Original Chanbara (Sword Fighting) Archives

Kazuo Hasegawa

Stage name

Kazuo Hasegawa
Real name

Kazuo Hasegawa
Nickname

Cho-san
Date of birth

February 27, 1908
Date of death

Died on April 6, 1984, at age 76
Debut starring work

March 19, 1927
Chigo no Kenpo – filmed by Kinugasa Motion Picture League and Shochiku Shimogamo Studio
Best works
  • Sukeroku in Kurotegumi Sukeroku (1929, Shochiku)
  • Hanpeita Tsukigata in Tsukigata Hanpeita (1929, Shochiku)
  • Nezumi Kozo Jirokichi (Jirokichi the Rat) and the Ronin Shinkuro Kotani in Nezumi Kozo Jirokichi (1932, Shochiku)
  • Yukinojo Nakamura, his mother, and Yamitaro in An Actor's Revenge : Yukinojo Henge (1935, Shochiku)
  • The Tedai Seijuro in Onatsu Seijuro (1936, Shochiku)
  • Tojuro Sakata in Tojuro no Koi (Tojuro's Love) (1938, Toho)
  • Tetsuo Hase in Shina no Yoru (China Night) (1940, Toho)
  • Heiji Zenigata in Zenigata Heiji (1951, Daiei)
  • Hikaru Genji in The Tale of Genji (1951, Daiei)
  • Morito Endo in Gate of Hell (1953, Daiei)
  • Mohei in Chikamatsu Monogatari (The Crucified Lovers) (1954, Daiei)
  • Kuranosuke Oishi in Chushingura (1958, Daiei)
  • Nichiren in Nichiren to Moko Daishurai (1958, Daiei)
  • Shuten Doji in The Demon of Mount Oe (1960, Daiei)
History
  • 1913: Stage debut as Shusai Kan in the Tsurunosuke Nakamura Troupe's production of Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami Terakoya.
  • 1914: Became an apprentice of Fukuen Nakamura of Kansai Kabuki with the stage name Kazuo Nakamura.
  • 1917: Performed at Asakusa Azumaza Theater with Fukuen troupe, with his stage name Kazuo Arashi.
  • 1918: He was entrusted to Ganjiro Nakamura I's eldest son, Chozaburo Hayashi. Became a Kansai Seinen Kabuki female actor in Ganjiro I's troupe with new stage name Chomaru Hayashi.
  • 1927: Joined Shochiku Shimogamo Studio, where he debuted as a lead actor under the stage name Chojiro Hayashi and became a big hit and a star.
  • 1937: Left Shochiku and transferred to Toho with his stage name Kazuo Hasegawa. An incident occurred where his face was cut.
  • 1942: Formed New Acting Troupe with Isuzu Yamada and others.
  • 1947: Toho labor dispute erupted. He formed Ten Flag Association with Denjiro Okochi and others, and participated in the establishment of Shintoho.
  • 1948: New Acting Troupe incorporated as a joint-stock company, and he assumed the position of the president.
  • 1949: Shintoho filmed Zenigata Heiji Torimono Hikae - Heiji in Eight-hundred and Eight Towns and he first played Heiji Zenigata.
  • 1950: Joined Daiei Kyoto Studio and became a director.
  • 1953: Starred in Gate of Hell and won Grand Prix at Cannes International Film Festival and Academy Award for Best International Feature Film.
  • 1955: Presided over Toho Kabuki.
  • 1963: Retired from Daiei and the movie industry after Edo Mujo.

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