Takako Irie
In the postwar period, Irie became known as a "ghost cat actress" (bakeneko joyū) for appearing in a series of kaidan (ghost story) movies. One of her late memorable roles was in Akira Kurosawa's Sanjuro, where she plays Mutsuta's wife, the lady who warns Sanjuro (Toshirō Mifune) that "the best sword stays in its scabbard".
Filmography (75 Appearances)
The Deserted City
Legend of the Cat Monster
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
The House of Hanging
Kenji Mizoguchi: The Life of a Film Director
Sanjuro
Lord Mito
Ghost-Cat of Yonaki Swamp
Fighting Letter for 29 People
Notebooks of Heiji Zenigata: Spider on the Skin
The Monster Cat of the Fifty-Three Stations
Matashirō Fighting Journey
The Roar of The Lion
The Ghost Cat of Ouma Crossing
The Great White Tiger Platoon
Nage Utasamon niban tegara: Tsuri tenjô no semushi otoko
Terrible Ghost Cat of Okazaki
Maiko monogatari
妻恋黒田節
Ghost-Cat of Arima Palace
Love Letter
Ghost of Saga Mansion
Kurama Tengu: The Fire Festival
Tales of a Drifter
Judge of the Ashuras
Blue Sky Angel
Zoku kagebōshi ryūkoaiutsutsu
Kagebōshi
Odoroki ikka
Invitation to Happiness
壮士劇場
Koyoi Tsuma to Narinu
Life Is like a Somersault
Four Marriages
The Most Beautiful
Omokage no machi
Wings of Victory
Mother Never Dies
Green Earth
Sky of Hope
The Battle of Kawanakajima
White Heron
Yukiko and Natsuyo
Dancers of Awa
The Snake Princess
Madam with a Ribbon
Sincerity
Enoken’s Shrewd Period
Family Diary Part II
Tojuro's Love
Learn from Experience, Part Two
Learn from Experience, Part One
A Husband's Chastity: Fall Again
A Husband's Chastity: If Spring Comes & Fall Once Again
A Husband's Chastity: If Spring Comes
Karayuki-san
Mother's Melody
A Woman's Sorrows
Kuriyama Daizen
Great Bodhisattva Pass 2
Great Bodhisattva Pass
Karisome no kuchibeni
Tsuki yori no shisha
The Water Magician
The Dawn of Manchuria and Mongolia
Kokoro no jitsugetsu: Retsujitsu hen - Gekko hen
Jean Valjean: Part Two
Jean Valjean: Part One
Behold This Mother
Yoshie Fujiwara's Hometown
Matenro sôtohen
Tokyo March
A Living Puppet
The Morning Sun Shines
Metropolitan Symphony