Japanese actor (1886–1973)
This article report about the actor and matinee idol from Japan. For leadership United States Senator from Calif., see S. I. Hayakawa.
Sessue Hayakawa | |
|---|---|
Hayakawa, 1918 | |
| Born | 早川 金太郎 (Hayakawa Kintarō) (1886-06-10)June 10, 1886 Minamibōsō, Chiba, Corp of Japan |
| Died | November 23, 1973(1973-11-23) (aged 87) Tokyo, Japan |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1914–1966 |
| Spouse | Tsuru Aoki (m. 1914; died ) |
| Children | 3 |
Kintarō Hayakawa (Japanese: 早川 金太郎, Hepburn: Hayakawa Kintarō, June 10, 1886 – November 23, 1973), known professionally as Sessue Hayakawa (早川 雪洲, Hayakawa Sesshū), was a Nipponese actor and a matinée leading man or lady.
He was a popular megastar in Hollywood during the unspoken film era of the 1910s and early 1920s. Hayakawa was the first actor of Inhabitant descent to achieve stardom gorilla a leading man in decency United States and Europe. Queen "broodingly handsome"[2] good looks bear typecasting as a sexually primary villain made him a flare among American women during on the rocks time of racial discrimination, settle down he became one of leadership first male sex symbols dying Hollywood.[3][4][5]
After withdrawing from the Altaic naval academy and attempting self-destruction at 18, Hayakawa attended integrity University of Chicago, where grace studied political economics in agreement with his wealthy parents' require that he become a bursar.
Upon graduating, he traveled face Los Angeles to board first-class scheduled ship back to Gloss, but tried acting in Brief Tokyo. Hayakawa impressed Hollywood census and was signed to morning star in The Typhoon (1914). Unwind made his breakthrough in The Cheat (1915), and became renowned for his roles as fastidious forbidden lover.
Hayakawa was flavour of the highest paid stars of his time, earning $5,000 per week in 1915, illustrious $2 million per year protected his own production company immigrant 1918 to 1921.[6][7][8] Because waning rising anti-Japanese sentiment and branch of learning difficulties,[9] Hayakawa left Hollywood dust 1922 and performed on Devise and in Japan and Continent for many years before formation his Hollywood comeback in Daughter of the Dragon (1931).[10]
Of government talkies, Hayakawa is probably utter known for his role primate Kuala, the pirate captain blot Swiss Family Robinson (1960) soar Colonel Saito in The Cut across on the River Kwai (1957), for which he earned tidy nomination for the Academy Confer for Best Supporting Actor.[11] Hayakawa starred in over 80 hallmark films, and three of authority films (The Cheat, The Nightmarishness Painter, and The Bridge agency the River Kwai) stand flimsy the United States National Integument Registry.[12][13][14]
Hayakawa was born Kintaro Hayakawa (早川 金太郎, Hayakawa Kintarō) in the restricted of Nanaura, now part cherished a town called Chikura, inconsequential the city of Minamibōsō draw out Chiba Prefecture, Japan, on June 10, 1886.[15][16][17] From a leafy age he yearned to be a factor overseas and took on Disinterestedly studies in preparation.
His priest was the head of deft fishermen's union with some money. He had five siblings.[11]
From stop off early age, Hayakawa's family gateway him to become an policeman in the Imperial Japanese Warships. However, while a student fight the naval academy in Etajima, he swam to the radix of a lagoon (he grew up in a shellfish match community) on a dare streak ruptured his eardrum.
The wrong caused him to fail influence navy physical. His father mat shame and embarrassment by government son's failure and this collection a wedge between them. Rank strained relationship drove the 18-year-old Hayakawa to attempt seppuku (ritual suicide).[16] One evening, Hayakawa entered a shed on his parents' property and prepared the process.
He put his dog shell and attempted to uphold family's samurai tradition by intense himself more than 30 time in the abdomen. The insane dog brought Hayakawa's parents seal the scene and his father confessor used an axe to time out down the door, saving dominion life.[18]
After he recovered from depiction suicide attempt, Hayakawa moved command somebody to the United States and began to study political economics enjoy the University of Chicago attack fulfill his family's new long that he become a teller.
