Jun Fukuda

Jun Fukuda Born February 17, 1923 Changchun, Jilin, China Died December 3, 2000 Occupation Director, writer, producer First work The Boy of Mount Suisho (1949) Notable work Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974)

“	I did something like five Godzilla films. The monsters became the stars, and the human characters were put into the background. The human story was cut down. The original one is director Honda's. The original is the only one that's successful, that's really good. I give all of my Godzilla films a minus score.	„
	— Jun Fukuda

Jun Fukuda (福田 純,   Fukuda Jun) was a Japanese film director, writer, and producer.

Fukuda began his career for Toho as an assistant director, working under directors like Hiroshi Inagaki and Ishiro Honda. Fukuda's first work on one of Toho's science-fiction films came in 1956, when he served as an assistant director on Rodan under Honda. In 1960, Fukuda was selected to direct the second entry in Toho's Transforming Human Series, The Secret of the Telegian, after Ishiro Honda left the project. Fukuda would primarily direct crime dramas and mysteries during the early 1960's, but was approached to direct the seventh Godzilla film, Ebirah, Horror of the Deep in 1966. Fukuda would go on to direct a total of five Godzilla films, eventually becoming Toho's go-to director for special effects films in the absence of Ishiro Honda. Fukuda also directed six episodes of Toho's television series Zone Fighter in 1973. Fukuda's last Godzilla film was Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla in 1974, and his last film overall was 1977's The War in Space. Fukuda was slated to direct the unmade film The Invisible Man vs. The Human Torch in 1976, and was also tapped to direct the original 1977 version of the unmade Resurrection of Godzilla. Fukuda passed away from lung cancer on December 3, 2000, at the age of 77.

Selected filmography

First assistant director

• Rodan (1956)

Director

• The Secret of the Telegian (1960)
• Ebirah, Horror of the Deep (1966)
• Son of Godzilla (1967)
• Operation: Mystery (TV 1968-1969) [episode 20]
• Konto 55: The Great Outer Space Adventure (1969)
• Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972)
• Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973)
• Zone Fighter (TV 1973) [episodes 1-2, 5-6, 11, 17]
• Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974)
• Submersion of Japan: Television Series (TV 1974-1975) [episodes 1, 25-26]
• ESPY (1974)
• The War in Space (1977)
• King of Monsters: Resurrection of Godzilla (1977) [unproduced]

Screenwriter

• Operation: Mystery (TV 1968-1969) [episodes 10, 20; with Shinichi Ichikawa]
• Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973)
• Zone Fighter (TV 1973) [episodes 1-2, 13]
• Horror of the Wolf (1973) [with Fumio Ishimori and Masashi Matsumoto]
• Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974) [with Hiroyasu Yamaura]
• The Invisible Man vs. The Human Torch (1975) [unproduced; with Masahiro Kakefuda]

Musical credits

• Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972) - Lyrics for "Godzilla March" [with Shinichi Sekizawa]
• Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974) - Lyrics for "Miyarabi's Prayer"

Interviewee

• Godzilla, King of the Monsters (1998)

Gallery

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  Jun Fukuda and the Godzilla Tower

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  Jun Fukuda and Mechagodzilla

Videos

Jun Fukuda is interviewed for the BBC's Godzilla, King of the Monsters

External links

• Interview by David Milner (July 1994)

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