King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)

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Godzilla Films
Godzilla Raids Again
King Kong vs. Godzilla
Mothra vs. Godzilla
King Kong Films
Son of Kong
King Kong vs. Godzilla
King Kong Escapes
King Kong vs. Godzilla
See alternate titles
The Japanese poster for King Kong vs. Godzilla
Directed by Ishiro Honda
Producer Tomoyuki Tanaka, John Beck
Written by Shinichi Sekizawa, Willis O'Brien,
George Worthing Yates
Music by Akira Ifukube
Distributor TohoJP
Universal InternationalUS
Rating Not Rated
Budget $12,000US
Box office ¥352,000,000[1]
Running time 97 minutesJP
(1 hour, 37 minutes)
91 minutesUS
(1 hour, 31 minutes)
Aspect ratio 2.35:1
Rate this film!
4.04
(115 votes)

Godzilla wins? Kong wins? The great duel of the century! (ゴジラ勝つか?コング勝つか?世紀の大決斗!)
„ 

— Japanese tagline

Who will win? 2 giant monsters rampage throughout Japan! (どちらが勝つか?日本中を暴れまわる2大怪獣!)
„ 

— 1970 Japanese tagline

Monster against monster! Battle of the century!
„ 

— International tagline

The two mightiest monsters of all time! ...In the most colossal conflict the screen has ever known!
Mighty King Kong! Mighty Godzilla! Now an all-mighty all-new motion picture brings them together for the first time in the colossal clash of all time!
„ 

— American taglines

King Kong vs. Godzilla (キングコング対ゴジラ,   Kingu Kongu tai Gojira, lit. King Kong Against Godzilla) is a 1962 tokusatsu kaiju film produced by Toho, and the third installment in the Godzilla series as well as the Showa series. The film was released to Japanese theaters on August 11, 1962,[2] and to American theaters on June 26th, 1963. It was released as a part of Toho's 30th anniversary celebration.

Plot

The Bering Sea's currents are mysteriously rising in temperature, causing the area's sea ice to melt and break up. The United Nations sends a scientific team to investigate the cause of the phenomenon. The investigation is covered by the Wonderful World Series, a Japanese documentary program, sponsored by Pacific Pharmaceuticals.

Mr. Tako, the advertising department director of Pacific Pharmaceuticals, is frustrated with the television program his company is sponsoring and wants something to boost his ratings. When company botanist Doctor Makioka tells Tako about a giant monster he discovered on the small Faro Island, Tako believes that it would be a brilliant idea "...with a punch" to use the monster to gain publicity. Tako immediately sends two men, Osamu Sakurai and Kinsaburo Furue, to find and bring back the monster from Faro.

Meanwhile, the United Nations submarine Seahawk gets caught in the same iceberg that Godzilla was trapped in by the JSDF seven years earlier in 1955. As an American rescue helicopter circles the iceberg, Godzilla breaks out and heads towards a nearby JSDF base in Hokkaido. The base's forces, of course, are ineffective against Godzilla. Godzilla's appearance is all over the press and makes Tako angry. As Tako is complaining about Godzilla's media hype to his employees, one of them exclaims "And... there's a movie too!"

Meanwhile on Faro Island, a Giant Octopus attacks the local village. The island's giant god, King Kong, finally makes his appearance and defeats the monster. Kong then drinks some red berry juice and falls asleep in the midst of a celebratory dance by the natives. Sakurai and Furue place Kong on a large raft and begin to transport him back to Japan. Back at Pacific Pharmaceuticals, Tako is excited because Kong is now all over the press instead of Godzilla. As Tako is out of the room, one of the employees ask which is stronger between King Kong and Godzilla. Another employee responds "Stupid, it's not a wrestling match!" Tako walks back in the room and exclaims "Fantastic! There's an idea!"

