1 00:00:01,280 --> 00:00:04,000 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff You Missed in History Class, a production 2 00:00:04,120 --> 00:00:12,720 Speaker 1: of I Heart Radios How Stuff Works. Hello, and welcome 3 00:00:12,720 --> 00:00:15,840 Speaker 1: to the podcast. I'm Holly Fry and I'm Tracy Vie Wilson. 4 00:00:16,360 --> 00:00:18,279 Speaker 1: This is one of those shows where we have housekeeping 5 00:00:18,320 --> 00:00:20,479 Speaker 1: before we get to the actual talkie talk parts. Just 6 00:00:20,600 --> 00:00:23,680 Speaker 1: a little bit, not too much. Yeah. Um So, first, 7 00:00:23,760 --> 00:00:26,040 Speaker 1: I want to mention that we have a live show 8 00:00:26,040 --> 00:00:28,880 Speaker 1: coming up at Midwestern Roots. Were actually part of the 9 00:00:28,880 --> 00:00:31,840 Speaker 1: pre programming that kicks it off. That is happening on 10 00:00:31,960 --> 00:00:35,839 Speaker 1: July sevent in Indianapolis, Indiana. You can get more info 11 00:00:36,080 --> 00:00:38,280 Speaker 1: and a link to tickets by going to the live 12 00:00:38,320 --> 00:00:40,600 Speaker 1: shows tab on our website, which is missed in history 13 00:00:40,640 --> 00:00:42,880 Speaker 1: dot com. It's right there at the top of the menu. 14 00:00:43,040 --> 00:00:45,800 Speaker 1: It's easy to find, and soon there will hopefully be 15 00:00:46,200 --> 00:00:48,720 Speaker 1: uh some more live shows listed there. We're getting some 16 00:00:48,800 --> 00:00:51,000 Speaker 1: logistics worked out. Yeah, we have some things that are 17 00:00:51,040 --> 00:00:54,240 Speaker 1: definitely in the works that are planned for also in 18 00:00:54,240 --> 00:00:56,800 Speaker 1: the summer and then in the more tentative stages in 19 00:00:56,880 --> 00:01:01,720 Speaker 1: the fall. Yeah. Um Second, this episode is sponsored by 20 00:01:01,720 --> 00:01:05,319 Speaker 1: the upcoming film Godzilla, King of the Monsters. Uh So, 21 00:01:05,360 --> 00:01:08,039 Speaker 1: the folks behind that film came to us and asked 22 00:01:08,080 --> 00:01:10,480 Speaker 1: if we would be interested in doing an episode related 23 00:01:10,520 --> 00:01:13,440 Speaker 1: to the franchise. We said, yep, I love Godzilla, so 24 00:01:13,520 --> 00:01:15,960 Speaker 1: that was an easy one. UM. And then we worked 25 00:01:15,959 --> 00:01:18,280 Speaker 1: with them and kicked around some ideas for show topics, 26 00:01:18,319 --> 00:01:22,080 Speaker 1: and that kind of landed at Godzilla's history. UM and 27 00:01:22,200 --> 00:01:26,840 Speaker 1: I first met Godzilla on Saturday Afternoon TV, which I 28 00:01:26,840 --> 00:01:29,120 Speaker 1: think a lot of people my age did when I 29 00:01:29,160 --> 00:01:32,080 Speaker 1: saw the nineteen s movie Godzilla, King of the Monsters. 30 00:01:32,200 --> 00:01:35,640 Speaker 1: Very different film, uh, starring Raymond Burr, but really, let's 31 00:01:35,640 --> 00:01:38,679 Speaker 1: face it, the stars Godzilla and I loved that movie, 32 00:01:38,760 --> 00:01:41,600 Speaker 1: but I really did not realize until I was older 33 00:01:41,680 --> 00:01:43,800 Speaker 1: that that was a re edit of the film that 34 00:01:43,840 --> 00:01:46,959 Speaker 1: had originally been released in Japan. I think that's a 35 00:01:46,959 --> 00:01:50,200 Speaker 1: pretty common experience for most people, Like I said, around 36 00:01:50,280 --> 00:01:53,120 Speaker 1: my age, uh, that we saw that version and we 37 00:01:53,120 --> 00:01:55,560 Speaker 1: didn't know until much later that it was really a 38 00:01:55,560 --> 00:01:58,600 Speaker 1: different film that had been repackaged for the US. And 39 00:01:58,680 --> 00:02:01,760 Speaker 1: so as I started to research this episode and I 40 00:02:01,800 --> 00:02:06,040 Speaker 1: revisited both that Raymond Burr version and the original, I 41 00:02:06,080 --> 00:02:09,760 Speaker 1: really realized that the beginning of Godzilla's history is pretty 42 00:02:09,840 --> 00:02:12,480 Speaker 1: rich on its own. So that becomes the primary focus 43 00:02:12,480 --> 00:02:15,280 Speaker 1: of this episode. Um. And that is also in part 44 00:02:15,600 --> 00:02:19,560 Speaker 1: because the Godzilla franchise is massive. We could do a 45 00:02:19,600 --> 00:02:22,600 Speaker 1: dozen episodes on just that and never run out of material, 46 00:02:23,360 --> 00:02:29,800 Speaker 1: which a lot um And also we, in full disclosure, 47 00:02:29,800 --> 00:02:32,560 Speaker 1: have gotten to see the movie already, so I would 48 00:02:32,600 --> 00:02:35,440 Speaker 1: encourage everyone if you were into history and into Godzilla, 49 00:02:35,520 --> 00:02:38,200 Speaker 1: it's worth going back to those early films because you 50 00:02:38,280 --> 00:02:40,840 Speaker 1: realize how much this new film is very much a 51 00:02:40,840 --> 