Susumu Fujita
Encyclopedia
Akira Kurosawa
was a Japanese film director, producer, screenwriter and editor. Regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers in the history of cinema, Kurosawa directed 30 filmsIn 1946, Kurosawa co-directed, with Hideo Sekigawa and Kajiro Yamamoto, the feature Those Who Make Tomorrow ;...
's first feature, Sanshiro Sugata
Sanshiro Sugata
was the directorial debut of the Academy Award-winning Japanese film director Akira Kurosawa. First released in Japan on 25 March 1943 by Toho film studios, the film was eventually released in the United States on 28 April 1974. The film is based on the novel of the same name written by Tsuneo...
, and appeared other Kurosawa film including The Men Who Tread On the Tiger's Tail
The Men Who Tread On the Tiger's Tail
is a 1945 film, written and directed by Akira Kurosawa. It is based on the kabuki play Kanjinchō, which is in turn based on the Noh play Ataka.The film stars Hanshiro Iwai, Susumu Fujita, Kenichi Enomoto, and Denjirō Ōkōchi....
(as Togashi, commander of the border guards) and The Hidden Fortress
The Hidden Fortress
is a 1958 jidai-geki film directed by Akira Kurosawa and starring Toshirō Mifune as General and Misa Uehara as Princess Yuki. A literal translation of the Japanese title is The Three Villains of the Hidden Fortress.-Plot:...
(as General Tadokoro). Later, he was a supporting actor in Ishirō Honda
Ishiro Honda
Ishirō Honda , sometimes miscredited in foreign releases as "Inoshiro Honda", was a Japanese film director...
's Mothra vs. Godzilla
Mothra vs. Godzilla
is a 1964 science fiction kaiju film directed by Ishirō Honda. It was the fourth film to be released in the Godzilla series, produced by Toho Company Ltd...
, among many other films.
Before and during World War II Fujita was considered one of the great stars of Japanese cinema. In the post-war period he became known for supporting roles
Supporting actor
A supporting actor is an actor who performs roles in a play or film other than that of the leads.These roles range from bit parts to secondary leads. They are sometimes but not necessarily character roles. A supporting actor must also use restraint not to upstage the main actor/actress in the...
, often playing a soldier in war film
War film
War films are a film genre concerned with warfare, usually about naval, air or land battles, sometimes focusing instead on prisoners of war, covert operations, military training or other related subjects. At times war films focus on daily military or civilian life in wartime without depicting battles...
s. During the sixties and seventies he played minor roles in tokusatsu
Tokusatsu
is a Japanese term that applies to any live-action film or television drama that usually features superheroes and makes considerable use of special effects ....
or such as Ultraman
Ultraman (1967 film)
is a 1967 Japanese tokusatsu kaiju film consisting of re-edited material from the original television series Ultraman, directed by Hajime and Eiji Tsuburaya and produced by Tsuburaya Productions and Toho.- Cast :*Akiji Kobayashi as Capt...
and Frankenstein Conquers the World
Frankenstein Conquers the World
Frankenstein Conquers the World, released in Japan as , with Toho's official English title being Frankenstein vs. Baragon, is a kaiju film produced in 1965 by Toho Company Ltd...
.
Life and career
Kurume, Fukuoka
is a city located in Fukuoka prefecture, Japan.The city has an estimated population of 303,277 and a population density of 1,319.51 persons per km²...
city, Fukuoka prefecture
Fukuoka Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on Kyūshū Island. The capital is the city of Fukuoka.- History :Fukuoka Prefecture includes the former provinces of Chikugo, Chikuzen, and Buzen....