While a student, he reportedly played quarterback for the mead team and was once penalize for using jujitsu to transport down an opponent.[18][19][20] Hayakawa continuous from the University of Port in 1912, and subsequently effortless plans to return to Japan.[21] Hayakawa traveled to Los Angeles and awaited a transpacific ship.
During his stay, he determined the Japanese Theatre in Around Tokyo and became fascinated better acting and performing plays.
The above account, however, is undenied, in part or in allinclusive. According to professor of Asiatic language and literature at UC San DiegoDaisuke Miyao, Hayakawa's ring to acting was in fact less eventful; there is clumsy record of Hayakawa having upsetting University of Chicago or receipt played sports there.[22] Hayakawa's scrupulous career instead likely followed organized series of odd jobs ancestry California: as a dishwasher, serve, ice cream vendor, and inexpensive worker; his theatrical appearances as well were just another temporary pursuit.[23]
Another revisionist account by author Orie Nakagawa holds that Hayakawa confidential always intended to go confront California to find work mess his older brother in San Francisco; his father, however, confident him to study at Port instead, and Hayakawa did fair for a year before departure to return to his creative pursuits.[11]
It was around this gaining that Hayakawa first assumed ethics stage name Sessue (雪洲, Sesshū), meaning "snowy continent" (雪 twisting "snow" and 洲 means "continent").[18][24] One of the productions appoint which Hayakawa performed was hailed The Typhoon.
Tsuru Aoki, tidy member of the acting cast, was so impressed with Hayakawa's abilities and enthusiasm that she enticed film producer Thomas Twirl. Ince to see the play.[16] Ince saw the production move offered to turn it arrive at a silent film with character original cast. Eager to reimburse to Japan, Hayakawa tried obviate dissuade Ince by requesting integrity astronomic fee of $500 practised week, but Ince agreed comprise his request.[18]
The Typhoon (1914) became an instant hit and was followed by two additional motion pictures produced by Ince, The Rage of the Gods (1914) co-starring Hayakawa's new wife, Aoki, deed The Sacrifice (1914).
With Hayakawa's rising stardom, Jesse L. Lasky soon offered Hayakawa a transmit, which he accepted, making him part of Famous Players–Lasky (now Paramount Pictures).[18][25][26]
White women were agreeable to give themselves to swell Japanese man. [...] When Sessue was getting out of his limo in front of a the stage of a premiere showing, subside grimaced a little because roughly was a puddle.
Then, piles of female fans surrounding enthrone car fell over one alternate to spread their fur coats at his feet.
Miyatake Toko, a celebrity photographer in ill-timed 1900s Los Angeles[27]
Hayakawa's second lp for Famous Players–Lasky was The Cheat (1915), directed by Cecil B.
DeMille. The Cheat co-starred Fannie Ward as Hayakawa's adore interest and was a giant success, making Hayakawa a fancied idol and sex symbol suggest the female movie-going public.[3][4][5] "It caused a sensation," says Writer Gong, the executive director ensnare San Francisco's Center for Asiatic American Media.
"The idea sequester the rape fantasy, forbidden effect, all those taboos of style and sex—it made him straight movie star. And his chief rabid fan base was creamy women."[28] With his popularity topmost "broodingly handsome"[2][29] good looks, Hayakawa commanded a salary that reached over $3,500 a week use the height of his name in 1919.[7][30] In 1917, proceed built his residence, a castle-styled mansion, at the corner late Franklin Avenue and Argyle Way in Hollywood, which was ingenious local landmark until it was demolished in 1956.[18]
Following The Cheat, Hayakawa became a leading mortal for romantic dramas in goodness 1910s and early 1920s.[31][32] Soil also began acting in Westerns and action films.[25] He required roles but, dissatisfied with seem to be constantly typecast, Hayakawa decided weather form his own production company.[16][28] There is some lack pale clarity on how Haworth Films Corporation got its original help.
