Ranko Sawa Trailers
Red Peony of Night TrailerYoung Lady TrailerShirobara wa sakedo Trailer
Sawa was born in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, in 1903. In 1919 she joined the young girl's theater group of Takarazuka under the stage name of Izumi Ranko. After passing through Shochiku Kamata, Sawa joined Nikkatsu Mukojima in 1923. In 1924 she moved to Teikoku Cinema's Ashiya Studios, where she became a leading actress. She met with great success for her performance in Hoshi wa Midaretobu, before going on to feature in Renbo Jigoku (Love's Hell). In Kago no Tori (The Caged Bird), directed by Matsumoto Eiichi, Sawa was selected to play the heroine alongside Satomi Akira. Teikoku Cinema's version of the film became a surprise hit, giving Sawa an instant popularity second only to that of Utakawa Yaeko. Following this she appeared in films such as Koryu Yokotawaru and Ogon Yorimo Tsuyoshi as the partner of Matsumoto Taisuke.
In 1927 Sawa joined Nikkatsu, where she appeared in Ukiyo Guruma and Chuji Tabi Nikki - Goyohen, with the latter film coming to be regarded as one of her definitive works. Following this, Sawa appeared in films such as Shizumi Yu Ningyo and Aojiroki Bara.
Sawa left Nikkatsu in 1931 after the incident in which she disappeared with Minobe Susumu. She subsequently went to Shochiku Kamata, where she appeared in Ai no Tatakai. In Kanki no Hitoya she gave a fine performance as the city girl who seduced Oka Joji. After becoming a freelance actress, Sawa gave an impassioned performance as Okichi in Nikkatsu's Onna Goroshi Abura Jigoku (The Ladykiller).
Sawa continued performing for the likes of Teikoku Cinema, Nikkatsu and Shochiku until around 1950, specializing in the portrayal of the modern, tomboyish girl. Her love affair with the conductor Konoe Hidemaro was well known, and they had one daughter together before separating.
Most Popular Ranko Sawa Trailers
Total trailers found: 15
01 June 1933
Set in the port city of Yokohama, two girls, Sunako and Dora who attend a Christian school, pledge to be friends.
12 April 1929
The Morning Sun Shines is a fiction-documentary film by Kenji Mizoguchi and Seiichi Ina. The film is a combination of a drama about a reporter, and documentary footage about newspaper production.
08 June 1933
In Depression-era Tokyo, the life of a single mother and her young son are disrupted by the return of her ex-husband, who fathered the child and walked out on her years earlier.
08 December 1950
A romantic melodrama about the shifting relationship between Ryosuke and Miki as their precarious employment and social circumstances shift around them.
21 January 1937
Young Hiroko’s conservative principles place her at odds with most modern women, as she has already submitted to her mother’s choice of man for any marriage prospect.
01 April 1932
Japanese film from 1932.
18 March 1932
Japanese film from 1932, adapted from the novel by Kan Kikuchi. The first sound film from director Yasujiro Shimazu.
21 July 1937
The story deas with the experiences of an exceptionally strong-willed, middle class Tokyo "ojōsan" who comes to teach in a middle school in the countryside.
27 December 1927
The Japanese equivalent of penny dreadfuls glorifying Jesse James, A Diary of Chuji’s Travels gives a unique gloss to the tale of Chuji Kunisada, the legendary bakuto (or gambler, the precursors to modern-day yakuza).
14 April 1932
The story of a sailor who begins a love affair with a woman he saves from suicide.
11 July 1937
Atsuko, a seamstress at a clothing shop in Ginza, spends her days quietly going about her work, oblivious to the gossip about romance swirling around her.
01 March 1933
Tsukamoto and Omitsu are close friends, but one day, Tsukamoto becomes fascinated by Ayako, whom he meets at the home of Miyajima.
01 January 1924
A kouta eiga, a type of Japanese silent silent film that featured a live performance by a benshi and on-screen lyrics.
01 December 1932
Japanese silent film from 1932.