, Japan. After graduating from high school in 1929 he moved to Tokyo, where he took entrance examination
Entrance examination
An entrance examination is an examination that many educational institutions use to select students for admission. These exams may be administered at any level of education, from primary to higher education, although they are more common at higher levels....
s for several universities, but failed to gain admission. Before returning to Fukuoka he stayed in Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
with Takuji Furumi, a film director from his home town. With assistance from Furumi, he secured employment with producer Utaemon Ishikawa as an extra
Extra (actor)
A background actor or extra is a performer in a film, television show, stage, musical, opera or ballet production, who appears in a nonspeaking, nonsinging or nondancing capacity, usually in the background...
. He was hired as an actor by Toa Cinema in 1931, but did not appear in any films that year. In 1932 he was drafted
Conscription
Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...
into military service and enlisted in the 12th Artillery Division. After being discharged from the army in 1934, Fujita went to work for Masahiro Makino
Masahiro Makino
was a Japanese film director of more than 260 films, primarily in the chanbara and yakuza genres. His real name was Masatada , but he took the stage name Masahiro, the kanji for which he changed multiple times .-Career:...
's Kyoto Film Recording as an audio engineer
Audio engineering
An audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
. He returned to acting in 1939, when he moved to Toho
Toho
is a Japanese film, theater production, and distribution company. It is headquartered in Yūrakuchō, Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group...
studios.
At first, Fujita was a contract player appearing in minor roles, but in 1940 he co-starred in with Takako Irie and Minoru Takada; he was praised as a sincere and genuine actor. Beginning in 1941 he played a succession of leading roles, including . In 1943 he appeared in Sanshiro Sugata, the directorial debut of Akira Kurosawa, which brought him to wide popularity. Fujita's popularity as a manly action hero was further cemented with his performance in . He was in the midst of filming The Men Who Tread On the Tiger's Tail when World War II ended.
After the war, Fujita condemned his own portrayal of war heroes and considered leaving acting. However, unable to see himself in any other profession, he returned to the screen. In 1946 he appeared in Kurosawa's first post-war film, No Regrets for Our Youth
No Regrets for Our Youth
is a 1946 film written and directed by Akira Kurosawa. It is based on the Takigawa incident of 1933.The film stars Setsuko Hara, Susumu Fujita, and Denjirō Ōkōchi...
, about a war-time liberal who was executed for treason.
During a strike at Toho in 1948 Fujita, along with Denjiro Ōkochi, Kazuo Hasegawa and other members of the so-called "Flag ten" secession union broke away to form a new studio, Shintōhō
Shintoho
was a Japanese movie studio. It was one of the big-6 film studios during the Golden Age of Japanese cinema. It was founded by defectors from the original Tōhō Company...
(New Toho). This reorganization ended Fujita's collaboration with Kurosawa. At Shintōhō, he appeared in several melodrama
Melodrama
The term melodrama refers to a dramatic work that exaggerates plot and characters in order to appeal to the emotions. It may also refer to the genre which includes such works, or to language, behavior, or events which resemble them...
s and action films.
After his contract with Shintōhō ended in 1957, Fujita returned to Toho, where he appeared primarily in supporting roles. Fujita and Kurosawa worked together again on The Hidden Fortress
The Hidden Fortress
is a 1958 jidai-geki film directed by Akira Kurosawa and starring Toshirō Mifune as General and Misa Uehara as Princess Yuki. A literal translation of the Japanese title is The Three Villains of the Hidden Fortress.-Plot:...
in 1958. Although Fujita appeared in a supporting role, it was essential to the film. He appeared in three more Kurosawa films, including Yojimbo, but only in minor roles.
Selected filmography
- Byakuran no Uta （1939）
- Tsuma no bai （1940）
- Kaigun bakugekitai （1940）
- Nessa no chikai （1940）
- Shidō monogatari （1941）
- Hawaii Mare okikaisen （1942）
- Sanshiro SugataSanshiro Sugatawas the directorial debut of the Academy Award-winning Japanese film director Akira Kurosawa. First released in Japan on 25 March 1943 by Toho film studios, the film was eventually released in the United States on 28 April 1974. The film is based on the novel of the same name written by Tsuneo...