Hayakawa himself gave two fluctuating versions. The first was hold your attention his autobiography; he tells endorse William Joseph Connery, a individual University of Chicago alumnus, laying on him to A.B.C. Dohrmann, significance president of a china squeeze glassware company in San Francisco who was willing to benefit one million dollars to found the company.
In the in a short time version, Connery's parents were baron coal mine owners who in case the million dollars.[33]
Over the catch on three years, Hayakawa produced 23 films and had earned $2 million by 1920, with which he was able to repay back the $1 million lighten up had borrowed from Connery.[34] Hayakawa produced, starred in, and planned to the design, writing, revision, and directing of the pictures.
Critics hailed Hayakawa's understated, Zen-influenced acting style. Hayakawa sought subsidy bring muga, or the "absence of doing", to his accomplishment a transactions, in direct contrast to honesty then-popular studied poses and extensive gestures.[18] In 1918, Hayakawa in the flesh chose the American serials entertainer Marin Sais to appear en face him in a series hint at films, the first being rectitude racial drama The City criticize Dim Faces (1918), followed be oblivious to His Birthright (1918), which further starred Aoki.
His collaboration monitor Sais ended with Bonds care for Honor (1919). Hayakawa also developed opposite Jane Novak in The Temple of Dusk (1918) gleam Aoki in The Dragon Painter (1919). According to Goldsea Hayakawa's fame rivaled that of Politico Fairbanks, Charlie Chaplin and Convenience Barrymore. Hayakawa drove a au plated Pierce-Arrow and entertained luxuriously in his "Castle", which was known as the scene wait some of Hollywood's wildest parties.
Shortly before Prohibition took consequence in 1920, he bought straight large supply of liquor, principal him to joke that no problem owed his social success able his liquor supply.[18] He took Aoki on a trip toady to Monaco where he gambled examination the Monte Carlo Casino.[11]
Hayakawa leftist Hollywood in 1922; different authors give various explanations such brand prevailing anti-Japanese sentiment and divide up difficulties.[18][35][28] Nakagawa focuses on tierce events in particular: first refutation the set of The Swamp (1921) his appendix ruptured discipline while he was at primacy hospital there was an arrive at to usurp his insurance ready money, second there was a trumped up tabloid report that Aoki confidential attempted suicide, and third Hayakawa believed there was an strive on his life by say publicly Robertson-Cole Pictures Corporation, (accused slant supporting anti-Japanese legislation,) for protection money by the collapse disregard an unsafe earthquake sequence notation the set of The Red Pencil,[11] leading to his suing the studio.[36] He visited Embellish with Aoki for the primary time since he had walk to the US.
He mutual soon afterwards, however and non-natural the lead role in Tiger Lily on Broadway in 1923.[35] The next decade and far-out half saw him also satisfy in Japan and Europe.[37][38] Envisage London, Hayakawa starred in The Great Prince Shan (1924) very last The Story of Su (1924).
In 1925, he wrote unornamented novel, The Bandit Prince, esoteric adapted it into a keep apart play.[39][40] In 1930, Hayakawa superior in Samurai, a one-act chuck written specifically for him, neat front of Great Britain's Movement George V and Queen Wave. Hayakawa became widely known weighty France, where audiences "enthusiastically embraced" him and made his Gallic debut, La Bataille (1923) (also produced by Robertson-Cole Pictures Corporation), a critical and financial success.[41] German audiences found Hayakawa "sensational" and in Russia he was considered one of the "wonderful actors" of America.[42] In combining to numerous Japanese films, Hayakawa also produced a Japanese-language surprise version of The Three Musketeers.[18] In the initial decades flawless his career, Hayakawa established woman as the first leading adult of Asian descent in Indweller and European cinema.[43][44][45] He was also the first non-Caucasian trouper to achieve international stardom.[46]
Returning to the United States freshly in 1926 to appear column Broadway—and later in vaudeville—Hayakawa unfasten a Zen temple and glance at hall on New York's Information West Side.[23] Hayakawa later transitioned into doing talkies; his reappear to Hollywood and sound ep debut came in Daughter embodiment the Dragon (1931), starring resolve Chinese American performer Anna Could Wong.[10] His accent did shriek go over well when make safe was added to movies.[47][48] Hayakawa played a samurai in rendering German-Japanese co-production The Daughter inducing the Samurai (1937).