00:02:43,120 Speaker 1: love letter to them, and it's very rooted in the 52 00:02:43,160 --> 00:02:48,120 Speaker 1: origins of of Godzilla's story. Um, and it's very fun. 53 00:02:48,160 --> 00:02:50,239 Speaker 1: We had a lovely talk as well with the director, 54 00:02:50,320 --> 00:02:53,000 Speaker 1: Michael Doherty, and he is very into the history of 55 00:02:53,040 --> 00:02:58,640 Speaker 1: Godzilla and into Godzilla's place in a sort of alternate 56 00:02:59,080 --> 00:03:02,040 Speaker 1: world history and and how that plays out, which adds 57 00:03:02,080 --> 00:03:04,760 Speaker 1: a nice layer for our history loving friends out there 58 00:03:04,800 --> 00:03:08,400 Speaker 1: in the audience. UM. So today to let you know 59 00:03:08,440 --> 00:03:10,720 Speaker 1: what you're in for, we're going to talk first about 60 00:03:10,720 --> 00:03:13,320 Speaker 1: the events that led up to that first film, and 61 00:03:13,360 --> 00:03:15,960 Speaker 1: then what it took to turn it from an idea 62 00:03:16,040 --> 00:03:19,120 Speaker 1: into a reality, and then how that film made its 63 00:03:19,120 --> 00:03:22,080 Speaker 1: way across the Pacific to U S audiences and ultimately 64 00:03:22,120 --> 00:03:27,079 Speaker 1: became the massive juggernaut franchise that it is today. It's 65 00:03:27,080 --> 00:03:31,840 Speaker 1: a phenomenon. Indeed, Godzilla is of course the most famous 66 00:03:31,880 --> 00:03:35,240 Speaker 1: of all the kaiju, and the word Kaiju is usually 67 00:03:35,280 --> 00:03:39,240 Speaker 1: generally translated from Japanese into English along the lines of 68 00:03:39,400 --> 00:03:44,080 Speaker 1: strange beast. And we've talked before about giant monster movies 69 00:03:44,120 --> 00:03:46,760 Speaker 1: that aren't Japanese in their origin. Most recently when we 70 00:03:46,800 --> 00:03:50,040 Speaker 1: need our stop motion animation episode, we talked about how 71 00:03:50,120 --> 00:03:54,800 Speaker 1: Willis O'Brien brought the giant Guerrilla to life on screen 72 00:03:55,240 --> 00:03:58,480 Speaker 1: when he was effects supervisor on the N three King Kong, 73 00:03:59,080 --> 00:04:01,880 Speaker 1: and we also mentioned how Ray Harry howsm you stop 74 00:04:01,920 --> 00:04:04,720 Speaker 1: motion to create the monster in the nineteen fifty three 75 00:04:04,720 --> 00:04:08,080 Speaker 1: picture The Beast from twenty thousand Fathoms, and the nineteen 76 00:04:08,120 --> 00:04:11,200 Speaker 1: thirties three King Kong that we just referenced had also 77 00:04:11,320 --> 00:04:14,280 Speaker 1: been re released in Japan in nineteen fifty two to 78 00:04:14,560 --> 00:04:17,719 Speaker 1: great popularity, and it really stirred up fresh interest in 79 00:04:17,800 --> 00:04:21,919 Speaker 1: movie goers for big monsters on the big screen. And 80 00:04:21,960 --> 00:04:24,960 Speaker 1: then the following year that other movie we just referenced 81 00:04:25,000 --> 00:04:28,440 Speaker 1: from the US, also featuring a big monster, really captured 82 00:04:28,480 --> 00:04:32,719 Speaker 1: the attention of Japanese audiences. In the Beast from twenty 83 00:04:32,760 --> 00:04:36,320 Speaker 1: thousand fathoms, which was distributed by Warner Brothers in nineteen 84 00:04:36,320 --> 00:04:40,400 Speaker 1: fifty three. A dinosaur is awakened from its slumber under 85 00:04:40,440 --> 00:04:44,560 Speaker 1: the Arctic ice, and it's awakened by nuclear testing, and 86 00:04:44,600 --> 00:04:48,479 Speaker 1: this dinosaur, known as the Ritasaurus, moves south along the 87 00:04:48,520 --> 00:04:52,320 Speaker 1: east coast of the North American continent and eventually reeks 88 00:04:52,320 --> 00:04:56,040 Speaker 1: havoc on Manhattan. This film culminates in a battle between 89 00:04:56,080 --> 00:04:59,800 Speaker 1: the dinosaur and the US military at Coney Island, where 90 00:04:59,800 --> 00:05:03,080 Speaker 1: he finally defeated. Yeah, there's some great footage of you know, 91 00:05:03,120 --> 00:05:06,719 Speaker 1: this dinosaur in the midst of roller coasters and stuff, 92 00:05:06,760 --> 00:05:10,760 Speaker 1: which is a pretty fabulous visual. And Harry Housing's Beast 93 00:05:10,880 --> 00:05:13,680 Speaker 1: and the story of mayhem that unfolded around its awakening 94 00:05:13,720 --> 00:05:18,200 Speaker 1: from the ice got the attention of Japanese producer Tomoyuki Tanaka, 95 00:05:18,360 --> 00:05:20,880 Speaker 1: who had been working for the Toho Studios company since 96 00:05:20,960 --> 00:05:23,159 Speaker 1: nineteen forty. He did have a brief break in his 97 00:05:23,240 --> 00:05:26,040 Speaker 1: tenure with the company in the forties, and when Tanaka 98 00:05:26,040 --> 00:05:29,400 Speaker 1: saw the Beast from twenty thousand fathoms, the occupation of 99 00:05:29,480 --> 00:05:32,920 Speaker 1: post World