Shintaro Katsu
| Shintaro Katsu | |
|---|---|
 The Badger Palace: Happy New Year (初春狸御殿 Hatsu Haru, Tanuki-goten, 1959) | |
| Born |
Toshio Okumura 29 November 1931 Fukagawa, Tokyo, Japan |
| Died |
21 June 1997 (aged 65) Kashiwa, Chiba, Japan |
| Occupation | Actor, singer, producer, writer and director |
| Years active | 1954–97 |
| Spouse(s) | Tamao Nakamura |
Shintaro Katsu (Japanese: 勝 新太郎 Hepburn: Katsu Shintarō, 29 November 1931 – 21 June 1997) was a Japanese actor, singer, producer, and director.
Life and career
Born Toshio Okumura (奥村 利夫 Okumura Toshio) on 29 November 1931. He was the son of kabuki performer Katsutoji Kineya (Kineya Katsutōji) who was renowned for his nagauta and shamisen skills, and younger brother of actor Tomisaburo Wakayama (Wakayama Tomisaburō).
Shintaro Katsu began his career in entertainment as a shamisen player. He switched to acting because he noticed it was better paid. In the 1960s he starred simultaneously in three long-running series of films, the Akumyo series, the Hoodlum Soldier series, and the Zatoichi series.
He played the role of blind masseur Zatoichi in a series of films in 25 movies between 1962 and 1973, starred and directed a 26th in 1989 and played the role in four seasons of a spin-off television series.[1]
After the closing of Daiei Studios, Katsu formed the company Katsu Productions.[2]
Katsu had a troubled personal life. A heavy drinker, Katsu had several skirmishes with the law regarding drug use as well, including marijuana, opium and cocaine with arrests in 1978, 1990 and 1992.[3]
He had also developed a reputation as a troublemaker on set. When director Akira Kurosawa cast him for the lead role in Kagemusha (1980), Katsu left before the first day of shooting was over.[4] Though accounts differ as to the incident, the most consistent one details Katsu's clash with Kurosawa regarding bringing his own film crew to the set (to film Kurosawa in action for later exhibition to his own acting students).[5][6] Kurosawa is reputed to have taken great offense at this, resulting in Katsu's termination (he was replaced by Tatsuya Nakadai). In her recent book, Waiting on the Weather, about her experiences with director Kurosawa, script supervisor Teruyo Nogami chalks the differences between Katsu and Kurosawa up to a personality clash that had unfortunate artistic results.[7]
He was the husband of actress Tamao Nakamura (married in 1962), and father of actor Ryutaro Gan (Gan Ryūtarō).[8]
Stunt actor Yukio Kato was killed on the set of Zatoichi 26 by Katsu's son, who was co-starring, when an actual sword was mistaken for a prop, fatally wounding Kato.
In her book, Geisha, A Life, Kyoto geisha Mineko Iwasaki claimed to have had a long time affair with Katsu, whom she calls by his given name, Toshio. The affair ended in 1976, and eventually the two became good friends until his death.
Katsu produced the manga-based Lone Wolf and Cub (Kozure Okami) series of jidaigeki films starring his brother Tomisaburo Wakayama which were later compiled into the movie Shogun Assassin, as well as co-writing, producing, and acting alongside his brother in the TV series Oshi samurai (Mute Samurai).
His other television work includes the police drama Keishi-K (Superintendent K) which he starred in (as Katsutoshi Gatsu), co-wrote, directed, and produced. His daughter, Masami Okumura, co-starred.
His film work includes the Hanzo the Razor series, as Detective Itami Hanzo. He was also an accomplished shamisen player, as well as a vocalist, recording several albums in both pop and Enka.
He died of pharyngeal cancer on 21 June 1997.
The character Fujitora in the manga series One Piece is based on him.
