Nobuo Nakagawa
Directing · Born Apr 18, 1905 · Died Jun 17, 1984 (79) · Kyōto, Kyōto Prefecture, Japan
Nobuo Nakagawa (中川 信夫, Nakagawa Nobuo, April 18, 1905 – June 17, 1984) was a Japanese film director, most famous for the stylized, folk tale-influenced horror films he made in the 1950s and 1960s. Born in Kyoto, Nakagawa was early on influenced by proletarian literature and wrote amateur film reviews for the Kinema Junpō film magazine. He joined Makino Film Productions in 1929 as an assistant director and worked under Masahiro Makino. When that studio went bankrupt in 1932, he switched to Utaemon Ichikawa's production company and made his debut as a director in 1934 with Yumiya Hachiman Ken. He later moved to Toho, where he made comedies starring Enoken and even documentaries during the war. It was at Shintoho after the war that he became known for his cinematic adaptations of Japanese Kaidan, especially his masterful version of Tokaido Yotsuya Kaidan in 1959. To Western audiences, his most famous film is Jigoku (1960), which he also co-wrote. The film was released on DVD by the Criterion Collection in 2006. He also filmed many Kaidan for television. His last film was 1982's Kaidan: Ikiteiru Koheiji.
Known for
Directed
Sunday Horror Series Best Selection
2019
The Living Koheiji
19826.6
Japanese Ghost Story Masterpiece Theater: The Sealed Room of the Inner Chamber
1979
Japanese Masterpiece Ghost Story Theatre
1979
The Sea of Mystery
1978
Ultraman Leo
19747.9
Mysterious Thirteen Nights Volume 2
1971
Mysterious Thirteen Nights: Chapter 4 - The Yokai Blood-stained Comb
1971
Mysterious Thirteen Nights Volume 1
1971
Mysterious Thirteen Nights: Chapter 1 - Ghost Story at the Kagamigaike
1971
Nihon Kaidan Gekijō: The Peony Lantern — Onibi no Maki / Hotarubi no Maki
1970
Okatsu the Fugitive
19696.4
Quick-draw Okatsu
19696.2
Playgirl
1969
Sakura sakazuki: gikyōdai
1969
Snake Woman's Curse
19686.0
男の嵐
1963
This Is Japan
1963
Showdown at Lightning Pass
196210.0
The Warrior from Kishu
1962
The Phantom Goblin
19626.0
Kanashimi wa itsumo haha ni
1962
Bored Hatamoto: The Mysterious Coral Mansion
1962
The Man Who Challenged 8,000,000-Koku
1961
Jigoku
19606.3
Death Row Woman
19606.0
Ghost Story of Yotsuya
19596.5
Kagebôshi: The Shadow Avenger
195910.0
The Lady Vampire
19595.4
Ghost in the Regiment
19588.0
Black Cat Mansion
19586.5
A Wicked Woman
19587.7
Hibarigaoka Showdown
1957
The Ghost of Kasane
19577.3
Casebook of Dandy Sashichi: The Ox of Edo
1957
Storming Osaka Castle: The Sanada Ten Braves
1957
Casebook of Dandy Sashichi: Six Famous Beauties
1956
The Ceiling at Utsunomiya
19566.2
The Three Swordsmen of Ashura
1956
In Love with a Heavenly Fox
1956
Vampire Moth
19564.7
Chutaro of Banba
19555.0
Kisan Detective Story: The Mysterious Doll-Maker
195310.0
Shishun no izumi
19537.0
An Edoite Judge
1953
Sunset Over Mount Fuji
1952
Today is Payday
19529.0
Love's Zephir Along the Tokaido
1952
Casebooks of Detective Umon: The Incident of the Fawn-Pattern Cloth
1952
Farewell to the Highland Station
1951
Bored Hatamoto: The Demon of Chinatown
1951
Conduct Report on Matashiro: The Devil Princess and Winter Rain
1951
Umon's Detective Stories: The One-Eyed Wolf
1951
Rinchi
1949
The Adventures of Tobisuke
1949
Enoken's Bow-Wow General
1940
Enoken Enters the Ring
1940
Shinpen Tange Sazen: Sekigan no maki
19398.0
Rivals
1939