Tetsu Nakamura (actor)
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

, born Satoshi Nakamura (also credited as Tatsu Nakamura and Tetu Nakamura), was a Japanese film actor and
opera singer Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libretti ...
active from the 1940s to the 1980s. He featured in over 40 films.


Early years

Born in
Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...
,
British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...
, to a father involved in the lumber industry, Nakamura studied at
Britannia Secondary School , motto_translation = Through The Right Way , founded = 1908 , schoolboard = School District 39 Vancouver , superintendent = Helen McGregor , trustee = tba , number ...
before enrolling at a music academy to become a
baritone A baritone is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the bass and the tenor voice-types. The term originates from the Greek (), meaning "heavy sounding". Composers typically write music for this voice in the r ...
singer. After graduating, he performed on radio and in recitals before moving to Japan in 1940. There he enrolled in
Nikkatsu is a Japanese entertainment company known for its film and television productions. It is Japan's oldest major movie studio, founded in 1912 during the silent film era. The name ''Nikkatsu'' amalgamates the words Nippon Katsudō Shashin, literally ...
's film acting school, and graduated in 1941. In the meantime, he was selected by the opera singer
Yoshie Fujiwara was a Japanese tenor singer. Biography He was born in Osaka. His mother Kinu Sakata was a biwa-player and a geisha, worked in Shimonoseki of Yamaguchi Prefecture. Her mother was born in Osaka too. His father, Neil Brodie Reid Neil is a mascul ...
to appear as Escamillo in ''
Carmen ''Carmen'' () is an opera in four acts by the French composer Georges Bizet. The libretto was written by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on the Carmen (novella), novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée. The opera was first perfo ...
'' in a performance at the
Kabuki-za in Ginza is the principal theater in Tokyo for the traditional ''kabuki'' drama form. History The Kabuki-za was originally opened by a Meiji era journalist, Fukuchi Gen'ichirō. Fukuchi wrote kabuki dramas in which Ichikawa Danjūrō IX and ot ...
.


Career

He became a contract actor at the
Toho Studios is a Japanese film production company that is a subsidiary of Toho Co., Ltd. Founded in November 8, 1971 as , the company originally served as a spin-off of Toho's original production department, and produced over 160 films. In December 2020, ...
in 1942, and started appearing in roles in such films as ''The Opium War'' (1943), ''
Ano hata o ute (Filipino: ''Liwayway ng Kalayaan'') also known as ''Dawn of Freedom'',, pp. 100-102 and ''Shoot That Flag: The End of Corregidor'' is a 1943 black-and-white Japanese film directed by Yutaka Abe and Gerardo de León. Synopsis The opening credits ...
'', and '' Aru yoru no tonosama'' (1946). After touring the United States as part of Fujiwara's opera company in 1953, he concentrated on film acting. With his fluency in English, he often appeared in foreign co-productions. He played the antagonist in ''
Tokyo File 212 ''Tokyo File 212'' (Japanese: ) is a 1951 spy film directed by and . George Breakston wrote the film's script and co-produced it with Dorrell McGowan jointly under the banner of their newly formed Breakston–McGowan Productions and Japanese ...
'' (1951) and a supporting role in '' Geisha Girl'' (1952). Writing about ''Tokyo File 212'' in his book ''Korean War Filmography'', Robert J. Lentz opined that "Nakamura assmooth and oily as the villain Oyama, who at heart asas much a capitalist as a Communist". His other prominent roles include Dr. Robert Suzuki in
George Breakston George Paul Breakston (January 22, 1920 – May 21, 1973) was a French-American actor, film producer, producer and film director, active in Hollywood from his days as a child actor in Andy Hardy films in the 1930s (where he played the charac ...
's
science-fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel univers ...
horror film Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit fear or disgust in its audience for entertainment purposes. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements include monsters, apoca ...
''
The Manster is an American science-fiction horror film. Shot in Japan, it was produced by George P. Breakston and directed by Breakston and Kenneth G. Crane from a screenplay by Walter J. Sheldon. Sheldon's script was based on Breakston's story which he o ...
'' (1962), Japanese Ambassador in the international co-production ''
Red Sun ''Red Sun'' (french: Soleil rouge, it, Sole rosso) is a 1971 Franco-Italian international co-production Spaghetti Western film directed by Terence Young and starring Charles Bronson, Toshirō Mifune, Alain Delon, Ursula Andress, and Capucine. ...
'' (1971), Dr. Kawamoto in the B-movie ''
The Last Dinosaur is a 1977 Japanese/American tokusatsu co-production, co-directed by Alexander Grasshoff and Tsununobu Kotani (the latter billed as Tom Kotani),Galbraith IV, Stuart (1994). ''Japanese Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films''. McFarland, p. 379. ...
'' (1977) and other roles in ''
Oriental Evil ''Oriental Evil'' is a 1951 American drama film directed and produced by George Breakston and starring Martha Hyer and Tetsu Nakamura. Plot Sheryl Banning, an American woman, has come to Tokyo to seek information on why her brother killed hims ...
'' (1951), ''
Futari no hitomi a.k.a. ''Girls Hand in Hand'' (USA title) is a 1952 black-and-white Japanese film directed by Shigeo Nakaki. Plot A girl (Margaret O'Brien) visits her dad in Japan, and she makes friends with an orphan from the war. She then tries to raise m ...
'' (1952), ''
The H-Man is a Japanese science fiction thriller film directed by Ishirō Honda, with special effects directed by Eiji Tsuburaya. Plot On a rainy night in the outskirts of Tokyo, a drug smuggler, Misaki, is killed while trying to escape in a getaway ...
'' (1958), ''
Mothra is a fictional monster, or ''kaiju'', that first appeared in the 1961 film '' Mothra'', produced and distributed by Toho Studios. Mothra has appeared in several Toho ''tokusatsu'' films, most often as a recurring character in the ''Godzilla'' ...
'' (1961), ''
The Lost World of Sinbad is a 1963 Japanese drama action film directed by Senkichi Taniguchi, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. The film stars Toshiro Mifune and Mie Hama.
'' (1963) and '' Kokusai himitsu keisatsu: Kagi no kagi'' (1965). He also appeared on television well into the 1980s.