War to Japan by US military, which lasted 100 00:05:32,920 --> 00:05:37,560 Speaker 1: from to nineteen fifty two, had only just ended, so 101 00:05:37,640 --> 00:05:41,160 Speaker 1: there was this new level of opportunity to tell stories 102 00:05:41,200 --> 00:05:44,240 Speaker 1: that would really not have been possible or not cool 103 00:05:44,320 --> 00:05:47,880 Speaker 1: to tell just the year before. During that occupation, In 104 00:05:47,880 --> 00:05:51,800 Speaker 1: addition to Kong's renewed popularity in Japan and the story 105 00:05:51,839 --> 00:05:55,320 Speaker 1: of Warner Brothers Rita Saus, another event took place that 106 00:05:55,360 --> 00:06:01,080 Speaker 1: impacted the mindset of the Japanese public and Godzilla's creators. 107 00:06:01,080 --> 00:06:04,480 Speaker 1: On March first, nineteen fifty four, a nuclear weapons test 108 00:06:04,600 --> 00:06:07,400 Speaker 1: was performed at the Bikini Atoll in the South Pacific. 109 00:06:07,720 --> 00:06:10,159 Speaker 1: So nuclear testing at the Bikini at all was not 110 00:06:10,279 --> 00:06:12,440 Speaker 1: a new thing. That spot had been used by the 111 00:06:12,480 --> 00:06:16,160 Speaker 1: United States as a test site since nineteen and the 112 00:06:16,240 --> 00:06:19,320 Speaker 1: history of that testing and how the island population was 113 00:06:19,360 --> 00:06:24,000 Speaker 1: treated UH could and hopefully will be its own episode eventually. 114 00:06:24,120 --> 00:06:27,240 Speaker 1: It's not a super fun story, but it's important. UM. 115 00:06:27,279 --> 00:06:30,480 Speaker 1: But on that morning in nineteen fifty four, a Japanese 116 00:06:30,480 --> 00:06:34,200 Speaker 1: fishing boat its name translates to Lucky Dragon number five 117 00:06:34,839 --> 00:06:37,159 Speaker 1: was close enough to the test that the boat and 118 00:06:37,240 --> 00:06:40,560 Speaker 1: its entire crew of twenty three men were contaminated by 119 00:06:40,640 --> 00:06:44,520 Speaker 1: nuclear fallout. UH. There are additional details around that which 120 00:06:44,560 --> 00:06:46,840 Speaker 1: also would be great in another episode about why they 121 00:06:46,839 --> 00:06:52,880 Speaker 1: were close and some um inaccurate estimates of how powerful 122 00:06:52,960 --> 00:06:56,000 Speaker 1: that test was going to be. UM but when the 123 00:06:56,040 --> 00:06:58,880 Speaker 1: men were examined, it was determined that they all had 124 00:06:58,960 --> 00:07:03,280 Speaker 1: acute radiations syndrome and their catch they were fishermen, after all, 125 00:07:03,320 --> 00:07:05,520 Speaker 1: which had already been sent to market by the time 126 00:07:05,560 --> 00:07:09,160 Speaker 1: the severity of the situation was realized was recalled, though 127 00:07:09,200 --> 00:07:11,440 Speaker 1: it is believed that some of those fish were sold 128 00:07:11,760 --> 00:07:14,520 Speaker 1: and presumably were eaten. Yeah. I think we talked some 129 00:07:14,640 --> 00:07:19,400 Speaker 1: about this incident in our our episodes about the thousand 130 00:07:19,400 --> 00:07:24,120 Speaker 1: Cranes for our thousandth episode. Yes, the Lucky Dragon incident 131 00:07:24,200 --> 00:07:27,360 Speaker 1: was a reminder that almost a decade after the war, 132 00:07:27,680 --> 00:07:30,720 Speaker 1: nuclear weaponry was still a very real threat, even in 133 00:07:30,800 --> 00:07:35,520 Speaker 1: times of peace. That reminder really resonated with producer Tamoyuki Tanaka, 134 00:07:35,680 --> 00:07:37,800 Speaker 1: and he pitched a film to his boss at Toho 135 00:07:38,080 --> 00:07:42,160 Speaker 1: inspired by the incident and borrowing from Harry Housen's dinosaur feature. 136 00:07:42,720 --> 00:07:45,240 Speaker 1: This proposed film would be called The Beast from twenty 137 00:07:45,280 --> 00:07:49,600 Speaker 1: Thousand Miles under the Sea. The giant monster genre was 138 00:07:49,640 --> 00:07:52,920 Speaker 1: still seen as really the domain of United States cinema, 139 00:07:53,120 --> 00:07:55,360 Speaker 1: but Tanaka was given the green light to move ahead 140 00:07:55,360 --> 00:07:58,040 Speaker 1: with this idea. Yeah, that was apparently a very tentative 141 00:07:58,080 --> 00:08:01,640 Speaker 1: green light, like I don't know, but okay a um. 142 00:08:01,680 --> 00:08:04,080 Speaker 1: And as an aside, we should mention before we get 143 00:08:04,080 --> 00:08:08,120 Speaker 1: into Toho's giant and now famous Lizard, that there was 144 00:08:08,280 --> 00:08:10,760 Speaker 1: also a Japanese silent film that had been made that 145 00:08:10,800 --> 00:08:13,560 Speaker 1: was inspired by King Kong and that came out in 146 00:08:13,640 --> 00:08:17,920 Speaker 1: Night titled King Kong Appears in Edo so Gojira that 147 00:08:17,960 --> 00:08:20,000 Speaker 1: we're about to talk about was not the