Mr. Tako arrives on the Taian Maru, the ship transporting Kong, but unfortunately, the JMSDF also arrive, and order the ship to return to Faro, before boarding the ship to inspect it. During a small scuffle over a detonator, Tako accidentally presses the lever down himself, which fails to blow up the raft, but Kong soon begins to awaken. Sakurai and Furue fire their rifles at the dynamite on the raft, successfully blowing it up. However, Kong survives the explosion and rises from the sea, then travels to Japan alone. As Kong meets up with Godzilla in a valley, Tako, Sakurai, and Furue have difficulty avoiding the JSDF to watch the fight. Eventually they find a spot. Kong throws some large rocks at his opponent, but Godzilla retaliates with his atomic ray, so King Kong retreats.

The JSDF constantly try and stop both Kong and Godzilla but are mostly ineffective. They set up some power lines around Tokyo filled with a million volts of electricity (compared to the 50,000 volts used against the original Godzilla in 1954). The electricity is too much for Godzilla and drives him away, but it seems to make King Kong stronger. Kong enters Tokyo and kidnaps Sakurai's sister Fumiko, then climbs to the top of the National Diet Building with her in his hand. The JSDF explode capsules full of the berry juice from Faro Island and successfully render Kong unconscious. Tako approved of this plan because he "...didn't want anything bad to happen to Kong." The JSDF then decide to transport Kong via balloons to Mount Fuji, where Godzilla currently us, in hope that they will fight each other to their deaths.

The next morning, Kong is dropped onto Mount Fuji near Godzilla and the two begin to fight. Godzilla eventually knocks Kong unconscious but then a thunderstorm arrives and revives King Kong, giving him the power of an electric grasp. The two clash once again, with Kong shoving a tree in Godzilla's mouth before Godzilla burns the tree with his atomic breath. The two monsters continue fighting, tearing down Atami Castle in the process, and eventually plunge into the sea, causing a small earthquake. After an underwater battle, only King Kong resurfaces, and begins to slowly swim back home to Faro. As Kong swims home, onlookers aren't sure if Godzilla survived the underwater fight, but speculate that it was possible.

Staff

Main article: King Kong vs. Godzilla/Credits.

Staff role on the left, staff member's name on the right.

Cast

Actor's name on the left, character played on the right.

  • Tadao Takashima   as   Osamu Sakurai
  • Kenji Sahara   as   Kazuo Fujita
  • Yu Fujiki   as   Kinsaburo Furue
  • Ichiro Arishima   as   Mr. Tako
  • Mie Hama   as   Fumiko Sakurai
  • Jun Tazaki   as   General Masami Shinzo
  • Akiko Wakabayashi   as   Tamiye
  • Akihiko Hirata   as   Prof. Shigesawa
  • Somesho Matsumoto   as   Prof. Onuki
  • Akemi Negishi   as   Faro Island Native Chikiro's Mother
  • Senkichi Omura   as   TTV Translator Konno
  • Sachio Sakai   as   Mr. Tako's Assistant Obayashi
  • Haruya Kato   as   Obayashi's Assistant
  • Nadao Kirino   as   General's Aide
  • Yoshio Kosugi   as   Faro Island Chief
  • Shin Otomo   as   Taian Maru Captain
  • Yoshibumi Tajima   as   Shinsei Maru No. 2 Captain
  • Kenzo Tabu   as   Wonderful World Series Presenter
  • Harold Conway   as   Scientist on Submarine
  • Shoichi Hirose   as   King Kong
  • Haruo Nakajima   as   Godzilla

American Cast

Actor's name on the left, character played on the right.

  • Harry Holcombe   as   Dr. Arnold Johnson
  • Michael Keith   as   Eric Carter
  • James Yagi   as   Yutaka Omura
  • Byron Morrow   as   Newscaster
  • Les Tremayne   as   Commander Roberts / General Shinzo / Narrator (voice)


Appearances

Monsters

Weapons, Vehicles, and Races


Production

One of King Kong's original creators, Willis O'Brien, had created a treatment for a film in the 60's called King Kong vs. Frankenstein. O'Brien planned on using stop motion animation, like he had in the original King Kong, to bring the monsters to life. O'Brien sparked the interest of producer John Beck with some concept art and several screenplay treatments to make the film. However, the cost of stop motion animation prevented the film from being put into production. Beck took O' Brien's main idea to Toho, who was planning to bring Godzilla back to the big screen after his seven year absence since Godzilla Raids Again. Toho also wanted a big movie to celebrate their thirtieth year in production. The O'Brien treatment was changed to have Godzilla battle King Kong instead of Frankenstein's monster.