Partial filmography

*''Ano hata o ute'' (1944) *''Kôfuku eno shôtai'' (1947) *''Koun no isu'' (1948) *''
Tokyo File 212 ''Tokyo File 212'' (Japanese: ) is a 1951 spy film directed by and . George Breakston wrote the film's script and co-produced it with Dorrell McGowan jointly under the banner of their newly formed Breakston–McGowan Productions and Japanese ...
'' (1951) - Mr. Oyama *''
Oriental Evil ''Oriental Evil'' is a 1951 American drama film directed and produced by George Breakston and starring Martha Hyer and Tetsu Nakamura. Plot Sheryl Banning, an American woman, has come to Tokyo to seek information on why her brother killed hims ...
'' (1951) - Noritomu Moriaji *'' Geisha Girl'' (1952) - Tetsu Nakano *''
Futari no hitomi a.k.a. ''Girls Hand in Hand'' (USA title) is a 1952 black-and-white Japanese film directed by Shigeo Nakaki. Plot A girl (Margaret O'Brien) visits her dad in Japan, and she makes friends with an orphan from the war. She then tries to raise m ...
'' (1952) *''Senkan Yamato'' (1953) *''
Madame Butterfly ''Madama Butterfly'' (; ''Madame Butterfly'') is an opera in three acts (originally two) by Giacomo Puccini, with an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. It is based on the short story "Madame Butterfly" (1898) by John Luther ...
'' (1954) - Yamadori *''Tokyo da you okkasan'' (1957) *''
The Mysterians is a 1957 Japanese tokusatsu science fiction film directed by Ishirō Honda, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. The film begins with a giant fissure destroying an entire village. This leads to an investigation whereby the source is disc ...
'' (1957) - Dr. Koda *''
The H-Man is a Japanese science fiction thriller film directed by Ishirō Honda, with special effects directed by Eiji Tsuburaya. Plot On a rainy night in the outskirts of Tokyo, a drug smuggler, Misaki, is killed while trying to escape in a getaway ...
'' (1958) - Mr. Chin, gangster *''Yaju shisubeshi'' (1959) *''
The Manster is an American science-fiction horror film. Shot in Japan, it was produced by George P. Breakston and directed by Breakston and Kenneth G. Crane from a screenplay by Walter J. Sheldon. Sheldon's script was based on Breakston's story which he o ...
'' (1959) - Dr. Robert Suzuki *''Wakai koibitotachi'' (1959) - Customer at Bar B *''Kaoyaku to bakudan musume'' (1959) *''Samurai to oneechan'' (1960) - Daisaku Tsubaki *'' Storm Over the Pacific'' (1960) *''Gasu ningen dai 1 gô'' (1960) - Journalist *''The Big Wave'' (1961) - Toru's Father *''Honkon no yoru'' (1961) *''
Mothra is a fictional monster, or ''kaiju'', that first appeared in the 1961 film '' Mothra'', produced and distributed by Toho Studios. Mothra has appeared in several Toho ''tokusatsu'' films, most often as a recurring character in the ''Godzilla'' ...
'' (1961) - Nelson's Henchman *''
Attack Squadron! is a 1963 Japanese film directed by Shue Matsubayashi, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. The film is about Lt. Colonel Senda (Toshiro Mifune) who commands three fighter squadrons, eventually being dominated by Allied forces in June 1944. R ...
