Biography
Takako Irie (入江 たか子 Irie Takako, 7 February 1911 – 12 January 1995) was a Japanese film actress. Born in Tokyo into the aristocratic Higashibōjō family (her birth name was Hideko Higashibōjō (東坊城 英子 Higashibōjō Hideko)), she graduated from Bunka Gakuin before debuting as an actress at Nikkatsu in 1927. She became a major star, even starting her own production company, Irie Productions, in 1932. One of Kenji Mizoguchi's silent film masterpieces, The Water Magician, was produced at that company with Irie starring. She appeared in many advertisements, as well as on fans and other commercial goods. Irie was also the subject of a folding screen painting by Nihonga artist Nakamura Daizaburō, which appeared in the 1930 Teiten (Imperial Exhibition), and which is today in the collection of the Honolulu Museum of Art; toy dolls were also produced based on this image. In the postwar period, Irie became known as a "ghost cat actress" (bakeneko joyū) for appearing in a series of kaidan (ghost story) movies. One of her late memorable roles was in Akira Kurosawa's Sanjuro, where she plays Mutsuta's wife, the lady who warns Sanjuro (Toshirō Mifune) that "the best sword stays in its scabbard".
Acted in 83
1980s
- 1984
The Deserted City
Shino
- 1983
Legend of the Cat Monster
Akiko Ryuzoji
1970s
- 1979
The House of Hanging
Chizu Igarashi
1960s
- 1962
1950s
- 1957
Shiranui zukin
Movie
Lord Mito
Movie
Ghost-Cat of Yonaki Swamp
Movie
Fighting Letter for 29 People
Movie
- 1956
Haha shirayuki
Movie
The Monster Cat of the Fifty-Three Stations
Court Lady Fujinami
Koshimoto gyōjōki
Movie
Matashirō Fighting Journey
Movie
- 1955
The Roar of The Lion
Movie
Nagasaki no yoru
Movie
The Rust Cleaner Sings
Movie
Hana no nijū hachinin shū
Movie
Zenigata heiji torimono hikae: Dokuro kago
Movie
- 1954
The Ghost Cat of Ouma Crossing
Movie
Date sōdō: Haha goten
Movie
Akōgishi
Movie
The Great White Tiger Platoon
Movie
Tekka bugyō
Movie
Nage Utasamon niban tegara: Tsuri tenjô no semushi otoko
Movie
Maiko monogatari
Movie
Tsumakoi kuroda bushi
Movie
- 1953
Ghost-Cat of Arima Palace
Movie
Love Letter
Movie
Ghost of Saga Mansion
Otoyo-no-kata
Dekoboko taikōki
Movie
Shachō hisho
Movie
Haha no hitomi
Movie
Zenigata heiji torimono hikae: Karakuri yashiki
Movie
- 1951
Kurama Tengu: The Fire Festival
Movie
Judge of the Ashuras
Movie
- 1950
Blue Sky Angel
Movie
Zoku kagebōshi ryūkoaiutsutsu
Movie
Kagebōshi
千賀
1940s
- 1949
Odoroki ikka
Movie
Three Mothers
Movie
- 1947
Invitation to Happiness
Movie
Political Theater
Movie
Koyoi Tsuma to Narinu
Movie
- 1946
Life Is like a Somersault
Movie
- 1944
Four Marriages
Movie
The Most Beautiful
Noriko Mizushima, dorm mother
- 1942
Omokage no machi
Movie
Wings of Victory
Movie
Mother Never Dies
Movie
Green Earth
Movie
Sky of Hope
Makiko
- 1941
White Heron
Movie
Dancers of Awa
Movie
1930s
- 1939
Sincerity
Tobiko Haseyama
Enoken’s Shrewd Period
Movie
- 1938
Tojuro's Love
Movie
- 1937
Learn from Experience, Part One
Toyomi
Shirobara wa sakedo
Movie
A Husband's Chastity: Fall Again
Movie
A Husband's Chastity: If Spring Comes & Fall Once Again
Movie
A Husband's Chastity: If Spring Comes
Movie
Karayuki-san
Movie
Mother's Melody
Movie
A Woman's Sorrows
Movie
- 1936
- 1935
Great Bodhisattva Pass
Movie
- 1934
Karisome no kuchibeni
Akiko
Tsuki yori no shisha
Michiko Nonoguchi, nurse
- 1933
The Water Magician
Taki no Shiraito
- 1931
Kokoro no jitsugetsu: Retsujitsu hen - Gekko hen
Movie
Jean Valjean: Part Two
Movie
Jean Valjean: Part One
Movie
- 1930
Behold This Mother
Movie
1920s
- 1929
Tokyo March
早百合
A Living Puppet
Hiroko Kumikawa
The Morning Sun Shines
girl in the elevator
Metropolitan Symphony
Reiko Yamada
Produced 2
1930s
- 1934
Karisome no kuchibeni
Producer
- 1933
The Water Magician
Producer
Appearances1
1970s
- 1975
Kenji Mizoguchi: The Life of a Film Director
Self