
Kichijiro Ueda

Kichijiro Ueda
Original Name | 上田 吉二郎 |
Birth Name | Sadao Ueda (上田 定雄) |
Born | March 30, 1904 Sannomiya, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan |
Died | November 3, 1972 (68) Kojimacho, Chofu, Tokyo, Japan |
Portly, eloquent actor, often cast as antagonists and highly valued by some of Japan’s top directors, including Akira Kurosawa and Hiroshi Inagaki. Ueda joined the Shinkokugeki theater in 1918 at the age of 14 and studied under famed actor Shojiro Sawada, and quickly rose through the ranks to become one of the most esteemed members of the theater. He resigned from the theater in 1926.
In 1934 he appeared in an early talking picture which caught the eye of director Hiroshi Inagaki, who recommended him to Nikkatsu studios. After the war he appeared in several high-profile works, particularly Akira Kurosawa’s Rashomon (1950), in which he played the brash traveller listening to the woodcutter’s story. He gained a reputation for his exaggerated acting style and his vocal range. Ueda was not bound under contract to any one studio, and worked with all the major film studios during his career.
In 1971 Ueda had surgery to treat laryngeal cancer, which made his voice nearly unrecognizable. He passed away in 1972.
Original Name | 上田 吉二郎 |
Birth Name | Sadao Ueda (上田 定雄) |
Born | March 30, 1904 Sannomiya, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan |
Died | November 3, 1972 (68) Kojimacho, Chofu, Tokyo, Japan |
Portly, eloquent actor, often cast as antagonists and highly valued by some of Japan’s top directors, including Akira Kurosawa and Hiroshi Inagaki. Ueda joined the Shinkokugeki theater in 1918 at the age of 14 and studied under famed actor Shojiro Sawada, and quickly rose through the ranks to become one of the most esteemed members of the theater. He resigned from the theater in 1926.
In 1934 he appeared in an early talking picture which caught the eye of director Hiroshi Inagaki, who recommended him to Nikkatsu studios. After the war he appeared in several high-profile works, particularly Akira Kurosawa’s Rashomon (1950), in which he played the brash traveller listening to the woodcutter’s story. He gained a reputation for his exaggerated acting style and his vocal range. Ueda was not bound under contract to any one studio, and worked with all the major film studios during his career.
In 1971 Ueda had surgery to treat laryngeal cancer, which made his voice nearly unrecognizable. He passed away in 1972.
- Rashomon (1950)...The Peasant
- Seven Samurai (1954)...Bandit Scout
- Samurai III: Duel at Ganryu Island (1956)...Ogon the Priest
- Throne of Blood (1957)...Warlord
- The Hidden Fortress (1958)...Slave Dealer
- The Birth of Japan (1959)...Hachihara
- Daredevil in the Castle (1961)...Tool Merchant Zenbei
- Three Outlaw Samurai (1964)...Ishigaki
- Adventures of Zatoichi (1964)...Boss Jinbei
- Gamera vs. Gyaos (1967)...Tanaemon Kanamaru
-
Rashomon (1950)
...The Peasant -
Seven Samurai (1954)
...Bandit Scout -
Samurai III: Duel at Ganryu Island (1956)
...Ogon the Priest -
Throne of Blood (1957)
...Warlord -
The Hidden Fortress (1958)
...Slave Dealer -
The Birth of Japan (1959)
...Hachihara -
Daredevil in the Castle (1961)
...Tool Merchant Zenbei -
Three Outlaw Samurai (1964)
...Ishigaki -
Adventures of Zatoichi (1964)
...Boss Jinbei -
Gamera vs. Gyaos (1967)
...Tanaemon Kanamaru