Sadako Sawamura
Sadako Sawamura (沢村貞子, Sawamura Sadako; 11 November 1908 – 16 August 1996) was a Japanese stage and film actress and essayist who appeared in more than 350 films between 1935 and 1976. Sawamura was born in the Asakusa district of Tokyo. After dropping out of Japan Women's University, she was active in left-wing theatre groups and was twice arrested for her political beliefs, spending over a year in prison with much of it in solitary confinement. She started acting in films in 1934, first at the Nikkatsu studio, later at Toho. She appeared in many supporting roles after the war, often working with director Mikio Naruse. Sawamura also acted in films by directors including Kenji Mizoguchi, Yasujirō Ozu, Keisuke Kinoshita and Kaneto Shindō. Her brothers were the actors Daisuke Katō and Kunitarō Sawamura. Her autobiography Watashi no Asakusa has been translated into English as My Asakusa. She was married three times: to actor Shigeo Imamura (1931-33), actor Kamatari Fujiwara (1936-46) and subsequently to film magazine editor and critic Yasuhiko Ohashi (1968-96, though domestic partners from 1946 onward).
Known For
Credits
- 2019 · 365日の献立日記 as 献立
- 1985 · When Winter Comes as
- 1984 · Daikazoku as
- 1977 · Hikarugake as
- 1975 · Japan Beauty Story: A Woman Among Women as
- 1970 · おれの義姉さん as
- 1969 · The Street Car Game as Deguchi Ume
- 1967 · Flower Cards Chivalry as
- 1966 · A Sky Full of Tears as Kikue Sugisaki
- 1966 · Bad Reputation: Cherry Blossoms as
- 1965 · Nami kage as
- 1963 · Dokuritsu bijin-tai as
- 1963 · Police Precinct: Backing Investigation as
- 1962 · Naite waratta hanayome as
- 1962 · Kyūjin ryokō as
- 1962 · A Comedy in Front of the Station: Onsen as
- 1962 · Star of Hong Kong as Sugimoto Natsuko
- 1962 · 湖愁 as
- 1961 · Wakai yatsura no kaidan as
- 1961 · Toilet Manager as
- 1961 · The Estuary as
- 1961 · Hikkoshi yatsure as
- 1961 · Triangle Moods as Kame
- 1961 · Women of Tokyo as Yuki Takeuchi
- 1960 · Mahiru no wana as Kikuyo
- 1960 · Towering Waves as Mrs. Tazawa
- 1960 · Dare yori mo kimi o aisu as
- 1960 · Hero of the Red Light District as
- 1959 · The Cast-Off as Fumiko
- 1959 · Whistling in the morning as
- 1958 · Bright Young Maidens as Chie Shibata, Sumiko's Mother
- 1958 · Beyond the Seasonal Wind as
- 1958 · Fearless Opposition as
- 1958 · 直八子供旅 as
- 1958 · Hibi no haishin as
- 1957 · The Adorable Trio as Sadako Kamiya
- 1957 · Zokuzoku Ôban: Dotô hen as Tane
- 1957 · The Beauty Expert as
- 1957 · Zoku Ôban: Fûun hen as Tane
- 1957 · The Betrothed as
- 1957 · Morning Whistling as
- 1956 · Gendai no yokubô as
- 1956 · Young Tree as Kuniko's mother (uncredited)
- 1955 · Ejima and Ikushima as 玉椿
- 1955 · Next Door to Happiness as
- 1955 · Beautiful Days as Imanishi's Mother
- 1955 · Life's Simple Pleasures as
- 1955 · The Big Ambition as Sumie Shida
- 1955 · Frame of Snow as Satoko (Ishiyama’s wife)
- 1954 · The Days of Youth are Days of Sadness as
- 1954 · Geisha Hidekoma as
- 1954 · 乾杯!女学生 as
- 1953 · Sisters as
- 1953 · The End of the Night as
- 1952 · One Thousand Ryo Ship in the Wind and Clouds as
- 1952 · Oka wa hanazakari as
- 1952 · The Woman Who Touched the Legs as
- 1952 · Mr. Lucky as
- 1950 · A Man from Akagi as
- 1950 · Guntō nanban-sen as
- 1950 · Spring Snow as
- 1949 · Ishimatsu of the Forest as
- 1949 · Goblin Courier as
- 1945 · Victory Song as Captain's mother