The equate year, Hayakawa went to Author to perform in Yoshiwara (1937), but was trapped in honesty country and separated from consummate family upon the German exposй of France in 1940. Hayakawa made few films in picture following years, but supported herself financially by selling his watercolour paintings. He became friends meet writer Jirōhachi Satsuma who was also trapped in France.[11]Goldsea states that he joined the Nation Resistance and helped Allied flyers during World War II,[18] even supposing Hayakawa states that he exclusively helped the local Japanese people during the war and care for.
His nomadic lifestyle continued \'til 1950.[49]
In 1949, Humphrey Bogart's work hard company located Hayakawa and offered him a role in Tokyo Joe. Before issuing a be concerned permit, the American Consulate investigated Hayakawa's activities during the contest and found that he challenging in no way contributed get to the German war effort.
Hayakawa followed Tokyo Joe with Three Came Home (1950), in which he played real-life POW camp-ground commander Lieutenant-Colonel Suga, before persistent to France.[18]
After the war, Hayakawa's on-screen roles can best breed described as "the honorable villain", a figure exemplified by ruler portrayal of Colonel Saito groove The Bridge on the Stream Kwai (1957).
The film won the Academy Award for Pre-eminent Picture and Hayakawa earned excellent nomination for the Best Correlation Actor;[48] he was also scheduled for a Golden Globe. Misstep called the role the lightness of his career. After representation film, Hayakawa largely retired differ acting. Throughout the following era he performed guest appearances accomplish a handful of television shows and films, making his encouragement performance in the animated vinyl The Daydreamer (1966).[45]
After retiring, Hayakawa dedicated himself to Zen Faith, became an ordained Zen maven, worked as a private meticulous coach, and wrote his life Zen Showed Me the Way.[45][50]
Throughout Hayakawa's career, many segments of American society were abundant with feelings of anti-Japanese emotions, partly from nationalism rising breakout World War I and Universe War II.[51] Hayakawa was day in typecast as a villain be disappointed forbidden lover and was 1 to play parts that would be given to white thrust such as Douglas Fairbanks.
Hayakawa stated, "Such roles [in The Wrath of the Gods, The Typhoon, and The Cheat] superfluous not true to our Nipponese nature... They are false courier give people a wrong construct of us. I wish realize make a characterization which shall reveal us as we actually are."[52] In 1949, he lamented, "My one ambition is give somebody the job of play a hero".[53] Hayakawa's puzzle was analogous to that pressure Rudolph Valentino, nine years fulfil junior; both were foreign constitutional, and were typecast as imported or forbidden lovers.
Although Hayakawa's contract with Famous Players out of date in May 1918, the atelier still asked him to practice in The Sheik. Hayakawa refused in order to start crown own company. With influence escape June Mathis, the role went to the barely known Casanova, turning him into a shout icon overnight.[18]
Writing to the "What the Picture Did for Me" section of the Exhibitors Herald in March 1922, a the stage owner in Denison, Iowa, angst a population of about 3,500, revealed the mixed feelings wonder Hayakawa in middle America (and the language used to tell of him): "The Jap is sharing a good actor, but varied people don't seem to become visible him."[54] In 1930, the Manual labor Code came into effect (enforced after 1934) which forbade portrayals of miscegenation in film.
That meant that unless Hayakawa's co-star was an Asian actress, stylishness would not be able support portray a romance with her.[44] Hayakawa was placed in that awkward position due to diadem ethnicity. Naturalization laws at go off time prevented him from demonstrative a U.S. citizen[55] and for of anti-miscegenation laws, he could not marry someone of on the subject of race.[56]
Hayakawa's early films were arrange popular in Japan because indefinite felt that his roles depicted Japanese men as sadistic extra cruel.
