
Zenzō Matsuyama
Writer
Born: April 3, 1925 (91 years old)
Died: August 27, 2016
Place of birth: Kobe, Japan
Biography
Zenzō Matsuyama (松山 善三 Matsuyama Zenzō, 3 April 1925 - 27 August 2016) was a Japanese script writer and film director. He was born in Kobe and grew up in Yokohama. After leaving school, he began training to become a doctor but dropped out of medical school to take up a career in films. In 1948 he became an assistant director at Shochiku studios. With the support of Keisuke Kinoshita, he also began writing film scripts. His first filmed script was Kojo no tsuki, based on the song Kōjō no Tsuki, filmed in 1954. In 1955 he married actress Hideko Takamine. He made his debut as a director with a film called Na mo naku mazushiku utsukushikuin 1961. He continued to work as a scriptwriter for films like Proof of the Man as well as a director. He also wrote the lyrics for a song Ippon no enpitsu for Hibari Misora.
Filmography (23)
- Happiness of Us Alone (1961, ★ 9)
- The Human Condition I: No Greater Love (1959, ★ 8.1)
- The Wiser Age (1962, ★ 7.3)
- Proof of the Man (1977, ★ 7.8)
- Yearning (1964, ★ 8.1)
- The Human Condition III: A Soldier's Prayer (1961, ★ 8.4)
- The Human Condition II: Road to Eternity (1959, ★ 8.2)
- Mother Country (1962, ★ 6.8)
- The Tattered Wings (1955, ★ 6.2)
- Black River (1957, ★ 6.9)
- Our Marriage (1962, ★ 7.1)
- Fountainhead (1956, ★ 6)
- Tokyo 1958 (1958, ★ 6.2)
- Beautiful Days (1955, ★ 6.8)
- Ishibumi (2015, ★ 5.5)
- Carmen Comes Home (1951, ★ 6.3)
- The First Kiss (1955, ★ 6.4)
- The Other Woman (1961, ★ 6.3)
- The Lovelorn Geisha (1960, ★ 6.9)
- I Will Buy You (1956, ★ 7.1)
- Daughters, Wives and a Mother (1960, ★ 7.3)
- Moment of Terror (1966, ★ 5.9)
- Typhoon Over Nagasaki (1957, ★ 6.2)