Eiji Tsuburaya had toyed with the idea of using Willis O'Brien's stop motion technique instead of the suitmation process used in his films, though budgetary and time concerns prevented him from using the process. However, there are a couple of brief scenes where Honda makes use of stop motion photography. The first use of it is in the scene where the Giant Octopus grabs one of the natives and swings him around. Another is the scene during Kong's fight with Godzilla, where it is used when Godzilla hits Kong with a jump-kick.

Gallery

Main article: King Kong vs. Godzilla/Gallery.

Soundtrack

Main article: King Kong vs. Godzilla (Soundtrack).

Alternate Titles

  • King Kong Against Godzilla (literal Japanese title)
  • The Return of King Kong (Die Rückkehr des King Kong; Germany)
  • (Godzilla-) Battle-Party of the Giants ((Godzilla-) Schlachtfest der Giganten; German video title)
  • The Triumph of King Kong (Il trionfo di King Kong; Italy)

Theatrical Releases

View all posters for the film here.

  • Japan - August 11, 1962[2]   [view poster]Japanese 1962 (original release) poster; July 25, 1964 (re-release)   [view poster]Japanese 1964 poster; March 21, 1970 (second re-release)   [view poster]Japanese 1970 poster; March 19, 1977 (third re-release)   [view poster]Japanese 1977 poster; July 14, 2016 (4K digital restoration)[3]   [view poster]4K Restoration poster
  • United States - June 26th, 1963   [view poster]American poster
  • England - 1962
  • Mexico - 1962   [view poster]Mexican poster
  • Germany - 1974   [view poster]German poster
  • France - 1976   [view poster]French poster
  • Belgium - 1976   [view poster]Belgian poster
  • Italy - 1976   [view poster]Italian poster
  • Spain - 1978   [view poster]Spain poster

U.S. Release

American King Kong vs. Godzilla poster

In November 1962, King Kong vs. Godzilla played at the Nippon Theater in Honolulu, Hawaii, in Japanese with English subtitles.

An English version of King Kong vs. Godzilla was prepared by producer John Beck, who felt that Toho's version of the film wouldn't play well to American audiences. He hired writers Bruce Howard and Paul Mason to "Americanize" the film. Peter Zinner was brought in as an editor for Beck's version. Among the alterations made for the North American theatrical release are:

