# Sessue Hayakawa filmography

Sessue Hayakawa (June 10, 1886 – November 23, 1973) was one of the first Asian actors and filmmakers to gain great fame and success in the United States. He starred in both English-language and Japanese-language films. His career peaked during the silent film period but continued on and eventually thrived in the talkie era, culminating with an Academy Award-nominated performance in The Bridge on the River Kwai in 1957.
Key :
| † | Denotes a lost or presumed lost film. |

## Early work

| Year | Title | Role | Director | Notes |
| 1914 | O Mimi San | Yorotomo | Charles Miller | Two reels |
| 1914 | The Courtship of O San † | Shotoku | Charles Miller | Two reels |
| 1914 | The Geisha † | Takura | Raymond B. West | Two reels |
| 1914 | The Ambassador's Envoy † | Kamuri | | Two reels |
| 1914 | A Tragedy of the Orient † | Kato | Reginald Barker | Two reels |
| 1914 | A Relic of Old Japan † | Koto | Reginald Barker | Two reels |
| 1914 | The Curse of Caste † | Kato | Reginald Barker | Two reels |
| 1914 | The Village 'Neath the Sea † | Red Elk | Thomas H. Ince Jay Hunt | Two reels |
| 1914 | Star of the North † | | Thomas H. Ince Jay Hunt | Two reels |
| 1914 | The Death Mask † | Running Wolf | Thomas H. Ince | Two reels |
| 1914 | The Hateful God † | | | Two reels |
| 1914 | Nipped † | Taro Kamura | George Osborne | Two reels |
| 1914 | The Vigil † | Kenjiro | George Osborne | Two reels |
| 1914 | Mother of the Shadows † | Running Elk | George Osborne | Two reels |
| 1914 | The Last of the Line | Tiah - Gray Otter's Son | Jay Hunt | Two reels |
| 1914 | The Typhoon | Tokorama | Reginald Barker | |
| 1914 | The Wrath of the Gods | Lord Yamaki | Reginald Barker | |
| 1914 | The Sacrifice † | | | |
| 1915 | The Famine † | Horisho | George Osborne | One reel |
| 1915 | The Chinatown Mystery † | Yo Hong | Reginald Barker | Two reels |

## Famous Player Lasky Films

| Year | Title | Role | Director |
| 1915 | After Five † | Oki - the Valet | Cecil B. DeMille Oscar Apfel |
| 1915 | The Clue † | Nogi | James Neill Frank Reicher |
| 1915 | The Secret Sin | Lin Foo | Frank Reicher |
| 1915 | The Cheat | Hishuru Tori (original release) / Haka Arakau | Cecil B. DeMille |
| 1915 | Temptation † | Opera Admirer | Cecil B. DeMille |
| 1916 | Alien Souls † | Sakata | Frank Reicher |
| 1916 | The Honorable Friend † | Makino | Edward LeSaint |
| 1916 | The Soul of Kura San † | Toyo | Edward LeSaint |
| 1916 | The Victoria Cross | Azimoolah | Edward LeSaint |
| 1917 | Each to His Kind † | Rhandah | Edward LeSaint |
| 1917 | The Bottle Imp † | Lopaka | Marshall Neilan |
| 1917 | The Jaguar's Claws † | El Jaguar | Marshall Neilan |
| 1917 | Forbidden Paths | Sato | |
| 1917 | Hashimura Togo † | Hashimura Togo | |
| 1917 | The Call of the East † | Arai Takada | George Melford |
| 1917 | The Secret Game | Nara-Nara | William C. deMille |
| 1918 | The Hidden Pearls † | Tom Garvin | |
| 1918 | The Honor of His House † | Count Ito Onato | William C. deMille |
| 1918 | The White Man's Law | John A. Genghis | James Young |
| 1918 | The Bravest Way | Kara Tamura | George Melford |
| 1918 | The City of Dim Faces † | Jang Lung | George Melford |

## Haworth Pictures Corporation

| Year | Title | Role | Director | Notes |
| 1918 | His Birthright | Yukio | William Worthington | Incomplete Served as writer |
| 1918 | Banzai † | The American General | | One reel |
| 1918 | The Temple of Dusk † | Akira | James Young | |
| 1919 | A Heart in Pawn † | Tomaya | William Worthington | |
| 1919 | The Courageous Coward † | Suki Iota | William Worthington | |
| 1919 | His Debt † | Goto Mariyama | William Worthington | |
| 1919 | The Man Beneath | Dr. Chindi Ashutor | William Worthington | |
| 1919 | The Gray Horizon † | Yamo Masata | William Worthington | |
| 1919 | The Dragon Painter | Tatsu - the Dragon Painter | William Worthington | |
| 1919 | Bonds of Honor † | Yamashito / Sasamoto | William Worthington | |
| 1919 | The Illustrious Prince † | Prince Maiyo | William Worthington | |
| 1919 | The Tong Man † | Luk Chen | William Worthington | This film is not lost. It is available to watch. Just viewed on Turner Classic Movies together with the Dragon Painter. |
| 1920 | The Beggar Prince † | Nikki / Prince | William Worthington | |
| 1920 | The Brand of Lopez † | Vasco Lopez | Joseph De Grasse | |
| 1920 | The Devil's Claim | Akbar Khan / Hassan | Charles Swickard | |
| 1920 | Li Ting Lang | Li Ting Lang | Charles Swickard | |
| 1920 | An Arabian Knight † | Ahmed | Charles Swickard | |
| 1921 | The First Born | Chan Wang | | Served as producer |
| 1921 | Black Roses † | Yoda | Colin Campbell | Served as producer |
| 1921 | Where Lights Are Low † | Tsu Wong Shih | Colin Campbell | Served as producer |
| 1921 | The Swamp | Wang | Colin Campbell | Served as producer and writer |
| 1922 | Five Days to Live † | Tai Leung | Norman Dawn | |
| 1922 | The Vermilion Pencil † | Tse Chan / The Unknown / Li Chan | | |

