Akio Isono
Akio Isono (October 20, 1910 – January 21, 1986) was born in Tsurumi, near Yokohama in 1910. His family ran a newspaper sales business. In 1917, at the age of seven, he became a pupil of Hanayanagi Shotaro, who was known as a great actor of the new school, and trod the boards for the first time in child roles at the Hongoza theater. After that he went on to perform in theaters run by Shochiku.
In 1921, he performed in his first leading film role in Yamagureru under the direction of Ushihara Kiyohiko, and he then alternated leading roles on the stage with those at Shochiku Pictures. In 1925, he became an exclusive actor for Shochiku Cinema, Kamata Studios and starred in a number of films. Isono, together with Mitsui Hideo and Abe Shozaburo, won great popularity as the Yotamono Trio. The Yotamono Trio appeared in a series of movies, beginning with the 1931 film Reijo to Yotamono. In 1932, his excellent performance in the film Arashi no Naka no Shojo, directed by Shimazu Yasujiro, won great critical acclaim.
In 1943, he left Shochiku and joined the theater company Warai no Okoku. After the war, he continued to appear in supporting roles, mainly for Shochiku, but from the late 1960s he began appearing exclusively in TV dramas. His gentle and humorous acting style won him great acclaim. He died of lung cancer at 8:18 a.m. on January 21, 1986, at the Ofuna Kyosai Hospital in Totsuka Ward, Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture. He was 75 years old.
Acting
Movie
The Human Condition I: No Greater Love
as (uncredited)
1959
Movie
The Masseurs and a Woman
as Hiking Student
1938
Movie
Love Letter
1953
Movie
Carmen Comes Home
as Ichiro Aoyama
1951
Movie
Apart from You
as Yoshio
1933
TV
Ultra Q
as Taro's Father
1966
Movie
Zero Focus
1961
Movie
I Will Buy You
as Saburô Kurita
1956
Movie
Carmen's Innocent Love
1952
Movie
Our Neighbor, Miss Yae
as Seiji
1934
Movie
Street Without End
as Koichi, her younger brother
1934
Movie
The Rose on His Arm
as Neighbour on the left, Mister
1956
Movie
The Lights of Asakusa
as Senkichi
1937
Movie
Lady Doctor Kinuyo
as Ishida
1937
Movie
Okoto and Sasuke
1935
Movie
Always in My Heart Part 2
1953
Movie
The Story of Tank Commander Nishizumi
as Uematsu, Privete 1st Class
1940
Movie
The Young Avenger
1957
Movie
Lumberjack and Lady
1935
Movie
Mole Alley
1953
Movie
Five Siblings
1939
Movie
The Tokyo Kid
1950
Movie
The Genealogy of Women
1934
Movie
Men vs. Women
1936