  • Dialogue was dubbed at Ryder Sound Services, Inc. in Hollywood. The new dialogue often strayed heavily from the Japanese script. Howard and Mason's script is still comedic at times but eliminates most of the humor in Shinichi Sekizawa's original screenplay.
  • Akira Ifukube's musical score was largely replaced by music from the Universal and Mutel libraries. The composers of the added music included Hans J. Salter (The Golden Horde, Thunder on the Hill, Creature from the Black Lagoon, Wichita Town, Against All Flags, Man-Made Monster), Heinz Roemheld (The Monster That Challenged the World), Paul Sawtell, Bert Shefter (The Deerslayer), and Herschel Burke Gilbert (The City Sleeps).[4] Ifukube's Faro Island native chant and an exotic jungle cue are the only tracks carried over from the original soundtrack.
  • Deleted: Many of the comic scenes integral in the original storyline. Mr. Tako's initial introduction and other interactions with his staff in the advertising wing of Pacific Pharmaceuticals throughout the course of the film were removed. Tako's motivation for searching for Kong is altered somewhat from simply wanting him to generate publicity for the company to specifically wanting his own monster to compete with Godzilla.
  • Deleted: A scene where Osamu Sakurai plays drums while recording a commercial. Later, Furue tells him he is to go to Faro Island.
  • Shortened: The dinner at Fujita's apartment. Sakurai is not shown coming home from work to find nary a meal or Fumiko present, who has left to have her "fill" at her boyfriend's instead. Sakurai catching the two off guard in a moment of amorousness is not shown, either.
  • Altered: The scenes involving the Seahawk's investigation of the Bering Sea and subsequent destruction by Godzilla have been edited into a continuous sequence.
  • Deleted: A farewell party for Sakurai and Furue.
  • Altered: The subplot of Fujita aboard the ship Shinsei Maru No. 2 to conduct tests on the strength of his high tensile wire. The scene of Fujita talking to the ship's captain, played by Yoshibumi Tajima, about Fumiko is deleted. After he makes an early departure at Nemuro in Hokkaido, Godzilla is blamed for the sinking of the vessel. In the U.S. version's storyline, a fatal plane crash is substituted as the motivation for Fumiko to search for Fujita in Hokkaido, and Fujita tells Tamiye upon returning to Tokyo he missed the flight instead.
  • Deleted: Newspaper inserts headlining Godzilla's attacks.
  • Altered: Godzilla originally attacks the Tsugaru express train near Sendai in the Tohoku region, whereas the U.S. version purports the sequence to take place in Hokkaido.
  • Altered: King Kong and Godzilla's first meeting is shifted to before the scene showing the preparation for Operation: Burial.
  • Altered: The JSDF's preparations and executions of Operation: Burial and Operation: One Million Volts against Godzilla have been condensed into one continuous sequence.
  • Added: Stock aerial views of the Ginza ward in Tokyo were inserted. One in daylight as an establishing shot for the scenes set at the Sakurais' and Fujita's apartment complex, and one at nighttime during Kong's liftoff.
  • Added: The climatic earthquake is much more powerful in the U.S version, utilizing stock footage from the film The Mysterians in order to make the earthquake much more violent than the tame tremor seen in the Japanese version. This footage contains the ground splitting open and massive tidal waves which flood nearby valleys.
  • The most notable alteration in this version is the addition of new scenes featuring United Nations reporter Eric Carter, played by Michael Keith, paleontologist Dr. Arnold Johnson, played by Harry Holcombe, and Japanese correspondent Yataka Omura, played by James Yagi, in a series of pseudo-news broadcasts. These scenes make changes to the monsters' origins and characteristics, such as suggesting that Kong grew to his gigantic size by eating the berries native to Faro Island (referred to as "Soma" in this version) and that Godzilla has been imprisoned inside the iceberg since the Mesozoic era, ignoring the events of Godzilla and Godzilla Raids Again. Stock footage of the Mysterian Space Station from The Mysterians is added into these scenes to substitute as a United Nations satellite. These segments were directed by Thomas Montgomery. Despite the new footage, the American version runs 91 minutes, six minutes shorter than the Japanese version.

In a 1963 issue of the American fanzine Spaceman, an article on King Kong vs. Godzilla concluded with an erroneous claim that would endure for decades: "2 endings have been filmed & if you see KING KONG VS. GODZILLA in Japan, Hong Kong or some Oriental sector of the world, Godzilla wins! On the other hand, in the USA & England, for instance, Kong wins!"[5] Spaceman's source for this information is unknown, as even Toho's 1963 international sales brochure makes it clear that Kong is the victor in the original version of the film.[6] The actual differences in the endings are minimal. While in the Japanese version the characters propose it is possible that Godzilla survived the battle, in the U.S. version they merely state they hope they've seen the last of him. Godzilla's roar is also not heard over the end title card, while it is present in the Japanese version before Kong's.

After completing production of the U.S. version, Beck sold his rights to the film to Universal International, which distributed the film in the United States and later in most of the rest of the world starting in June of 1963. To this day, Universal owns exclusive rights to the film in North America. Though the company issued King Kong vs. Godzilla on DVD and Blu-ray previously, it was the last Toho Godzilla film to be released in the U.S. with its original Japanese language track. This was because Universal felt that the cost of acquiring the necessary materials from Toho was too high for such a release to be profitable.[7] Ultimately, The Criterion Collection licensed the film from Universal and acquired the materials for the Japanese version, and released both cuts in the United States as part of its Godzilla: The Showa-Era Films, 1954-1975 Blu-ray box set in October 2019.

