Kyôko Enami was discovered through Daiei's New Face program in 1959, and was promptly made a star in 1960. An awesome beauty with remarkably pale skin, she also conveyed a kind of steeliness that turned out to make her ideal for the popular film series "Gambling Woman," which made her one of the first Japanese actresses to carry a crime-themed series. No simple ingenue, she remains in demand in films and television; among her most acclaimed film was 1973's TSUGARU FOLKSONG, although it is probable that her most-seen film outside Japan is 1966's GAMERA VS. BARUGON.