Sad Whistle - Sad Whistle

...She was born as the eldest daughter of a fishmonger in Takigashira, Isogo Ward, Yokohama City. With natural talent and her mother's love of show business, she began performing at nearby theaters from the age of nine, and in 1948 she made her debut at the Yokohama International Theater, and in 1949 at the Nichigeki Theater. She performed hit songs of the time, such as Shizuko Kasagi's (1914-85) Tokyo Boogie Woogie, with a skill that rivaled that of adults, and gained a reputation as a genius young singer. In September 1949, Columbia Records released her second record, Kanashiki Kuchibue, following Kappa Boogie Woogie, and in October, the song was used as the theme song for a Shochiku film of the same name, in which she starred (this was her first starring role in a film. Her first film appearance was in March 1949, in Toyoko Film's Nodo Jiman Kyo Jidai, directed by Torajiro Saito). It quickly sold 100,000 copies, and soon became her first big hit, selling nearly 500,000 copies.

*Some of the terminology explanations that mention "Sad Whistle" are listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

…横浜市磯子区滝頭（たきがしら）の魚屋の長女として生まれ，天性の才能と母親の〈芸能界好き〉によって，9歳から近くの劇場に出演，1948年には横浜国際劇場，49年には日劇と，本格的な劇場への出演をはたし，笠置シヅ子(1914‐85)の《東京ブギウギ》など当時のヒット曲をおとな顔負けの巧みさでこなして，〈天才少女歌手〉として評判となった。49年9月，《河童ブギウギ》に続く2枚目のレコード《悲しき口笛》をコロムビアレコードから発売，続いて10月にはこれを主題歌とする松竹の同名主演映画も公開されて(これが初の主演映画。なお映画初出演は1949年3月の東横映画･斎藤寅次郎監督《のど自慢狂時代》)，たちまち10万枚を売りつくし，やがて50万枚に迫る初の大ヒットとなった。…

※「《悲しき口笛》」について言及している用語解説の一部を掲載しています。

出典｜株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典 第２版について | 情報