Box Office

King Kong vs. Godzilla was released on theaters four different times in different years in Japan. The first theatrical release had an attendance of 11,200,000, the third release had an attendance of 870,000, and the fourth release had an attendance of 480,000, adding up to a rough 12,550,000 attendance. It is the most-attended Godzilla film of all time in Japan, with or without the inclusion of the ticket sales from the re-releases. It was Toho's second-highest earner in 1962, and fourth among Japanese films overall.[8]

The U.S. version of King Kong vs. Godzilla had a $12,000 budget.

Reception

King Kong vs. Godzilla is very popular among kaiju fans and hailed as a classic. Its plot, acting, special effects, and musical aspects are often regarded as some of the finest in the Showa series of Godzilla films.

Video Releases

Goodtimes DVD (1998)[9]

  • Region: 1
  • Discs: 1
  • Audio: English (2.0 Mono)
  • Subtitles: English, Spanish, French
  • Special Features: Production notes
  • Notes: Cropped 1.33:1 aspect ratio. Out of print.

Toho DVD (2001)[10]

  • Region: 2
  • Discs: 1
  • Audio: Japanese (4.0 Stereo and 5.1 Surround)
  • Subtitles: Japanese
  • Special Features: Audio commentary by Koji Kajita and Yu Fujiki, isolated score (2.0 and 4.0), 5 trailers, cast profiles, image gallery, footage from a 40th anniversary Godzilla event (4 minutes), audio advertisements

Universal DVD (2005)[11]

  • Region: 1 or 2
  • Discs: 1
  • Audio: English (2.0 Mono)
  • Subtitles: English, French, Spanish
  • Special Features: None
  • Notes: Also sold in a set with King Kong Escapes and King Kong (2005).

Universal Blu-ray (2014)

  • Region: N/A
  • Discs: 1
  • Audio: English (2.0 Mono)
  • Subtitles: English, French
  • Special Features: None
  • Notes: FYE began selling this Blu-ray in an exclusive SteelBook case in September 2019. Aside from the packaging, this release is identical to the 2014 Blu-ray.

Toho Blu-ray (2014)

  • Region: A/1
  • Discs: 1
  • Audio: Japanese (DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, 4.0, LPCM 2.0 Mono)
  • Subtitles: Japanese
  • Special Features: Audio commentary by Koji Kajita and Yu Fujiki, isolated score (4.0), Champion Festival edit of the film, 4 trailers, interview with Keizo Murase (20 minutes), footage from a 40th anniversary Godzilla event (4 minutes), Then & Now look at the miniatures and their real-life equivalents (16 minutes), radio spot (3 minutes), publicity material slideshow (3 minutes), publicity brochure (12 images)

The Criterion Collection Blu-ray (2019) [Godzilla: The Showa-Era Films, 1954–1975]

  • Region: A/1 or B/2
  • Discs: 8
  • Audio: Japanese, English
  • Subtitles: English
  • Special Features: All bonus features on Criterion's Godzilla Blu-ray, 1990 Ishiro Honda interview by Yoshimitsu Banno, interview with director Alex Cox, interviews with actors Bin Furuya and Tsugutoshi Komada, 2011 interview with critic Tadao Sato, unused effects sequences from Toho releases including Destroy All Monsters, trailers, illustrated hardcover book with an essay by Steve Ryfle and liner notes on each film by Ed Godziszewski[12]
  • Notes: To be released on October 29, 2019. Sony will distribute the Region B/2 version of the set in the United Kingdom on November 25.

Unmade Sequel and Remakes

In the aftermath of the success of King Kong vs. Godzilla, Toho immediately began production on a sequel, simply known by the working title Continuation: King Kong vs. Godzilla. Shinichi Sekizawa even completed a screenplay for the film, but it was ultimately scrapped. Toho would revisit the idea of a giant version of Frankenstein's monster that was featured in Willis O'Brien's original treatment, this time planning to pit the creature against Godzilla in a film called Frankenstein vs. Godzilla, which itself was replaced by the films Mothra vs. Godzilla and Frankenstein vs. Baragon. Toho would later reacquire the rights to King Kong from Rankin/Bass Productions, which resulted in the 1967 film King Kong Escapes, though it was not a direct sequel to King Kong vs. Godzilla.