first time 148 00:08:20,080 --> 00:08:24,120 Speaker 1: Japanese filmmakers were inspired by American monster cinema to create 149 00:08:24,160 --> 00:08:27,560 Speaker 1: their own version, but in the case of the Japanese Kong, 150 00:08:27,840 --> 00:08:31,200 Speaker 1: that film is lost and there's still some questions about it. 151 00:08:31,600 --> 00:08:34,800 Speaker 1: Film historians will sometimes point to this two part film 152 00:08:34,880 --> 00:08:38,880 Speaker 1: as the beginning of Japan's giant monster film genre, but 153 00:08:38,960 --> 00:08:42,720 Speaker 1: there is ongoing debate about exactly how giant this monster 154 00:08:42,960 --> 00:08:46,360 Speaker 1: was uh and the size of the guerrilla involved. There 155 00:08:46,400 --> 00:08:48,960 Speaker 1: are some people who believe he was actually a giant 156 00:08:49,000 --> 00:08:52,080 Speaker 1: monster in terms of scale in the film, but others 157 00:08:52,120 --> 00:08:54,880 Speaker 1: suggest that it was actually kind of just a regular 158 00:08:55,080 --> 00:08:57,880 Speaker 1: guerrilla that was largish in size. It would not really 159 00:08:57,960 --> 00:09:00,640 Speaker 1: qualify as a kaiju of any kind. It's a little 160 00:09:00,640 --> 00:09:02,439 Speaker 1: early for a sponsor break, but we are going to 161 00:09:02,559 --> 00:09:04,760 Speaker 1: stick one here so that we can keep the next 162 00:09:04,840 --> 00:09:07,280 Speaker 1: chunk of the story together. It all goes into lots 163 00:09:07,320 --> 00:09:10,280 Speaker 1: of detail about how to hoose big monster film was made. 164 00:09:10,679 --> 00:09:13,120 Speaker 1: You want to keep all that stuff in the same segment. 165 00:09:20,760 --> 00:09:24,600 Speaker 1: Once Tanaka had his monster movie project approved, he put 166 00:09:24,640 --> 00:09:26,800 Speaker 1: together the team that would develop it and get it 167 00:09:26,840 --> 00:09:29,760 Speaker 1: to the big screen. And Tanaka had already produced a 168 00:09:29,800 --> 00:09:32,560 Speaker 1: film with director issue to Honda in nineteen fifty two, 169 00:09:32,600 --> 00:09:34,920 Speaker 1: called The Man Who Came to Port and he turned 170 00:09:34,920 --> 00:09:38,520 Speaker 1: to Honda again for his Monster film. Honda had directed 171 00:09:38,600 --> 00:09:42,640 Speaker 1: dramas and war films for Toho already, including n Eagle 172 00:09:42,679 --> 00:09:45,360 Speaker 1: of the Pacific, which was a box office success and 173 00:09:45,400 --> 00:09:49,080 Speaker 1: that featured the first collaboration between Honda and special effects 174 00:09:49,120 --> 00:09:52,720 Speaker 1: director A. G. Subaraya, who was also brought onto Tanaka's 175 00:09:52,760 --> 00:09:55,880 Speaker 1: Monster film. By the time Honda joined the project, the 176 00:09:55,960 --> 00:09:59,720 Speaker 1: story had already been written by a writer named Shigeru Kayama. 177 00:10:00,400 --> 00:10:03,640 Speaker 1: Kayama's script was handed over to Honda and to screenwriter 178 00:10:03,760 --> 00:10:07,280 Speaker 1: to Kayo Marata to be finessed into an actual shooting script. 179 00:10:07,720 --> 00:10:10,240 Speaker 1: Honda not only co wrote the film, he was also 180 00:10:10,320 --> 00:10:13,560 Speaker 1: heavily involved in almost every aspect of it, and he 181 00:10:13,640 --> 00:10:16,440 Speaker 1: was also a trusting collaborator. At the same time, when 182 00:10:16,520 --> 00:10:19,120 Speaker 1: it came to super EA as effects, the special effects 183 00:10:19,120 --> 00:10:21,480 Speaker 1: director was allowed to do his work without having to 184 00:10:21,520 --> 00:10:24,240 Speaker 1: have Honda's supervision. Yeah, that would have been kind of 185 00:10:24,280 --> 00:10:27,160 Speaker 1: unusual for an effects director to just kind of have 186 00:10:27,320 --> 00:10:30,959 Speaker 1: his own free reign. But that was in part because Subarayah, 187 00:10:31,040 --> 00:10:34,520 Speaker 1: who was a decade older than Honda, could be very willful. 188 00:10:34,559 --> 00:10:36,920 Speaker 1: He kind of had a reputation for being a little 189 00:10:36,920 --> 00:10:39,400 Speaker 1: bit hard to work with. He didn't like when his 190 00:10:39,440 --> 00:10:41,800 Speaker 1: shots were edited when he had worked with other directors, 191 00:10:41,880 --> 00:10:44,760 Speaker 1: and he had very very strong and clear ideas about 192 00:10:44,760 --> 00:10:47,959 Speaker 1: how he wanted things done. But between him and a 193 00:10:48,040 --> 00:10:53,120 Speaker 1: Shooto Honda, a very balanced professional relationship really blossomed. They 194 00:10:53,160 --> 00:10:56,320 Speaker 1: trusted one another and as a consequence, each man really 195 00:10:56,320 --> 00:10:59,440 Speaker 1: did his best work. They would visit each other's sets, 196 00:10:59,440 --> 00:11:01,960 Speaker 1: but