Filmography
As actor
| Year | Title | Japanese | Romanization | Character |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1955 | A Girl Isn't Allowed to Love | 薔薇いくたびか | Bara ikutabika | Akira Takakura |
| 1956 | Migratory Birds of the Flowers | |||
| 1956 | The Renyasai Yagyu Hidden Story | |||
| 1956 | Sisters of the Gion | 祇園の姉妹 | Gion no shimai | |
| 1956 | Marason zamurai | |||
| 1956 | Ghost-Cat of Gojusan-Tsugi | Kaibyo Gojusan-tsugi | ||
| 1956 | Tsukigata Hanpeita | |||
| 1957 | An Osaka Story | Osaka monogatari | ||
| 1957 | Nijūkyū-nin no Kenka-jō | |||
| 1957 | Ghost-Cat of Yonaki | Kaibyo Yonaki numa | ||
| 1958 | Nichiren and the Great Mongol Invasion | 日蓮と蒙古大襲来 | Nichiren to mōko daishūrai | |
| 1958 | The Gay Masquerade | Benten kozō | ||
| 1958 | The Loyal 47 Ronin | 忠臣蔵 | Chūshingura | |
| 1958 | Ghost-Cat Wall of Hatred | Kaibyō noroi no kabe | ||
| 1959 | Samurai Vendetta | Hakuōki | ||
| 1959 | Seki no yatappe | |||
| 1959 | Beni azami | |||
| 1959 | Beauty Is Guilty | Bibō ni tsumi ari | ||
| 1959 | Enchanted Princess | Hatsuharu tanuki gotten | ||
| 1960 | Zoku Jirocho Fuji | |||
| 1960 | The Ogre of Mount Oe | Ooe-yama Shuten-dōji | ||
| 1960 | Secrets of a Court Masseur also titled The Blind Menace and Agent Shiranui | Shiranui kengyō | ||
| 1960 | Tsukinode no ketto | |||
| 1961 | Mito komon umi o wataru | |||
| 1961 | Kaze to kumo totoride | |||
| 1961 | Hanakurabe tanuki dochu | |||
| 1961 | Blind Devotion | Midaregami | ||
| 1961 | Tough Guy | Akumyō | Asakichi | |
| 1961 | Buddha | Shaka | Devadatta | |
| 1961 | Tough Guy, Part 2 | Zoku akumyo | Asakichi | |
| 1962 | The Tale of Zatoichi | Zatōichi monogatari | Ichi | |
| 1962 | New Bad Reputation | Shin akumyo | Asakichi | |
| 1962 | The Whale God | Kujira gami | ||
| 1962 | The Great Wall | Shin no shikôtei | ||
| 1962 | The Tale of Zatoichi Continues | Zoku Zatoichi monogatari | Ichi | |
| 1962 | New Bad Reputation Continues | Zoku shin akumyo | Asakichi | |
| 1963 | The Money Dance | Dokonjo monogatari – zeni no odori | ||
| 1963 | Daisan no akumyo | Asakichi | ||
| 1963 | An Actor's Revenge | Yukinojo henge | ||
| 1963 | New Tale of Zatoichi | Shin Zatoichi monogatari | Ichi | |
| 1963 | Akumyo ichiba | Asakichi | ||
| 1963 | Zatoichi The Fugitive | Zatoichi kyojo tabi | Ichi | |
| 1963 | Akumyo hatoba | Asakichi | ||
| 1963 | Zatoichi on the Road | Zatōichi kenka-tabi | Ichi | |
| 1963 | Akumyo ichiban | Asakichi | ||
| 1964 | Zatoichi and the Chest of Gold | Zatōichi senryō-kubi | Ichi | |
| 1964 | Suruga yūkyōden: Toba arashi | |||
| 1964 | Zatoichi's Flashing Sword | Zatōichi abare tako | Ichi | |
| 1964 | Akumyo daiko | Asakichi | ||
| 1964 | Suruga yūkyōden | |||
| 1964 | Fight, Zatoichi, Fight | Zatōichi kesshō-tabi | Ichi | |
| 1964 | Kojiki taisho | |||
| 1964 | If You're Happy, Clap Your Hands | Shiawasa nara te o tatake | ||
| 1964 | Adventures of Zatoichi | Zatoichi sekisho yaburi | Ichi | |
| 1964 | Rōnin-gai | |||