In the early Heisei era, Toho attempted to produce a remake of King Kong vs. Godzilla, under the title Godzilla vs. King Kong, but encountered difficulties when Turner Entertainment, by then the owners of the original King Kong film, prevented Toho from using the character. Toho would attempt to circumvent this by considering several projects pitting Godzilla against Kong's mechanical doppelganger Mechani-Kong, but none of them materialized. In 2015, the American studio Legendary Pictures announced production of a new film for 2020 pitting Kong against Godzilla, under the title Godzilla vs. Kong, as part of its MonsterVerse series of films.

Videos

Trailers

King Kong vs. Godzilla Japanese trailer
King Kong vs. Godzilla Japanese newsflash/special announcement
King Kong vs. Godzilla
American teaser trailer
King Kong vs. Godzilla American trailer
King Kong vs. Godzilla American TV spot
John Landis' commentary on the
American King Kong vs. Godzilla trailer

Miscellaneous

Champion Festival opening
Giant Octopus test footage

Trivia

  • Not only was this the first Godzilla or King Kong film shot in the anamorphic "Scope" ratio (2.35:1), but it was also both monsters' first appearance in color.
  • Before the movie's Japanese premiere, Toho released side-by-side "interviews" with King Kong and Godzilla, as if they were sumo wrestlers preparing for a bout.[13]
  • There were four live octopuses used in the scene where it fights the natives. They were forced to move by blowing hot air on them. After the filming of that scene was finished, three of the four were released. The fourth became special effects director Eiji Tsuburaya's dinner.[citation needed]
  • The dream project of Eiji Tsuburaya involved a giant octopus, and early designs for Godzilla himself in 1954 depicted him as a giant octopus. Although Tsuburaya's octopus design was rejected, it is likely that the giant octopus scene in this film is the fulfillment of his dream (Tsuburaya would later shoot giant octopus scenes for two other films, Frankenstein vs. Baragon, although this scene was cut, and The War of the Gargantuas).
    • In 1966, Eiji Tsuburaya produced an episode of Ultra Q, the first entry in his Ultra Series, which revolved around a giant octopus named Sudar, using the props originally created for this film.
  • This film marks the debut of Godzilla's famous theme by Akira Ifukube, although it was completely removed in the American version.
  • King Kong vs. Godzilla was re-released at the Spring Toho Champion Film Festival on March 21, 1970 alongside the animated films Star of the Giants: Major League Ball, Attack No. 1 and The Kindly Lion.
  • When animators working on Davy Jones' tentacles in the 2006 film Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest were having trouble finding footage of octopi on land, animation supervisor Hal Hickel hit upon the idea of using the Giant Octopus scene in King Kong vs. Godzilla as a reference.[14]
  • Newspapers in the film announce Godzilla's return on June 23, 1962, and profile King Kong on August 23.

External Links

References

This is a list of references for King Kong vs. Godzilla. These citations are used to identify the reliable sources on which this article is based. These references appear inside articles in the form of superscript numbers, which look like this: [1]

  1. Steve Ryfle and Ed Godzizewski (2017). Ishiro Honda: A Life in Film. Wesleyan University Press. p. 191. ISBN 9780819577412.
  2. 2.0 2.1 キングコング対ゴジラ|ゴジラ 東宝公式サイト (official Godzilla.jp page)
  3. King Kong vs. Godzilla 4K Restoration Poster.jpg
  4. Uploader comment for KING KONG VS. GODZILLA OST - "First Confrontation"
  5. Spaceman #7
  6. Tohofilms8.png
  7. Monster Zero Forums - KING KONG VS. GODZILLA and KING KONG ESCAPES on BD April
  8. Stuart Galbraith IV (2008). The Toho Studios Story: A History and Complete Filmography. Scarecrow Press.
  9. Amazon.com: King Kong vs. Godzilla (1963) Goodtimes
  10. [1]
  11. Amazon.com: King Kong vs. Godzilla (1963) Universal
  12. Godzilla: The Showa-Era Films, 1954-1975 | The Criterion Collection
  13. JD. Lees and Marc Cerasini (24 March 1998). The Official Godzilla Compendium. Random House. p. 25. ISBN 0679888225.
  14. DVD Talk - Behind The Scenes of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest

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