that more to see how logistics were playing out, 197 00:11:02,000 --> 00:11:04,280 Speaker 1: so that when they each shot their own segments they 198 00:11:04,280 --> 00:11:07,000 Speaker 1: would blend together as seamlessly as possible. It wasn't so 199 00:11:07,080 --> 00:11:10,120 Speaker 1: much like I'm coming to supervise you as I'm coming 200 00:11:10,120 --> 00:11:13,040 Speaker 1: to make sure our collaboration works. It's worth noting that 201 00:11:13,120 --> 00:11:16,720 Speaker 1: making this film was considered very risky for a director 202 00:11:16,800 --> 00:11:19,480 Speaker 1: like a shiro Honda. He was on track to build 203 00:11:19,480 --> 00:11:22,280 Speaker 1: a serious career as a director, so to take on 204 00:11:22,320 --> 00:11:24,920 Speaker 1: a film in a new genre, one that had the 205 00:11:24,920 --> 00:11:27,320 Speaker 1: potential to turn out very silly when it was meant 206 00:11:27,360 --> 00:11:30,360 Speaker 1: to be serious, was really putting his reputation on the line. 207 00:11:31,000 --> 00:11:33,960 Speaker 1: I think this still happens today sometimes when somebody has 208 00:11:34,000 --> 00:11:36,959 Speaker 1: a reputation as us very serious director, then they take 209 00:11:37,000 --> 00:11:39,800 Speaker 1: on a project that might look kind of goofy. They 210 00:11:39,840 --> 00:11:43,880 Speaker 1: committed to it entirely, though, and he expected everyone working 211 00:11:43,880 --> 00:11:46,400 Speaker 1: on the film to have the same level of dedication. 212 00:11:47,160 --> 00:11:50,160 Speaker 1: In an interview with his wife, Kimi, she described the 213 00:11:50,200 --> 00:11:52,800 Speaker 1: first day of the shoot. Quote he told them, on 214 00:11:52,840 --> 00:11:55,040 Speaker 1: the very first day, read the script. If you were 215 00:11:55,040 --> 00:11:58,560 Speaker 1: not convinced, please let me know immediately and leave the project. 216 00:11:58,880 --> 00:12:01,320 Speaker 1: I remember him saying the spear a firmly. He only 217 00:12:01,400 --> 00:12:04,040 Speaker 1: wanted those who had the absolute confidence to work with 218 00:12:04,120 --> 00:12:07,880 Speaker 1: him on this film. Both producer Tanaka and effects director 219 00:12:07,920 --> 00:12:10,439 Speaker 1: super Yah were of the same mind. All three Ben 220 00:12:10,559 --> 00:12:13,120 Speaker 1: had agreed that this film would only work if they 221 00:12:13,160 --> 00:12:16,760 Speaker 1: took it on as a serious project, and initially Superya 222 00:12:16,880 --> 00:12:20,240 Speaker 1: had some ideas that did not, in fact make its reproduction. 223 00:12:20,840 --> 00:12:24,280 Speaker 1: He originally thought that the film's creature star should actually 224 00:12:24,280 --> 00:12:27,640 Speaker 1: be a massive octopus, but producer Tanaka put his foot 225 00:12:27,640 --> 00:12:29,520 Speaker 1: down on the idea that it had to be more 226 00:12:29,559 --> 00:12:33,280 Speaker 1: like a dinosaur, and the effects director also initially pitched 227 00:12:33,360 --> 00:12:36,520 Speaker 1: stop motion to bring that monster to life, but with 228 00:12:36,559 --> 00:12:39,160 Speaker 1: only six months to make the film from pre production 229 00:12:39,200 --> 00:12:42,679 Speaker 1: to completion, that was not going to work. We talked 230 00:12:42,679 --> 00:12:46,040 Speaker 1: in our stop motion episode that like even today, with 231 00:12:46,080 --> 00:12:49,000 Speaker 1: the most advanced technology and people who really really know 232 00:12:49,040 --> 00:12:51,520 Speaker 1: what they're doing, you only get a few seconds a day. 233 00:12:51,600 --> 00:12:55,080 Speaker 1: So for people that were learning it, it was never 234 00:12:55,120 --> 00:12:58,880 Speaker 1: gonna happen in any kind of realistic timeline, and that's 235 00:12:58,920 --> 00:13:01,839 Speaker 1: how what came to be known as suit Nation was born. 236 00:13:02,360 --> 00:13:06,000 Speaker 1: Suberia hired Tiso Toshimatsu and his team to create a 237 00:13:06,040 --> 00:13:09,679 Speaker 1: full body rubber suit based on designs by Akira Wantonabe, 238 00:13:09,720 --> 00:13:14,199 Speaker 1: who was the film's production designer. Cloth, wire, and Latex 239 00:13:14,240 --> 00:13:17,360 Speaker 1: were all part of this beast that borrowed design elements 240 00:13:17,400 --> 00:13:21,600 Speaker 1: from an iguadadan, a stegasaurus, a tyrannosaurus, and an alligator 241 00:13:22,160 --> 00:13:25,280 Speaker 1: into a form that a human man could wiggle into 242 00:13:25,640 --> 00:13:29,000 Speaker 1: Sabrinko Jira to life, and that human man was stunt actor. 