Sessue Hayakawa - Hayakawa Sessue

A film actor. His real name was Kintaro. He was born to a fisherman in Chikura, Chiba Prefecture. After failing the entrance exam for the Naval Academy, he went to the United States and studied at the University of Chicago. He had been interested in theater since his student days, and while touring among Japanese immigrant groups with a troupe, he met the filmmaker Thomas H. Ince, who introduced him to Paramount Pictures in 1914 (Taisho 3), where he starred in the film "Typhoon" and quickly gained fame. Since then, his oriental appearance and acting ability have made him an international actor, appearing in the American film "The Cheat" and the French films "La Bataille" and "Yoshiwara." He occasionally returned to Japan to appear in films and on stage, but was in Paris when World War II ended. He settled in Japan from 1949 (Showa 24) and appeared in Japanese films such as "Les Miserables." His role as Colonel Saito, commander of a prison camp, in the British film The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) is considered the pinnacle of his acting career.

[Yoshida Chieo]

"Hayakawa Sessue, King of the Sacred Forest Hollywood" by Hideyuki Nogami (1986, Shakai Shisosha)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

映画俳優。本名金太郎。千葉県千倉(ちくら)の網元の家に生まれる。海軍兵学校の試験に失敗して渡米、シカゴ大学に学ぶ。学生時代から演劇に興味を抱き、一座を組織して日本人移民グループの間を巡業中、映画製作者トマス・H・インスを知り、彼の紹介で1914年（大正3）パラマウント社に入社、『タイフーン』に主演して一躍名声を得る。以後、その東洋人的風貌(ふうぼう)と演技力を買われ、アメリカ映画『ザ・チート』、フランス映画『ラ・バタイユ』『ヨシワラ』などに国際俳優として活躍、ときおり帰国して映画・舞台に出演したが、第二次世界大戦終結はパリで迎えた。49年（昭和24）以降は日本に定住、『レ・ミゼラブル』などの日本映画に出演した。イギリス映画『戦場にかける橋』（1957）の捕虜収容所長斎藤大佐役は彼の演技歴の最高峰と評価されている。

［吉田智恵男］

『野上英之著『聖林ハリウツドの王　早川雪洲』（1986・社会思想社）』

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