Even before my blog was formed, I knew that this was the first real post I wanted to make. 
Those of you who know me already know that I’m crazy about Toshiro Mifune, one of Japan’s greatest actors (and of the world, really.) Aside from the man I love, to me he was one of the handsomest men ever and to see him on film, he’s nothing short of captivating.
The great irony is that he didn’t even set out to be an actor. He was at the studio for a camera job or something like that and the studio people thought he was there to audition. When the misunderstanding came out he started to leave but he caught the eye of an old-time actor whos aw something in him and told the others not to let him get away. They convinced Toshiro Mifune to audition and said to pretend he’s drunk. So he did. It happened that Akira Kurosawa, a new rising director at the time, was watching him from the sidelines and was so impressed, he brought him onto his current project. Well, anyone who’s ever watched Kurosawa’s films from that period knows what happened. A collaboration of 20 years that made magic on film. Please, ladies, tell me, I’m not the only one who’s heartbeat rises here!
November 20th, 2007
I was never a huge Mifune fan but I loved Red Beard and Yojimbo. And since he played one of the Shinsengumi boys in Band of Assassins that’s a keeper for me.
One of my first crushes as a sweet young thing was James Shigeta. That smooth deep voice of his hooked me from the start.
I was literally a kid when I first saw him on the old Sunday afternoon weekly film show (for you young folk that was way back in the day when there were only three or four channels to watch :P)
by Barbara Sheridan November 20th, 2007 at 4:47 pmNo, you’re not alone here, Sedonia. I’m not sure what movies they would have been, but from the time I was a kid I knew his name. It wasn’t until later that my admiration took on a whole new direction. The bathing-in-the-river scene in “Seven Samurai”? Whoa!
by Stephanie Vaughan November 20th, 2007 at 7:00 pmGood blog, Sedonia, although I don’t share your passion for Mifune.
Nessie
by Vanessa Hart November 20th, 2007 at 9:04 pmHe’s very handsome. I’m afraid this is the first time I’ve seen him. I’ll have to look for his movies. He reminds me of my taekwondo instructor whose extremely handsome.
by Ashley Ladd November 21st, 2007 at 6:59 pm