243 00:13:29,040 --> 00:13:31,160 Speaker 1: How to own Nakajima, who would go on to play 244 00:13:31,160 --> 00:13:34,880 Speaker 1: Godzilla for almost two decades, And that was no small feat. 245 00:13:34,880 --> 00:13:40,080 Speaker 1: This suit weighed an estimated that's two hundred pounds, and 246 00:13:40,080 --> 00:13:42,680 Speaker 1: he could only walk limited distances in it at any 247 00:13:42,720 --> 00:13:45,520 Speaker 1: given time because it was so taxing on his body. 248 00:13:46,120 --> 00:13:49,000 Speaker 1: He passed out on several occasions while working in the suit. 249 00:13:49,520 --> 00:13:52,160 Speaker 1: He nearly drowned while filming one of the water scenes. 250 00:13:52,640 --> 00:13:55,320 Speaker 1: Uh this was not an easy task, and since the 251 00:13:55,360 --> 00:13:57,840 Speaker 1: creature would make use of a human in a suit, 252 00:13:58,000 --> 00:14:01,240 Speaker 1: that also meant that many recreate sations of locations around 253 00:14:01,320 --> 00:14:04,000 Speaker 1: Japan had to be created for the sets since the 254 00:14:04,040 --> 00:14:07,160 Speaker 1: monster was supposed to tower over them. While working on 255 00:14:07,200 --> 00:14:10,840 Speaker 1: this film, Superiah was completely protective of the monster's image. 256 00:14:11,240 --> 00:14:14,360 Speaker 1: Even cast members weren't allowed to see the Coajia costume. 257 00:14:14,600 --> 00:14:17,440 Speaker 1: The concern was that if they saw the costume on 258 00:14:17,480 --> 00:14:19,920 Speaker 1: its own without all the movie magic involved, they might 259 00:14:19,960 --> 00:14:22,040 Speaker 1: think it was silly, and then that would sour the 260 00:14:22,040 --> 00:14:26,440 Speaker 1: whole production, and Nakajima was basically creating a whole new 261 00:14:26,520 --> 00:14:29,600 Speaker 1: style of performance. No one knew what to tell him 262 00:14:29,640 --> 00:14:32,320 Speaker 1: in terms of direction, because using a suit like the 263 00:14:32,360 --> 00:14:35,360 Speaker 1: one in film had really never been done before. He 264 00:14:35,480 --> 00:14:39,239 Speaker 1: studied animal movements and prepared for the strength and endurance 265 00:14:39,320 --> 00:14:42,560 Speaker 1: that being in this suit required, but ultimately the suit 266 00:14:42,680 --> 00:14:45,920 Speaker 1: and its limitations governed the performance and how he moved. 267 00:14:46,600 --> 00:14:48,800 Speaker 1: He didn't have full range of motions. It's like you 268 00:14:48,840 --> 00:14:50,400 Speaker 1: can prepare all you want, but when you get in 269 00:14:50,440 --> 00:14:54,920 Speaker 1: the suit, maybe your arm only moves a little. When 270 00:14:54,960 --> 00:14:57,120 Speaker 1: we spoke with the director of the new film, he 271 00:14:57,120 --> 00:14:59,680 Speaker 1: mentioned that he had gotten to try on the top 272 00:14:59,720 --> 00:15:01,640 Speaker 1: half off of one of the newer suits that have 273 00:15:01,760 --> 00:15:04,560 Speaker 1: been made by Toho, and even that in the more 274 00:15:04,600 --> 00:15:08,800 Speaker 1: modern era was excruciating. So imagining this two hundred pound 275 00:15:08,840 --> 00:15:12,360 Speaker 1: suit and wearing it around seems like um an active 276 00:15:12,400 --> 00:15:16,960 Speaker 1: athleticism that's hard to comprehend for us mere mortals. One 277 00:15:17,160 --> 00:15:20,120 Speaker 1: element of production that has remained something of a history 278 00:15:20,160 --> 00:15:23,960 Speaker 1: mystery is exactly where the name Gojira came from. And 279 00:15:24,000 --> 00:15:27,600 Speaker 1: there is one tale which has absolutely no substantiation, that 280 00:15:27,680 --> 00:15:30,480 Speaker 1: the name originated as a nickname for one of the 281 00:15:30,520 --> 00:15:33,960 Speaker 1: Toho Studios employees who was portly, and that it was 282 00:15:34,000 --> 00:15:37,480 Speaker 1: a portmanteau of the Japanese words for Guerrilla and Whale, 283 00:15:37,720 --> 00:15:40,840 Speaker 1: but again, there is no evidence that anyone has found 284 00:15:40,880 --> 00:15:43,040 Speaker 1: to back that up. Even people who worked on the 285 00:15:43,040 --> 00:15:45,440 Speaker 1: production are like, I don't I don't know what's time about. 286 00:15:45,840 --> 00:15:48,360 Speaker 1: Uh So it remains an element of film more people 287 00:15:48,360 --> 00:15:51,120 Speaker 1: like to tell the story, but there's there's no uh 288 00:15:51,480 --> 00:15:54,800 Speaker 1: no evidence for him. It is also possible that story 289 00:15:54,800 --> 00:15:57,960 Speaker 1: writer Shigeru Kayama came up with the name pretty early on. 290 00:15:58,400 --> 00:16:00,680 Speaker 1: There have been some hints that he actually mentions that 291 00:16:00,760 --> 00:16:03,920 Speaker 1: name in his diary, but that is also not entirely clear. 