| 1964 | Dokonjō monogatari: Zuputo iyatsu | |||
| 1965 | Suruga yūkyōden: Dokyō garasu | |||
| 1965 | The Hoodlum Soldier | Heitai yakuza | Kisaburo Omiya | |
| 1965 | Zatoichi's Revenge | Zatōichi nidan-kiri | Ichi | |
| 1965 | Akumyo nobori | Asakichi | ||
| 1965 | Life of Matsu the Untamed | Muhomatsu no issho | ||
| 1965 | Zatoichi and the Doomed Man | Zatoichi sakate giri | Ichi | |
| 1965 | Akumyo muteki | Asakichi | ||
| 1965 | Zatoichi and the Chess Expert | Zatoichi Jigoku tabi | Ichi | |
| 1965 | Hoodlum Soldier and the C.O. | Zoku heitai yakuza | Ichi | |
| 1966 | Akumyo zakura | Asakichi | ||
| 1966 | Zatoichi's Vengeance | Zatoichi no uta ga kikoeru | Ichi | |
| 1966 | Zatoichi's Pilgrimage | Zatōichi umi o wataru | Ichi | |
| 1966 | Hoodlum Soldier Deserts Again | Shin heitai yakuza | ||
| 1966 | Heitai yakuza datsugoku | |||
| 1966 | Heitai yakuza daidasso | |||
| 1967 | The Hoodlum Priest | Yakuza bozu | ||
| 1967 | Heitai yakuza ore ni makasero | |||
| 1967 | Zatoichi's Cane Sword | Zatoichi tekka tabi | Ichi | |
| 1967 | Akumyo ichidai | Asakichi | ||
| 1967 | Zatoichi the Outlaw | Zatōichi rōyaburi | Ichi | |
| 1967 | Hoodlum Soldier on the Attack | Heitai yakuza nagurikomi | ||
| 1967 | Zatoichi Challenged | Zatoichi chikemuri kaido | Ichi | |
| 1968 | Zoku yakuza bozu | |||
| 1968 | Tomuraishi tachi | |||
| 1968 | Heitai yakuza godatsu | |||
| 1968 | Akumyo juhachi-ban | Asakichi | ||
| 1968 | The Man Without a Map | Moetsukita chizu | ||
| 1968 | Zatoichi and the Fugitives | Zatōichi hatashi-jō | Ichi | |
| 1968 | Samaritan Zatoichi | Zatōichi kenka-daiko | Ichi | |
| 1969 | Devil's Temple | Oni no sumu yakata | ||
| 1969 | Hitokiri | Hitokiri | Okada Izō | |
| 1969 | The Magoichi Saga | Shirikurae Magoichi | Oda Nobunaga | |
| 1969 | Akumyo ichiban shobu | Asakichi | ||
| 1970 | Kenka ichidai: Dodekai yatsu | |||
| 1970 | Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo | Zatōichi to Yōjinbō | Ichi | |
| 1970 | Genkai yūkyōden: Yabure kabure | |||
| 1970 | Incident at Blood Pass | Machibuse | ||
| 1970 | Yakuza zessyō | |||
| 1970 | Zatoichi at the Fire Festival | Zatōichi abare-himatsuri | Ichi | |
| 1971 | Zatoichi Meets the One Armed Swordsman | Shin Zatōichi: Yabure! Tojin-ken | Ichi | |
| 1971 | Inn of Evil | Inochi bō ni furō | ||
| 1971 | Kitsune no kureta akanbō | |||
| 1971 | Kaoyaku | |||
| 1972 | Zatoichi at Large | Zatōichi goyō-tabi | Ichi | |
| 1972 | Shin heitai yakuza: Kasen | |||
| 1972 | Zatoichi in Desperation | Shin Zatōichi monogatari: Oreta tsue aka | Ichi | |
| 1972 | Hanzo the Razor: Sword of Justice | Goyōkiba | Hanzo Itami | |
| 1973 | Mute Samurai | Oshi samurai (TV series) | Manji | |
| 1973 | Zatoichi's Conspiracy | Shin Zatōichi monogatari: Kasama no chimatsuri | Ichi | |
| 1973 | Ōshō | Sankichi Sakata | ||
| 1973 | Hanzo the Razor: The Snare | Goyōkiba: Kamisori Hanzō jigoku zeme | Hanzo Itami | |
| 1974 | The Homeless | Yadonashi | ||
| 1974 | Hanzo the Razor: Who's Got the Gold? | Goyōkiba: Oni no Hanzō yawahada koban | Hanzo Itami | |