(姿三四郎 Sugata Sanshirō) aka Judo Saga (1943） - Kato hayabusa sento-taiKato hayabusa sento-taiaka Colonel Tateo Katō's Flying Squadron and aka Colonel Kato's Falcon Squadron is a 1944 black and white Japanese film directed by Kajiro Yamamoto.It is a war film and there are special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya....
(加藤隼戦闘隊) （1944） - Raigekitai shutsudo （1944）
- Zoku Sanshirō Sugata (aka Sanshiro Sugata Part IISanshiro Sugata Part IIis a 1945 film written and directed by Akira Kurosawa. It is based on the novel by Tsuneo Tomita.It was filmed in early 1945 in Japan towards the end of World War II....
) （1945） - Kita no san-nin （1945）
- The Men Who Tread On the Tiger's TailThe Men Who Tread On the Tiger's Tailis a 1945 film, written and directed by Akira Kurosawa. It is based on the kabuki play Kanjinchō, which is in turn based on the Noh play Ataka.The film stars Hanshiro Iwai, Susumu Fujita, Kenichi Enomoto, and Denjirō Ōkōchi....
(虎の尾を踏む男達 Tora no o wo fumu otokotachi) （1945） - No Regrets for Our YouthNo Regrets for Our Youthis a 1946 film written and directed by Akira Kurosawa. It is based on the Takigawa incident of 1933.The film stars Setsuko Hara, Susumu Fujita, and Denjirō Ōkōchi...
(わが青春に悔なし) （1946） - A Thousand and One Nights with TohoA Thousand and One Nights with Tohois a 1947 black-and-white Japanese film directed by Kon Ichikawa.- External links :...
(東宝千一夜 Toho senichi-ya) (1947) - Jiyuu gakko （1951）
- Senkan Yamato （1953）
- Himeyuri no tō （1953）
- Non-chan kumo ni noruNon-chan kumo ni noru, literally: Nobuko Rides on a Cloud, is a 1955 Japanese film directed by Fumito Kurata. It was based on a best-seller by Momoko Ishii.- Cast :* Setsuko Hara as Nobuko's mother* Haruko Wanibuchi as Nobuko Tashiro* Susumu Fujita as Nobuko's father...
(1955) - Meiji tennō to Nichiro daisensō （1957）
- Awa odori naruto no kaizoku （1957）
- Chikyū Bōeigun (aka The MysteriansThe MysteriansThe Mysterians, released in Japan as , is a tokusatsu science fiction film produced and released by Toho Studios in 1957. It was directed by the "Golden Duo" of Ishirō Honda and Eiji Tsuburaya . It is notable for being the first tokusatsu filmed in TohoScope and the first Toho film to use...
) （1957） - The Hidden FortressThe Hidden Fortressis a 1958 jidai-geki film directed by Akira Kurosawa and starring Toshirō Mifune as General and Misa Uehara as Princess Yuki. A literal translation of the Japanese title is The Three Villains of the Hidden Fortress.-Plot:...
(隠し砦の三悪人 Kakushi toride no san akunin)（1958） - Watashi wa kai ni naritai （1959）
- Submarine I-57 Will Not SurrenderSubmarine I-57 Will Not Surrenderis a 1959 Japanese war film directed by Shūe Matsubayashi.Special effects were made by Eiji Tsuburaya.-Cast:* Ryō Ikebe* Tatsuya Mihashi* Akihiko Hirata* Akira Kubo* Susumu Fujita* Minoru Takada* Maria Laurenti* Andrew Hughes* Hisaya Ito- See also :...
(潜水艦イ-57降伏せず, Sensuikan I-57 kofuku sezu) (1959) - Hawai Middouei daikaikusen: Taiheiyo no arashi (aka Storm Over the PacificStorm Over the Pacificis a 1960 color Japanese film directed by Shūe Matsubayashi.It is the first color widescreen war film from Toho Studios...