292 00:16:04,000 --> 00:16:06,040 Speaker 1: The bottom line is we don't know the origination of 293 00:16:06,040 --> 00:16:09,680 Speaker 1: the name. Really. A groundbreaking aspect of Honda's film is 294 00:16:09,720 --> 00:16:12,880 Speaker 1: the use of actors and scenes where they couldn't see 295 00:16:12,920 --> 00:16:16,440 Speaker 1: what they were acting against. Today, it's commonplace for actors 296 00:16:16,440 --> 00:16:19,720 Speaker 1: to have this challenge of working within digital effects and 297 00:16:19,800 --> 00:16:22,400 Speaker 1: meaning to emote and react as a character to things 298 00:16:22,440 --> 00:16:25,120 Speaker 1: they just can't see, But for the Japanese actors on 299 00:16:25,160 --> 00:16:28,640 Speaker 1: Honda's set, this was a totally new concept. Actor Akira 300 00:16:28,680 --> 00:16:32,680 Speaker 1: Takata later described the experience from the performer's point of 301 00:16:32,760 --> 00:16:35,360 Speaker 1: view as being like children needing to constantly ask what 302 00:16:35,400 --> 00:16:38,680 Speaker 1: they were doing. Honda was always patient and kind and 303 00:16:38,720 --> 00:16:42,640 Speaker 1: explained everything to them, especially the younger, more inexperienced actors. 304 00:16:43,200 --> 00:16:45,800 Speaker 1: He knew that the performances had to be as serious 305 00:16:45,840 --> 00:16:49,280 Speaker 1: and real as possible to carry this film. As with 306 00:16:49,400 --> 00:16:52,480 Speaker 1: any film in the sound era, the music and sound 307 00:16:52,480 --> 00:16:55,720 Speaker 1: design play a vital role in bringing Godja to life. 308 00:16:56,360 --> 00:16:59,240 Speaker 1: For one, studio heads were concerned that the film and 309 00:16:59,320 --> 00:17:02,960 Speaker 1: its monster still looked too silly despite all of the 310 00:17:02,960 --> 00:17:05,720 Speaker 1: camera and effects work, until they saw it with a 311 00:17:05,840 --> 00:17:08,840 Speaker 1: Kida if Ukube score. It's a score that he wrote 312 00:17:08,840 --> 00:17:11,879 Speaker 1: actually without benefit of seeing the film initially, although he 313 00:17:11,920 --> 00:17:14,000 Speaker 1: did at the very end get to kind of tighten 314 00:17:14,040 --> 00:17:16,359 Speaker 1: it up and make some adjustments to make it match. 315 00:17:16,960 --> 00:17:20,040 Speaker 1: And if Akube is also credited with creating some of 316 00:17:20,080 --> 00:17:22,359 Speaker 1: the most important things that you hear in the film 317 00:17:22,440 --> 00:17:24,960 Speaker 1: and that you can probably conjure in your mind, uh 318 00:17:25,000 --> 00:17:29,639 Speaker 1: the monster's unique screech and its footfalls. The vocalizations of 319 00:17:29,680 --> 00:17:33,159 Speaker 1: Honda's star creature, which are now iconic, were created by 320 00:17:33,200 --> 00:17:36,879 Speaker 1: dragging a leather glove across the strings of a purposely 321 00:17:36,960 --> 00:17:41,040 Speaker 1: detuned contrabass, and the footsteps, which are almost a character 322 00:17:41,119 --> 00:17:44,240 Speaker 1: on their own, were the results of the composer thumping 323 00:17:44,240 --> 00:17:48,240 Speaker 1: an amplifier. While the production had a timeline of six months, 324 00:17:48,280 --> 00:17:51,240 Speaker 1: only two of them were spent actually shooting, and a 325 00:17:51,280 --> 00:17:54,600 Speaker 1: schedule that would seem unthinkable by today's film standards. The 326 00:17:54,640 --> 00:17:59,040 Speaker 1: script was finished on June tenth. The design and other 327 00:17:59,080 --> 00:18:03,400 Speaker 1: pre production started immediately after that. Photography started in August 328 00:18:03,520 --> 00:18:07,159 Speaker 1: of that was finished in October, and then the film 329 00:18:07,200 --> 00:18:10,439 Speaker 1: was released in theaters on November three. That blows my 330 00:18:10,520 --> 00:18:14,120 Speaker 1: mind every time I think through and I'm like, Holy Moses. 331 00:18:14,880 --> 00:18:18,080 Speaker 1: The location shoots that they had to do were incredibly challenging. 332 00:18:18,840 --> 00:18:21,480 Speaker 1: They were filming in the summer heat, and that meant 333 00:18:21,520 --> 00:18:24,600 Speaker 1: that actors were often running from the monster in already 334 00:18:24,640 --> 00:18:29,280 Speaker 1: grueling temperatures. Adding all that physical exertion caused a lot 335 00:18:29,320 --> 00:18:31,880 Speaker 1: of heat exhaustion on set. It almost became an issue 336 00:18:31,920 --> 00:18:35,359 Speaker 1: where like they had to manage potential heat exhaustion as 337 00:18:35,440 --> 00:18:38,359 Speaker 1: much as any other aspect of production. Coming up, we 338 00:18:38,400 --> 00:18:40,719 Speaker 1: will talk about the film's life once it was released 339 00:18:40,720 --> 00:18:43,359 Speaker 1: into cinemas, but first we will pause and take a 340 00:18:43,440 --> 00:18:54,040 Speaker 1: quick sponsor break. Once the film was released, it was 341 00:18:54,119 --> 00:18:58,760 Speaker 1: a huge hit with audiences. There were critics, however, who 342 00:18:58,800 --> 00:19:02,160 Speaker 1: felt that using the very real tragedies in Japan's recent 343 00:19:02,240 --> 00:19:05,200 Speaker 1: history to drive a monster movie was in poor taste, 344 00:19:05,480 --> 00:19:08,400 Speaker 1: even if the message of that movie was ultimately uh 345 00:19:08,520 --> 00:19:11,200 Speaker 1: one of being careful about how we tamper with nature. 