| 1974 | Akumyo: Notorious Dragon | Akumyo: shima arashiaka | Asakichi | |
| 1974 | Zatōichi monogatari (TV series) | Ichi | ||
| 1983 | Meiso chizu | |||
| 1987 | The one-eyed dragon Masamune (TV series) | 独眼竜政宗 | Dokuganryu Masamune | Toyotomi Hideyoshi |
| 1988 | Tokyo: The Last Megalopolis | Teito monogatari | Shibusawa Eiichi | |
| 1989 | Zatoichi: Darkness Is His Ally | Zatōichi 26 | Ichi | |
| 1990 | Saga of the Phoenix | Kujaku ō: Ashura densetsu | ||
| 1990 | Rōnin-gai |
As producer
| Year | Title | Japanese | Romanization | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo | Zatôichi to Yôjinbô | producer | |
| 1970 | Zatoichi at the Fire Festival | Zatôichi abare-himatsuri | producer | |
| 1971 | Zatoichi Meets the One Armed Swordsman | Shin Zatôichi: Yabure! Tojin-ken | producer | |
| 1971 | Kaoyaku | executive producer | ||
| 1972 | Hanzo the Razor: Sword of Justice | Goyôkiba | producer | |
| 1972 | Zatoichi at Large | Zatôichi goyô-tabi | producer | |
| 1972 | Shin heitai yakuza: Kasen | producer | ||
| 1972 | Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance | Kozure Ôkami: Kowokashi udekashi tsukamatsuru | producer | |
| 1972 | Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart at the River Styx | Kozure Ôkami: Sanzu no kawa no ubaguruma | producer | |
| 1972 | Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart to Hades | Kozure Ôkami: Shinikazeni mukau ubaguruma | producer | |
| 1972 | Zatoichi in Desperation | Shin Zatôichi monogatari: Oreta tsue | producer | |
| 1973 | Mute Samurai | Oshi samurai (TV series) | executive producer | |
| 1973 | Zatoichi's Conspiracy | Shin Zatôichi monogatari: Kasama no chimatsuri | ||
| 1973 | Hanzo the Razor: The Snare | Goyôkiba: Kamisori Hanzô jigoku zeme | ||
| 1974 | Yadonashi | producer | ||
| 1974 | Hanzo the Razor: Who's Got the Gold? | Goyôkiba: Oni no Hanzô yawahada koban | producer | |
| 1974 | Akumyo: Notorious Dragon | Akumyo: shima arashiaka | ||
| 1980 | Shogun Assassin | producer | ||
| 1989 | Shintaro Katsu's Zatoichi | Zatôichi |
As director
| Year | Title | Japanese | Romanization |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | Kaoyaku | ||
| 1972 | Zatoichi in Desperation | Shin Zatôichi monogatari: Oreta tsue | |
| 1973 | Mute Samurai | Oshi samurai (TV series) | |
| 1974 | Zatôichi monogatari (TV series) (episode "A Memorial Day and the Bell of Life") | ||
| 1989 | Zatoichi: Darkness Is His Ally | Zatôichi |
As writer
| Year | Title | Japanese | Romanization |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Zatoichi at the Fire Festival | Zatôichi abare-himatsuri | |
| 1971 | Kaoyaku | ||
| 1989 | Zatoichi: Darkness Is His Ally | Zatôichi |
As himself
| Year | Film | Film type |
|---|---|---|
| 1978 | The Blind Swordsman | Documentary |
References
- ↑ West, David (2006). Chasing dragons: an introduction to the martial arts film. I.B.Tauris. p. 33. ISBN 978-1-85043-982-0. Retrieved 16 October 2010.
