There Was a Father (1942): cast, story & where to watch
1942 · Film · ★ 7.2
Released in 1942, There Was a Father is a drama film directed by Yasujirō Ozu, running about 88 minutes.
What it’s about. Shuhei Horikawa, a poor schoolteacher, struggles to raise his son Ryohei by himself, despite neither money nor prospects.
Who’s in it. There Was a Father stars Chishū Ryū as Shuhei Horikawa, the father, Shūji Sano as Ryohei, the son, Haruhiko Tsuda as Ryohei as a child and Shin Saburi as Yasutaro Kurokawa, the father's colleague, among others.
How it landed. With an audience score of 7.2/10, There Was a Father has been warmly received by audiences.
Where to watch. In US you can stream it on HBO Max Amazon Channel, Criterion Channel and HBO Max. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch There Was a Father page.
If you liked it. Fans of There Was a Father tend to enjoy The Shawshank Redemption, The Godfather, Schindler's List and The Godfather Part II.
Frequently asked
- Where can I watch There Was a Father (1942)?
- In US, There Was a Father is available to stream on HBO Max Amazon Channel, Criterion Channel and HBO Max. Availability varies by country — check our where-to-watch page for every region.
- Is There Was a Father worth watching?
- There Was a Father holds an audience score of 7.2 out of 10, and is a strong pick if you enjoy drama. Most viewers rate it highly.
- Who stars in There Was a Father?
- There Was a Father stars Chishū Ryū, Shūji Sano, Haruhiko Tsuda, Shin Saburi and Takeshi Sakamoto.
- When was There Was a Father released?
- There Was a Father was released in 1942, with a runtime of about 88 minutes.