Setsuko Hara

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Michael Kerpan
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Re: Setsuko Hara

#126 Post by Michael Kerpan » Fri May 18, 2018 3:33 pm

What films does IMDB have that JMDB does not?

The Japanese and German versions of Samurai's Daughter/New Earth are supposedly fairly different.

Unless I am missing something -- I don't see her first major film listed -- Yamanaka's Kochiyama Soshun.

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Big Ben
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Re: Setsuko Hara

#127 Post by Big Ben » Fri May 18, 2018 6:00 pm

I'd wager on the simplest solution and say that someone simply hasn't updated the site! How are all these sites regarding entries? Are they diverse and so forth, just like Imdb? I say this because I simply can't imagine someone like Hara would be forgotten like that.

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Michael Kerpan
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Re: Setsuko Hara

#128 Post by Michael Kerpan » Sat May 19, 2018 3:01 pm

I'm pretty sure she is listed for Kochiyama Soshun on JMDB -- and I thought she once was also listed for this on IMDB. I find IMDB VERY problematic -- as I (and others) have sent (documented) corrections that were either ignored -- or implemented and soon after rolled back. I no longer waste my time on them.

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Re: Setsuko Hara

#129 Post by FilmSnob » Sat May 19, 2018 4:02 pm

IMDB has her credit listed for Kochiyama Soshun under its English title: Priest of Darkness. JMDB has all of her credits that I can find except for the following:

1. Young Eagles (1944)
2. Shôri no hi made / Until the Day of Victory (1945)
3. "Koi no fūunji" -- the film that was in post-production and shelved when Japan surrendered at the end of the war. JMDB has the correct release date 1953, but not the correct title, which was changed to "Energetic Boy".
4. Musume to watashi (TV Series) episode (1961)

Additionally, JMDB gives a 1960 release date for "The Life of a Country Doctor", while IMDB gives a 1961 release date. I'll assume JMDB is correct and that the discrepancy is trivial anyway.

Of course, IMDB is missing many of her acting credits.

I wonder if anybody has read the award winning book "Setsuko Hara's Truth" that was released a few years ago, or the magazine series that was run in Shincho 45+. Was anything therein substantiated or just rumor mongering? I doubt any of these are available in English-reading versions, but it seems more has been written on Miss Hara since she passed away in 2015. There was also an essay in her own handwriting dated around the end of the war.

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Michael Kerpan
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Re: Setsuko Hara

#130 Post by Michael Kerpan » Sat May 19, 2018 10:43 pm

I assume the Hara book is only available in Japanese? ;-)

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kindaikun
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Re: Setsuko Hara

#131 Post by kindaikun » Sun May 20, 2018 11:03 am

I don't know about the book but I did pick up the issue of Shincho 45 (May 2011) that had surviving fragments of Tama wo Negero (Throw your spirit) [1935], supposedly the oldest surviving footage of Hara.

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zedz
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Re: Setsuko Hara

#132 Post by zedz » Mon May 21, 2018 12:53 am

I picked up an old Japanese photo album a few weeks ago that, among its various arty shots (and fishing and golfing shots), had what seems to be a picture of a very young Setsuko Hara. It doesn't look like your typical studio promo shot (it's a little blurry), and there's pencil writing underneath it which I can't read. Maybe it's just a lookalike. I'll try to upload some images (though getting the pencil-on-black-paper writing to register will be difficult).

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Re: Setsuko Hara

#133 Post by FilmSnob » Sat Sep 15, 2018 1:43 am

kindaikun wrote:
Sun May 20, 2018 11:03 am
I don't know about the book but I did pick up the issue of Shincho 45 (May 2011) that had surviving fragments of Tama wo Negero (Throw your spirit) [1935], supposedly the oldest surviving footage of Hara.
OK that's what I'm talking about! How was it?

My quest to see all Setsuko Hara films starts today. I have been doing a lot of research-- my knowledge surely isn't complete since I don't speak Japanese, but nevertheless I have aggregated many, many sources. If people here would like to assist me or provide double check, or contribute (as I am) towards English translations, please feel free. I know Micheal Kerpan has seen many of these and has a lot of knowledge, kindaikun and others too.

Your knowledge is invaluable. Thanks very much!

Starting with 1935:

ためらふ勿れ若人よ (Don't Hesitate, Young People!) -- Setsuko Hara's debut. I believe this is a lost film. Stills and summary available only.

深夜の太陽 (Midnight Sun) -- I believe this is also a lost film. Are there even stills available? Or all traces lost?

魂を投げろ (Throw Your Spirit) -- Released as DVD extra in Shincho 45, May 2011 issue. Any copy have English subtitles? If not, I have a contact and will (hopefully with others) contribute towards commissioning English subtitles.

緑の地平線 前篇 (Green Horizons Part 1)
緑の地平線 後篇 (Green Horizons Part 2) -- I'm not sure which part or both Setsuko Hara played in, but stills and some details are available online. My understanding is these are both lost films.

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Re: Setsuko Hara

#134 Post by FilmSnob » Sat Sep 15, 2018 2:11 am

1936:

白衣の佳人 (Beautiful Girl in a White Coat) -- Lost film. Stills available.

河内山宗俊 (Priest of Darkness) -- available on DVD. Anyone who has seen this, how was it? Available with English subtitles?

嫁入り前の娘達 (Girls Before Marriage) -- Lost film. Stills available.

生命の冠 (Crown of Life) -- Released as DVD extra with Shincho 45, March 2011 issue. Anyone who has seen this, how was it? Available with English subtitles?

丹下左膳 日光の巻 (Tange Sazen Nikko Volume) -- Lost film. Conflicting information at the moment whether stills exist or not. Still looking into it.

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Re: Setsuko Hara

#135 Post by FilmSnob » Sat Sep 15, 2018 2:30 am

1937:

検事とその妹 (Prosecutor and Younger Sister) -- Lost film. Stills available.

The Daughter of the Samurai / 新しき土 (New Earth) -- Nazi German / Japanese co-production. German DVD version available. Subtitles? Japanese version has had (very rare) print screenings. Any home media versions available?

東海美女伝 (Saga of the Beautiful Women of Tokai) -- originally available on VHS through Kinema Club. I have located a DVD version, but subtitles are still needed.

母の曲 前篇 (Mother's Song Part 1)
母の曲 後篇 (Mother's Song Part 2) -- I'm not sure which part or both Setsuko Hara played in, but this was made available on VHS through Kinema Club. I am not sure at the moment whether exists on DVD or not.

Kinema Club sales and releases of Setsuko Hara films were discontinued in 2002, and I think it was picked up by Toho mail order club sometime after that. Not sure if they continue until this day.

Anyway, I will leave off here for now as I'm just concentrating on acquiring these works for the time being.

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Re: Setsuko Hara

#136 Post by FilmSnob » Sat Sep 15, 2018 5:36 pm

FilmSnob wrote:
Sat Sep 15, 2018 2:30 am
1937:

検事とその妹 (Prosecutor and Younger Sister) -- Lost film. Stills available.
Update from 2016:

According to this article, NHK was able to digitally restore a 10 second scene of Setsuko Hara from this otherwise lost film. The discovery and restoration was recent; until then, the fragment was so degraded it was not known.

https://getnews.jp/archives/1365833

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L.A.
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Re: Setsuko Hara

#137 Post by L.A. » Wed Jun 17, 2020 4:42 pm

Born 100 years ago today. Happy Birthday!

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