## European, American and Japanese Films

| Year | Title | Role | Director | Notes |
| 1923 | La Bataille † | Le Marquis Yorisaka | Himself Édouard-Émile Violet | French film Served as producer |
| 1924 | The Great Prince Shan † | Prince Shan | A. E. Coleby | British film |
| 1924 | The Danger Line † | Marquis Yorisaka | Édouard-Émile Violet | American film |
| 1924 | Sen Yan's Devotion † | Sen Yan | A. E. Coleby | British film |
| 1924 | I Have Killed | Hideo - l'antiquaire japonais | | French film |
| 1929 | The Man Who Laughed Last | | | Short film. Early talking film for Sessue Hayakawa |
| 1931 | Daughter of the Dragon | Ah Kee | Lloyd Corrigan | American film |
| 1932 | Taiyo wa higashi yori | Kenji | | Japanese film |
| 1934 | Bakugeki hikôtai | | | Japanese film |
| 1935 | Tojin Okichi | Townsend Harris | | Japanese film |
| 1935 | Kuni o mamoru mono: Nichiren | Nichiren | | Japanese film |
| 1937 | The Daughter of the Samurai | Iwao Yamato | Arnold Fanck Mansaku Itami | German-Japanese Film |
| 1937 | Yoshiwara | Ysamo, Kuli | Max Ophüls | French film |
| 1937 | The Cheat | Prince Hu-Long | Marcel L'Herbier | French film |
| 1938 | Storm Over Asia | Le prince Ling | Richard Oswald | French film |
| 1942 | White Patrol | Halloway | | French film |
| 1942 | Macao, l'enfer du jeu [fr] | Ying Tchaï | | French film |
| 1943 | Malaria | Saïdi | Jean Gourguet | French film |
| 1943 | The Midnight Sun | Matsui | Bernard-Roland | French film |
| 1946 | Le Cabaret du grand large [fr] | Professeur Wang | | French film |
| 1947 | Chinese Quarter | Tchang | | French film |

## Final films

| Year | Title | Role | Director | Notes |
| 1949 | Tokyo Joe | Baron Kimura | Stuart Heisler | |
| 1950 | Three Came Home | Col. Mitsuo Suga | Jean Negulesco | |
| 1950 | Harukanari haha no kuni | Joe Hayami | | Japanese film |
| 1950 | Re mizeraburu: kami to akuma | | | Japanese film |
| 1950 | Re mizeraburu: kami to jiyu no hata | | | Japanese film |
| 1953 | Onna kanja himon - Akô rôshi | Sakon Tachibana | | Japanese film |
| 1953 | Kurama Tengu to Katsu Kaishû | Awanokami Katsu | | Japanese film |
| 1954 | Nihon yaburezu | | | Japanese film |
| 1955 | House of Bamboo | Insp. Kita | Samuel Fuller | Dubbed by Richard Loo |
| 1957 | The Bridge on the River Kwai | Colonel Saito | David Lean | Nomination - Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor |
| 1958 | The Geisha Boy | Mr. Sikita | Frank Tashlin | |
| 1959 | Green Mansions | Runi | Mel Ferrer | |
| 1960 | Hell to Eternity | Gen. Matsui | Phil Karlson | |
| 1960 | Swiss Family Robinson | Kuala, Pirate Chief | Ken Annakin | |
| 1961 | The Big Wave | The Old Man | Tad Danielewski | |
| 1966 | The Daydreamer | The Mole | Jules Bass | Voice role |
| 1967 | Junjô nijûsô | Tajima | | Japanese film |

## Appearances as himself

| Year | Title | Notes |
| 1918 | United States Fourth Liberty Loan Drive | |
| 1922 | Night Life in Hollywood | |
| 1931 | Around the World in 80 Minutes with Douglas Fairbanks | Directed by Douglas Fairbanks and Victor Fleming. |
| 1932 | Running Hollywood | |

## Television appearances

| Year | Title | Role |
| 1958 | Kraft Television Theatre | |
| 1958 | Studio One | |
| 1958 | Wagon Train | Sakae Ito |
| 1959 | The Steve Allen Show | |
| 1961-1962 | Here's Hollywood | |
| 1963 | Route 66 | Takasuka |
| 1965 | Taikōki | Takeda Shingen |