Yoshiko Okada

Biography

Yoshiko Okada (岡田 嘉子, Okada Yoshiko, 21 April 1902 – 10 February 1992) was a Japanese actress. She was one of the most popular actresses in Japan during the late 1920s and early 1930s. She entered the film industry in 1923 and quickly rose to fame by appearing in numerous films. During the transition from silent films to sound films, Okada continued acting but faced increasing competition from younger actresses. Her popularity declined as new stars emerged in the 1930s. She was among the first actresses to replace onnagata (men playing female roles) in Japanese cinema and became famous for portraying modern, independent women, reflecting social shifts in 1920s–30s Japan. Her love life and relationships with directors were widely reported, contributing to her celebrity image. In 1938, she fled to the Soviet Union with her lover, the stage director Ryokichi Sugimoto. Soon after arriving in the Soviet Union, both were arrested during the Great Purge. Sugimoto was executed. Okada was sentenced to ten years in a labor camp. After her release, she remained in the Soviet Union and worked in theatre. She became involved in theatrical activities in Moscow, learning Russian and integrating into Soviet theater. For many years, she was believed to have died. In 1972, it was revealed that she was still alive. She briefly returned to Japan in 1973, attracting considerable media attention. Okada later returned to the Soviet Union, where she lived until her death in 1992. Description above from the Wikipedia article Yoshiko Okada, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Filmografi

Tora-san's Sunrise and Sunset1976 · 志乃Life of Don Matsugoro1986 · Orange Road Express1978 · August Without Emperor1978 · KanedaWith a Single Sword Bale1934 · Rice1957 · Woman of Tokyo1933 · ChikakoFive Women Around Him1927 · An Inn in Tokyo1935 · OtakaA Woman Crying in Spring1933 · OhamaUntil the Day We Meet Again1932 · WomanThe Loyal 47 Ronin1932 · OruiNo Blood Relation1932 · Tamae KiyookaDaichi wa hohoemu daisanpen1925 · Daichi wa hohoemu dainihen1925 · Niizuma no wananaki1976 · Our Neighbor, Miss Yae1934 · KyoukoTen Thousand Boys1962 · The Conjuror in the Town1925 · Love1933 · Machiko日輪　前篇1926 · The Passion of a Woman Teacher1926 · OhisaMother of the East1934 · Madame Osato (Ken's biological mother)Skull Dance1923 · その娘お絹