- ↑ Standish, Isolde (8 May 2006). A New History of Japanese Cinema: A Century Of Narrative Film. Continuum International Publishing Group. p. 359. ISBN 978-0-8264-1790-9. Retrieved 16 October 2010.
- ↑ West, Mark D. (2006). Secrets, Sex, and Spectacle: The Rules of Scandal in Japan and the United States. University of Chicago Press. p. 201. ISBN 978-0-226-89408-9. Retrieved 16 October 2010.
- ↑ Galloway, Patrick (1 May 2005). Stray Dogs & Lone Wolves: The Samurai Film Handbook. Stone Bridge Press, Inc. p. 184. ISBN 978-1-880656-93-8. Retrieved 16 October 2010.
- ↑ Kurosawa, Akira; Cardullo, Bert (2008). Akira Kurosawa: Interviews. Univ. Press of Mississippi. p. 68. ISBN 978-1-57806-997-2. Retrieved 16 October 2010.
- ↑ Cowie, Peter (1981). International Film Guide. Tantivy Press. p. 205. ISBN 978-0-498-02530-3. Retrieved 16 October 2010.
- ↑ Nogami, Teruyo (2006). Waiting on the Weather: Making Movies with Akira Kurosawa. Stone Bridge Press, Inc. pp. 251–60. ISBN 978-1-933330-09-9. Retrieved 16 October 2010.
- ↑ Galloway, Patrick (1 May 2005). Stray Dogs & Lone Wolves: The Samurai Film Handbook. Stone Bridge Press, Inc. p. 40. ISBN 978-1-880656-93-8. Retrieved 16 October 2010.
Bibliography
- Shintaro Katsu Illustrated. Pie-Books. 24 June 2005. ISBN 978-4-89444-303-7. Retrieved 16 October 2010.
- Desjardins, Chris (22 July 2005). Outlaw Masters of Japanese Film. I.B.Tauris. ISBN 978-1-84511-090-1. Retrieved 16 October 2010.
- Dougill, John (2006). Kyoto: A Cultural History. Oxford University Press US. ISBN 978-0-19-530137-3. Retrieved 16 October 2010.
- Iwasaki, Mineko; Brown, Rande (October 2002). Geisha: A Life. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-0-7434-5304-2. Retrieved 16 October 2010.
- Moeran, Brian (August 1996). A Japanese Advertising Agency: An Anthropology of Media and Markets. University of Hawai ̕i Press. ISBN 978-0-8248-1872-2. Retrieved 16 October 2010.
- Richie, Donald (1996). Public People, Private People: Portraits of Some Japanese. Kodansha International. ISBN 978-4-7700-2104-5. Retrieved 16 October 2010.
- Richie, Donald (2005). The Japan Journals: 1947–2004. Stone Bridge Press, Inc. ISBN 978-1-880656-97-6. Retrieved 16 October 2010.
- Whiting, Robert (30 March 1999). Tokyo Underworld: The Fast Times and Hard Life of an American Gangster in Japan. Pantheon Books. ISBN 978-0-679-41976-1. Retrieved 16 October 2010.
- Nogami, Teruyo (2006). Waiting on the Weather: Making Movies with Akira Kurosawa. Stone Bridge Press, Inc. ISBN 978-1-933330-09-9. Retrieved 16 October 2010.
External links
- Shintaro Katsu at the Internet Movie Database
- Shintaro Katsu at the Japanese Movie Database (Japanese)
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