- 1943 · Miyamoto Musashi - Battle at Han'nya Hill as Osaki
- 1941 · Dancers of Awa as
- Future · The Foster Mother as
- 1969 · Waga koi waga uta as
- 1968 · My Brother, My Love as Kayo Kitagawa
- 1968 · Rose Buds in the Rainbow as Setsuko Sasaki
- 1968 · The Young Eagles of the Kamikaze as
- 1968 · Nunnery Confidential as
- 1967 · Thoroughbred Women Gamblers as
- 1967 · The Rickshaw Man’s Son as Taki
- 1967 · Swift Current as
- 1966 · Sayonara ressha as
- 1966 · Once a Rainy Day as
- 1966 · The Kii River as Ichi, housekeeper
- 1966 · Night Bitch as Matsu Komazaki
- 1965 · The Passionate Spinster as Riki Tonobe
- 1965 · Snow Country as Dance teacher
- 1965 · That Cute Girl as
- 1965 · Love on the Rainbow as Masako Yamashita
- 1965 · Salaryman's Medal as
- 1965 · A Fugitive from the Past as Motojima's Wife
- 1964 · Eddy Currents of Life as Teacher Ikegami
- 1964 · Whirlpool of Flesh as Tomiko Sekiguchi
- 1964 · Sweet Sweat as Matsuko
- 1964 · Taiyou wo Daku Onna as
- 1964 · I'm a Bodyguard as
- 1964 · A Story from Echigo as
- 1964 · Youth Season Continued as Sawamura Sawako (Restaurant "Sawamura" proprietress and Keiko's older sister)
- 1964 · Night Scandal in Japan as Tetsu Kawabe
- 1964 · Mr. Giant's Victory Flag as
- 1963 · Miren as Hostess at 'Mitsuda'
- 1963 · At the Side of the Bridge 4 as
- 1963 · Double Wedding as Shigeko
- 1963 · Tale of Army Brutality as Toki, Yahichi's mother
- 1963 · The Life of Rikisha-Man as
- 1963 · Crazy Operation: First Move as
- 1963 · At the Side of the Bridge 3 as
- 1962 · A Comedy in Front of the Station: Chinese Restaurant as
- 1962 · Born in Sin as
- 1962 · Curry Rice as
- 1962 · Chûshingura as
- 1962 · Zoku aizen katsura as
- 1962 · Youth Season as
- 1962 · At the Side of the Bridge 2 as
- 1962 · Ganko Oyaji to Edokko Shain as
- 1962 · Glory on the Summit as
- 1962 · Four Sisters as Makiko
- 1962 · At the Side of the Bridge as
- 1962 · Pig and Goldfish as
- 1962 · Ottamage ningyo monogatari as
- 1962 · Flower in a Storm as
- 1962 · Lady Sen and Hideyori as Yodogimi
- 1962 · Our Marriage as Mother
- 1962 · The Prickly Mouthed Geisha and the Girl of Osaka as Otake
- 1962 · In Search of Mother as Otora
- 1962 · South Pacific Waves Are High as
- 1962 · Nippon no obaachan as
- 1962 · A Roaring Trade as
- 1961 · The Catch as Katsu
- 1961 · Boss Takes to the Road as Kimie Morikawa
- 1961 · Girls of the Night as Kitamura
- 1961 · Awamori-kun uridasu as
- 1961 · Door of Flowers as
- 1961 · Romance Express as
- 1961 · Zero Focus as Mrs. Sotaro Uhara
- 1960 · Late Autumn as Fumiko
- 1960 · Ponkotsu as
- 1960 · Jiyūgaoka fujin as
- 1960 · Youth in Fury as Aki Katsura
- 1960 · New Third Class Executive: Husband Education as Kaneko Tsujikura
- 1960 · The Dangerous Kiss as
- 1960 · Police Precinct Part 13 as Madam next to Hikariso
- 1960 · Police Precinct Part 13 as
- 1960 · Salaryman Idea Book: Concern for Success as Okane
- 1960 · Storm on the Silvery Peaks as Kiyo
- 1960 · Salaryman Idea Book: Man of Worrisome Episodes as Okane
- 1960 · Hito mo arukeba as Kin Narikin
- 1960 · Beyond the Hills as Oiku Wada
- 1960 · The Wandering Princess as Kazuko Sugawara
- 1960 · When a Woman Ascends the Stairs as Toshiko
- 1959 · Pineapple Butai as Omine
- 1959 · The Terrible Game as Yabuki Toyo
- 1959 · The Human Wall as
- 1959 · Young Lovers as Ayako Nozaki
- 1959 · Ripe and Marriageable as Mrs. Nakazato
- 1959 · Someday I'll Know as Fusako Kaneko