'' (1963) *''Gojuman-nin no isan'' (1963) - Asian man *'' Interpol Códe 8'' (1963) - Binh Hoa *''
The Lost World of Sinbad is a 1963 Japanese drama action film directed by Senkichi Taniguchi, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. The film stars Toshiro Mifune and Mie Hama.
'' (1963) - Chief Archer *''
Atragon is a 1963 Japanese tokusatsu science fiction film produced and distributed by Toho. It is based on ''The Undersea Warship: A Fantastic Tale of Island Adventure'' by Shunrō Oshikawa and ''The Undersea Kingdom'' by Shigeru Komatsuzaki. The film i ...
'' (1963) - Warship Captain *'' Kokusai himitsu keisatsu: Tora no kiba'' (1964) - Okada *''Hi no ataru isu'' (1965) *'' Kokusai himitsu keisatsu: Kagi no kagi'' (1965) - Sritai *''Kureji no daiboken'' (1965) *''Nippon ichi no gorigan otoko'' (1966) *''Kokusai himitsu keisatsu: Zettai zetsu'' (1967) - Head of ZZZ Hong Kong Branch Office *'' Latitude Zero'' (1969) - Dr. Okada *''
Space Amoeba is a 1970 Japanese ''kaiju'' film directed by Ishirō Honda, written by Ei Ogawa, and produced by Tomoyuki Tanaka and Fumio Tanaka, with special effects by Sadamasa Arikawa. Produced and distributed by Toho Studios, the film stars Akira Kubo, A ...
'' (1970) - Chieftain Ombo *''
Red Sun ''Red Sun'' (french: Soleil rouge, it, Sole rosso) is a 1971 Franco-Italian international co-production Spaghetti Western film directed by Terence Young and starring Charles Bronson, Toshirō Mifune, Alain Delon, Ursula Andress, and Capucine. ...
'' (1971) - Japanese Ambassador *'' Tidal Wave'' (1973) - Philippines Ambassador to United Nations *''
Marco Marco may refer to: People * Marco (given name), people with the given name Marco * Marco (actor) (born 1977), South Korean model and actor * Georg Marco (1863–1923), Romanian chess player of German origin * Tomás Marco (born 1942), Spanish c ...
'' (1973) - Sea Captain *''Karei-naru ichizoku'' (1974) - Shirakawa *''
Mastermind Mastermind, Master Mind or The Mastermind may refer to: Fictional characters * Mastermind (Jason Wyngarde), a fictional supervillain in Marvel Comics, a title also held by his daughters: ** Martinique Jason, the first daughter and successor of th ...
'' (1976) - Mr. Hiruta *''
The Last Dinosaur is a 1977 Japanese/American tokusatsu co-production, co-directed by Alexander Grasshoff and Tsununobu Kotani (the latter billed as Tom Kotani),Galbraith IV, Stuart (1994). ''Japanese Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films''. McFarland, p. 379. ...
'' (1977) - Dr. Kawamoto (final film role)


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Nakamura, Tetsu 1909 births 1992 deaths Japanese male film actors Canadian male film actors Canadian male actors of Japanese descent Canadian emigrants to Japan 20th-century Japanese male opera singers Male actors from Vancouver Musicians from Vancouver