Classic Film Club

AWARDS

Mainichi Concours

NOMINEE
WINNER

The Quiet Duel

  • Mainich Concours iconActorMainich Concours icon
The Quiet Duel
  • The Quiet Duel
  • 静かなる決闘
  • 1949

Stray Dog

  • Mainich Concours iconActorMainich Concours icon
Stray Dog
  • Stray Dog
  • 野良犬
  • 1949

British Academy of Film and Television Arts

BAFTA NOMINEE

Ikiru

  • BAFTA iconForeign Actor
Ikiru
  • Ikiru
  • 生きる
  • 1952

Seven Samurai

  • BAFTA iconForeign Actor
Seven Samurai
  • Seven Samurai
  • 七人の侍
  • 1954

TAKASHI SHIMURA

Takashi Shimura

Takashi Shimura (1950)

Biography

BIO

Takashi Shimura | 志村喬 was born Shoji Shimazaki in Ikuno, Hyogo, Japan, in 1905.  His grandfather was a samurai.   His father was a metallurgical engineer.

Shimura began acting at Kansai University in Osaka before having to drop out due to the his father’s retirement.   He maintained ties with his university troupe and was touring professionally by 1930, at the age of 25.

He was jailed for 20 days in 1939 by the Japanese government for his left-wing views and associations.

Shimura made his Japanese film debut in 1934, at the age of 29, for Shinkou Kinema.   Always in demand, he went on to appear in more than 215 feature films through 1980, including his last film, Kagemusha (1980).

He would become internationally recognized through his association with film director Akira Kurosawa’s stock company.   He appeared in 21 of Kurosawa’s films, beginning with Sanshiro Sugata (1943).

Shimura received the Mainichi Concours Award for Actor for his work in Stray Dog (1949) and The Quiet Duel (1949).   He was also twice nominated for the BAFTA Award for Foreign Actor for his roles in Ikiru (1952) and Seven Samurai (1954).

He and his wife Masako had no children.

Shimura was diagnosed with emphysema in 1974 and died of lung disease in 1982, at the age of 76.


Other Pictures

Bette Davis (1952)

Films

NOTED FILMS

Complete filmography at: