Sumako, a country girl, becomes a great actress with the help of Hogetsu,a scholar who brought some of European realism to the Japan's stage. The relationship leads to the end of his marriage and the breakup of his Arts Society. This is another version of Kenji Mizoguchi's film "The Love of Sumako the Actress" ("Joyû Sumako no koi"), from the same year. Both tells the story of the famous actress Sumako Mitsui (1886-1919), considered the first great modern theater actress in Japan. Mizoguchi himself is said to have preferred Kinugasa's version.
Cast
Isuzu Yamada
Sumako Matsui
Yoshi Hijikata
Hōgetsu Shimamura
Ranko Akagi
Mrs. Itsuko
Noriko Sengoku
daughter Kuniko
Fusako Fujima
Chika, Itoko's mother
Hajime Izu
Tetsuo Mizushima
Eitarō Shindō
Dr. Okubo
Shin Date
Kiyozumi
Kenji Susukida
Keisuke Fukuhara
Tatsuya Ishiguro
Yozo Hirai
Hyo Kitazawa
Shirō Haruta
Yumi Takano
Kyōko Totsuka
Yasushi Nagata
Hiroo Takahama
Takashi Shimura
Genshirō Kuramoto
Masao Mishima
Heisuke Gakuyaban
Akitake Kōno
Haruyoshi Kobayashi
Fudeko Tanaka
Playing the shamisen
