Akio Isono
Born: 1910-10-20 in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan
Died: 1986-01-21
Known For: Acting
Biography
Akio Isono (October 20, 1910 – January 21, 1986) was born in Tsurumi, near Yokohama in 1910. His family ran a newspaper sales business. In 1917, at the age of seven, he became a pupil of Hanayanagi Shotaro, who was known as a great actor of the new school, and trod the boards for the first time in child roles at the Hongoza theater. After that he went on to perform in theaters run by Shochiku. In 1921, he performed in his first leading film role in Yamagureru under the direction of Ushihara Kiyohiko, and he then alternated leading roles on the stage with those at Shochiku Pictures. In 1925, he became an exclusive actor for Shochiku Cinema, Kamata Studios and starred in a number of films. Isono, together with Mitsui Hideo and Abe Shozaburo, won great popularity as the Yotamono Trio. The Yotamono Trio appeared in a series of movies, beginning with the 1931 film Reijo to Yotamono. In 1932, his excellent performance in the film Arashi no Naka no Shojo, directed by Shimazu Yasujiro, won great critical acclaim. In 1943, he left Shochiku and joined the theater company Warai no Okoku. After the war, he continued to appear in supporting roles, mainly for Shochiku, but from the late 1960s he began appearing exclusively in TV dramas. His gentle and humorous acting style won him great acclaim. He died of lung cancer at 8:18 a.m. on January 21, 1986, at the Ofuna Kyosai Hospital in Totsuka Ward, Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture. He was 75 years old.
Filmography
1966
- Ultra Q as Taro's Father
1962
1961
1959
1956
- I Will Buy You as Saburô Kurita
- The Rose on His Arm as Neighbour on the left, Mister
- Story of Second Class Private, Sequel
- 続二等兵物語 南方孤島の巻
1955
- 荒木又右衛門 as 仲間春蔵
1951
- Carmen Comes Home as Ichiro Aoyama
1950
1949
- Odoru ryûgûjô as Kurosuke
1941
1940
- The Story of Tank Commander Nishizumi as Uematsu, Privete 1st Class
- Okinu and Banto
1939
1938
- The Masseurs and a Woman as Hiking Student
- Mother and Child as Office clerk
1937
- The Lights of Asakusa as Senkichi
- Lady Doctor Kinuyo as Ishida
1936
1934
- The Genealogy of Women
- Street Without End as Koichi, her younger brother
- Our Neighbor, Miss Yae as Seiji
- Storm in the City