- 1959 · Koko ni otoko ari as
- 1959 · Good Morning as Kayoko Fukui
- 1959 · Souls in the Moonlight III as
- 1959 · Police Precinct: The Woman Without A Face as
- 1959 · Echo Mountain as Takako Hirasawa
- 1959 · People Waiting for Spring as Chiyo Tsukagoshi
- 1958 · One Step to Happiness as
- 1958 · The Naked General as
- 1958 · Little Peach as
- 1958 · Romance Freestyle as
- 1958 · Souls in the Moonlight II as Otsuno
- 1958 · Firefly Light as
- 1958 · Shinkon nanatsu no tanoshimi as
- 1958 · No Advice Taken as
- 1957 · The Blue Sky Maiden as Tatsuko Ono
- 1957 · When It Rains, It Pours as Tane Abe
- 1957 · Untamed Woman as Oshima's aunt
- 1957 · Ôban as Tane, Ushinosuke's Mother
- 1957 · Young Lovers as
- 1956 · The Rose on His Arm as Akiyama's mother
- 1956 · Love on Rainbow Island as Omatsu Hayashi
- 1956 · Bridge of Japan as
- 1956 · Cascading White Threads as
- 1956 · Midori naru hito: kōhen ai no honryū as
- 1956 · Midori naru hito: zenpen wakare no yogisha as
- 1956 · A Wife's Heart as
- 1956 · The Lady Was Pawn as
- 1956 · Three Youngmen and a Dream Girl as Taniyama’s Mother
- 1956 · Avalanche as
- 1956 · The President Talks Bank as
- 1956 · Street of Shame as Tatsuko Taya
- 1956 · The President's Boss as
- 1955 · Iroha Elegy as
- 1955 · So Young, So Bright as
- 1955 · The Romance of Yushima as
- 1955 · Santōshain to onna hisho as
- 1955 · Mother's Ambition as
- 1955 · Ofukuro as
- 1955 · Here Is a Spring as
- 1955 · Policeman's Diary as
- 1954 · お月様には悪いけど as 鶴田はと子
- 1954 · The Cock Crows Twice as
- 1954 · The Surf as Tomi, Shinji's Mother
- 1954 · The Valley Between Love and Death as
- 1954 · Late Chrysanthemums as Nobu
- 1954 · All of Myself as Kazama’s Aunt
- 1954 · Itsuko to sono haha as Fusako Tashiro
- 1953 · Love Letter as Bookstor's owner
- 1953 · The Lovers as Mrs. Ushiyama
- 1953 · Princess Finds Her Prince as
- 1953 · Tokyo Profile as Kiyoko
- 1953 · Dreaming People as
- 1953 · The Blue Revolution as
- 1953 · Miniature as
- 1952 · Adolescence as Natsu, Mayumi's mother
- 1952 · Shanghai Rose as Miss Shen
- 1952 · Four Asakusa Sisters as
- 1952 · Tokyo Sweetheart as Jewelry shop proprietress
- 1952 · Forbidden Path as
- 1952 · Mother as Osei
- 1952 · Third Class Executives as Mrs. Kuwabara
- 1952 · Kin no tamago: Golden Girl as
- 1952 · The Life of Oharu as Sasaya's wife Owasa
- 1951 · Wedding March as Kumako
- 1951 · Dancing Girl as Mitsue
- 1951 · The White Orchid as
- 1951 · Elegy as
- 1950 · Jiruba no Tetsu as
- 1950 · Beyond the Hills as
- 1950 · Onna no ryūkō as
- 1950 · First Love Questions and Answers as
- 1949 · Broken Drum as Yasuko
- 1949 · The Flower That Crossed the Mountain as
- 1949 · Flame of My Love as
- 1948 · Kōfuku no genkai as
- 1948 · Ghosts Die at Dawn as Takeko
- 1948 · Twenty-One Fingerprints as
- 1942 · Mother Never Dies as
- 1942 · Onna keizu as
- 1942 · Green Earth as
- 1942 · Sky of Hope as Kiyo
- 1941 · A Man's Flower Road of Triumph as
- 1941 · Horse as Kikuko Yamashita
- 1941 · Kodakara fūfu as
- 1940 · Bellflower as Mother
- 1940 · Wedding Day as
- 1940 · Toyuki as Apprentice Geisha
- 1940 · Hideko the Cheerleader as Tomoko, Hideko's mother
- 1939 · Shinpen Tange Sazen: Sekigan no maki as Otomi
- 1939 · Osanaki mono no hata as Mother
- 1939 · Ichiyo Higuchi as
- 1938 · A Pebble by the Wayside as Sumie
- 1937 · Sōbō as
- 1936 · Passionate Poet Ishikawa Takuboku - Hometown as