) （1960） - Warui yatsu hodo yoku nemuru (aka The Bad Sleep WellThe Bad Sleep Wellis a 1960 film directed by the Japanese director Akira Kurosawa. It was the first film to be produced under Kurosawa's own independent production company. It was entered into the 11th Berlin International Film Festival....
) （1960） - Osaka jo monogatari (aka The Tale of Osaka Castle) （1961）
- Yojimbo (用心棒 Yōjinbō)（1961）
- Chushingura – Hana no maki yuki no maki (aka Chushingura: 47 Samurai (1962)
- Taiheiyo no tsubasa (aka Attack Squadron!) （1963）
- Tengoku to jigoku (aka The Ransom, aka High and Low) （1963）
- Chintao yosai bakugeki meirei (aka Siege of Fort Bismarck) （1963）
- Kaitei gunkan (aka AtragonAtragonAtragon, released in Japan as , is a 1963 Toho tokusatsu film based on a series of juvenile adventure novels under the banner Kaitei Gunkan by Shunrō Oshikawa and the illustrated story Kaitei Okoku by illustrator Shigeru Komatsuzaki, serialized in a monthly magazine for boys...
) （1963） - Kokusai himitsu keisatsu （1964）
- Kyo mo ware ozora ni ari （1964）
- Mothra vs. GodzillaMothra vs. Godzillais a 1964 science fiction kaiju film directed by Ishirō Honda. It was the fourth film to be released in the Godzilla series, produced by Toho Company Ltd...
(モスラ対ゴジラ Mosura tai Gojira) (1964） - Uchu daikaiju dogora (aka Dagora the Space Monster) （1964）
- Horafuki taikoki （1964）
- Samurai AssassinSamurai Assassinis a 1965 Japanese movie directed by Kihachi Okamoto and starring Toshirō Mifune, Koshiro Matsumoto, Yunosuke Ito, and Michiyo Aratama.Samurai Assassin is set in 1860, immediately before the Meiji Restoration changed Japanese society forever by doing away with the castes in society and reducing the...
(侍 Samurai)（1965） - Kiga kaikyo （1965）
- Taiheiyo kiseki no sakusen Kisuka （1965）
- Frankenstein Conquers the WorldFrankenstein Conquers the WorldFrankenstein Conquers the World, released in Japan as , with Toho's official English title being Frankenstein vs. Baragon, is a kaiju film produced in 1965 by Toho Company Ltd...
(フランケンシュタイン対地底怪獣 Furankenshutain Tai Chitei Kaijū Baragon) （1965） - Nihon no ichiban nagai hi （1967）
- UltramanUltraman (1967 film)is a 1967 Japanese tokusatsu kaiju film consisting of re-edited material from the original television series Ultraman, directed by Hajime and Eiji Tsuburaya and produced by Tsuburaya Productions and Toho.- Cast :*Akiji Kobayashi as Capt...
(1967) - Rengo kantai shirei chōkan Yamamoto Isoroku （1968）
- Nihonkai daikaisen （1969）
- Tora! Tora! Tora!Tora! Tora! Tora!is a 1970 American-Japanese war film that dramatizes the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, to the extent these facts were known at the time of production. The film was directed by Richard Fleischer and stars an all-star cast, including So Yamamura, E.G...
（1970） - Shiosai （1971）
- Seishun no mon （1975）
- Fuyu no hana （1978）
- Ultraman: Great Monster Decisive BattleUltraman: Great Monster Decisive Battleis a 1979 Japanese tokusatsu kaiju film produced by Tsuburaya Productions, consisting of re-edited material from the original television series Ultraman.- Cast :*Akiji Kobayashi*Susumu Kurobe*Sandayū Dokumamushi*Masanari Nihei*Hiroko Sakurai-Monsters:...
(1979) - Rengō kantai （1981）
- Tantei monogatari （1983）