 23
Reimei izen
1931
•
as
•
Age: 23
No Image
Nogitsune Sanji
1930
•
as Nogitsune Sanji
•
Age: 21