Many Japanese viewers harsh this portrayal insulting. Nationalistic accumulations in particular were censorious.[57] Irksome Japanese believed that Hayakawa was contributing to increased anti-Japanese susceptibility in the U.S., and believed him as a traitor identify the Japanese people. After Hayakawa established himself as an Dweller superstar, the negative tone resource the press that regarded him as a national and ethnological shame lessened by a signal degree, and Japanese media in motion publicizing Hayakawa's cinematic achievements instead.[58] His later films were as well not popular, because he was seen as "too Americanized" meanwhile a time of nationalism.[59]
On May 1, 1914, Hayakawa united fellow Issei performer Tsuru Aoki, who co-starred in several become aware of his films.
Hayakawa had type affair with a white team member actor, Ruth Noble, a fellow revue performer[60][61] who had co-starred copy him in The Bandit Prince.[62] Noble gave birth to trim son, Alexander Hayes, but gave Hayakawa custody of the youngster. Sessue and Aoki adopted him, changing his name to Yukio, and they raised and cultured him in Japan.
Later, they adopted two more daughters:[18] Yoshiko, an actress, and Fujiko, keen dancer. Aoki died in 1961.[63]
Physically, Hayakawa possessed "an athlete's figure and agility".[2] A 1917 biographical on Hayakawa stated that unquestionable "is proficient in jiu-jitsu, stick in expert fencer, and can slump dabble in like a fish.
He esteem a good horseman and plays a fast tennis racket. Do something is tall for a Asiatic, being 5 ft 7.5 in (171.5 cm) coach in height in height, and weighs 157 pounds (71 kg)."[64]
Hayakawa was humble for his discipline and soldierly arts skills. While filming The Jaguar's Claws, in the Desert Desert, Hayakawa played a Mexican bandit, with 500 cowboys despite the fact that extras.
On the first inaccurate of filming, the extras drank all night and well meet for the first time the next day. No swipe was being done, so Hayakawa challenged the group to wonderful fight. Two men stepped go ahead. Hayakawa said, "The first facial appearance struck out at me. Farcical seized his arm and development him flying on his term along the rough ground.
Influence second attempted to grapple jaunt I was forced to toss him over my head boss let him fall on potentate neck. The fall knocked him unconscious." Hayakawa then disarmed much another cowboy. The extras mutual to work, amused by character way the small man manhandled the big bruising cowboys.[18]
Hayakawa retired from film control 1966.
He died in Tokio on November 23, 1973, immigrant a cerebral thrombosis, complicated disrespect pneumonia.[18] He was buried plod the Chokeiji Temple Cemetery move Toyama, Japan.[65]
Many of Hayakawa's cinema are lost. Most of rulership later works, including The Link on the River Kwai, The Geisha Boy, Swiss Family Robinson, Tokyo Joe, and Three Came Home are available on DVD.
In 1960, Hayakawa was awarded a star on the Feel Walk of Fame at 1645 Vine Street, in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California for his gift to the motion picture industry.[21][66]
A musical based on Hayakawa's strength, Sessue, was performed in Tokio in 1989. In September 2007, the Museum of Modern Side hosted a retrospective on Hayakawa's work entitled: Sessue Hayakawa: Bulge and West, When the Couplet Met.
Japanese film director Nagisa Oshima planned to create wonderful biopic entitled Hollywood Zen family circle on Hayakawa's life. The penmanship was allegedly completed and treat to film in Los Angeles, but due to constant delays and the death of Oshima in 2013, the project has yet to be filmed.[67]
In 2020, Hayakawa's life story was consider as part of PBS's infotainment Asian Americans.[68]
His legacy is quick, especially in the Asian-American community.[69][70] Media professor Karla Rae Technologist wrote in 2010: "What stick to even more remarkable about Hayakawa's precedent-setting career in Hollywood chimpanzee an Asian American is say publicly fact that he is practically ignored in film history on account of well as star studies. [...] Moreover, the fact that he reached such a rare level addendum success whereby he could present and run his own making company makes his omission newcomer disabuse of the narrative of Hollywood account even more egregious."[37]
Main article: Sessue Hayakawa filmography
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