BIO

Susumu Fujita | 藤田進 was born in Fukuoka City, Japan, in 1912.   Upon having failed to pass his university entrance exams, Fujita began his film career as an extra.

After serving two years in the Imperial Japanese Army in the mid-1930s, Fujita made his feature film debut in 1939, at the age of 27.

He became a movie star prior to World War II and joined film director Akira Kurosawa’s stable of actors, appearing in Kurosawa's first feature film, Sanshiro Sugata (1943).

He broke with Toho Studios in a 1948 labor dispute and was relegated to supporting roles upon his return.

By the time of his final film role in 1983, he had appeared in over 100 motion pictures.

Fujita died of liver cancer, in Tokyo, in 1991.   He was 79 years old.

Additional biographical information is available at:

NOTED FILMS