ABSTRACT
Wakao entered the film industry in 1951 and throughout the decade led all idol actresses in popularity with an image that combined ladylike decorum with the accessibility of the girl next door. While most of her early work at Daiei consisted of routine entertainment, her performances for Mizoguchi Kenji and Kawashima YUzō (Gan no tera (Temple of the Wild Geese)) broadened her acting range, and those for Masumura Yasuzō (Tsuma wa kokuhakusuru (A Wife's Confession)) established her reputation for portraying fully sexual adult woman whose honest love for men could often be destructive.
