Zhao Dan

Zhao Dan (Chinese赵丹, Pinyin Zhao Dan actually :赵凤 翱, Zhao Fèng'áo; * June 27, 1915 in Yangzhou, † October 10, 1980 in Beijing) was a Chinese actor.

He was born as the son of a cinema Zhao Feng'ao owner and entered first time in 1925 in a film on ( Feng dai shaoye ). From 1931 to 1934, Zhao studied landscape painting at the Art Academy in Shanghai. He wrote stories and plays and performed in a theater group. Since 1933, he also played regularly in the film for the Mingxing studio. In 1937, he had starring roles in two major films; as unemployed young academics in addition to Bai Yang Shen Xilings Shizi jietou and Malu Tianshi Yuan Muzhi.

After the occupation of Shanghai by the Japanese army, he joined an anti-Japanese theater troupe. 1939 Zhao was arrested by the Kuomintang and spent it four years in prison. It was not until 1947 he stepped back to movies. Attention was paid to the neorealistisch embossed Wuya yu maque ( 1949) by Zheng Junli, but also Wu Xun zhuan (1950 ) by Sun Yu, in which the character played by Zhao title Hero financed with the through street art and begging Gained for poor children an education. Sun's film acting, a sharp criticism of Mao Zedong and blocked the hitherto successful career of the director. Zhao Dan first took over after that particular party compliant roles. The historical- biographical roles Zhao Dan, as the pharmacist of the Ming Dynasty, Li Shizhen (1956 ) by Chen Fu or as Lin Zexu and Nie Er in the same movies from the year 1959 by Zheng Junli, belong to the artistically demanding spectacle in Chinese film of its time. His last film appearance was Zhao 1965.

During the Cultural Revolution, Zhao Dan came again for five and a half years in prison. After his release in 1973 he took over teaching activities at the film studio in Shanghai and Fudan University.