346 00:19:11,680 --> 00:19:14,800 Speaker 1: But despite those concerns raised in some reviews, the movie 347 00:19:15,160 --> 00:19:18,879 Speaker 1: was an undeniable blockbuster. It was Japan's highest grossing film 348 00:19:18,920 --> 00:19:23,000 Speaker 1: of nine Soho had been really smart about marketing for 349 00:19:23,080 --> 00:19:25,679 Speaker 1: the film, knowing that warming the audience up to what 350 00:19:25,800 --> 00:19:28,399 Speaker 1: could be taken as an absurd premise was going to 351 00:19:28,400 --> 00:19:31,600 Speaker 1: be vital to its acceptance. Throughout the shoot, press had 352 00:19:31,640 --> 00:19:34,280 Speaker 1: been invited to visit the sets where Honda was shooting, 353 00:19:35,119 --> 00:19:38,080 Speaker 1: though all the creature work that Superiah was shooting at 354 00:19:38,080 --> 00:19:41,280 Speaker 1: the same time was not open to the journalists. Promotional 355 00:19:41,320 --> 00:19:43,800 Speaker 1: photos were released to the press that the public could 356 00:19:43,840 --> 00:19:46,560 Speaker 1: see what Toho was cooking up in this new film. 357 00:19:46,600 --> 00:19:49,440 Speaker 1: There was a lead up radio play that unfolded in 358 00:19:49,520 --> 00:19:53,879 Speaker 1: eleven episodes. It actually started running before principal photography began, 359 00:19:54,240 --> 00:19:56,760 Speaker 1: and all of this made the idea of a serious 360 00:19:56,840 --> 00:19:59,920 Speaker 1: film starring a fifty foot tall creature an event that 361 00:20:00,080 --> 00:20:03,080 Speaker 1: was being greeted with a lot of anticipation. In some ways, 362 00:20:03,119 --> 00:20:06,959 Speaker 1: the audience was won over way before any projected image 363 00:20:07,040 --> 00:20:10,800 Speaker 1: hit a screen in a public movie theater. Obviously, this 364 00:20:10,880 --> 00:20:14,560 Speaker 1: is similar to how movie marketing works today. Yeah, that's 365 00:20:14,560 --> 00:20:17,960 Speaker 1: how everyone does it. Many people have their minds made 366 00:20:18,040 --> 00:20:20,080 Speaker 1: up a lot of times before they get into the 367 00:20:20,080 --> 00:20:23,639 Speaker 1: theater because they've seen all of these stills and heard 368 00:20:23,720 --> 00:20:26,840 Speaker 1: stories leading up to it. Yeah, it's fascinating when you 369 00:20:26,840 --> 00:20:29,600 Speaker 1: think about, like how Entertainment Weekly like they will have 370 00:20:29,680 --> 00:20:34,200 Speaker 1: a big splash cover article about like an upcoming film 371 00:20:34,240 --> 00:20:36,239 Speaker 1: and talking all about it. I'm like, this is all 372 00:20:36,320 --> 00:20:38,280 Speaker 1: kind of rooted back and the things they were doing 373 00:20:38,320 --> 00:20:41,800 Speaker 1: for Godzilla. So when we think of old school giant 374 00:20:41,840 --> 00:20:44,399 Speaker 1: monster movies today, probably a lot of people think of 375 00:20:44,440 --> 00:20:47,159 Speaker 1: them as sort of campy or silly, and that reputation 376 00:20:47,240 --> 00:20:50,120 Speaker 1: does have a very real basis. In film history, there 377 00:20:50,119 --> 00:20:52,000 Speaker 1: have been a lot of films made, both in the 378 00:20:52,080 --> 00:20:55,040 Speaker 1: US and Japan and in other countries over time that 379 00:20:55,119 --> 00:20:59,159 Speaker 1: featured monsters that look funny or they behaviorally comedically. But 380 00:21:00,040 --> 00:21:03,680 Speaker 1: for Gaujira is a much more sober film. It is 381 00:21:03,800 --> 00:21:08,080 Speaker 1: quite obviously rooted in the nuclear tragedies that Japan experienced 382 00:21:08,119 --> 00:21:11,040 Speaker 1: in the years leading up to its production, and one 383 00:21:11,119 --> 00:21:14,640 Speaker 1: scene early on testimony is being given about the unthinkable 384 00:21:14,680 --> 00:21:18,679 Speaker 1: possibility that a giant creature has suddenly emerged from the 385 00:21:18,720 --> 00:21:21,760 Speaker 1: sea and poses a danger to human life. The character 386 00:21:21,840 --> 00:21:25,560 Speaker 1: doctor Yamene says, quote it was probably hidden away in 387 00:21:25,560 --> 00:21:28,760 Speaker 1: a deep sea cave, providing for its own survival and 388 00:21:28,800 --> 00:21:32,520 Speaker 1: perhaps for others like it. However, repeated underwater h bomb 389 00:21:32,520 --> 00:21:36,719 Speaker 1: tests have completely destroyed its natural habitat. To put it simply, 390 00:21:37,000 --> 00:21:40,600 Speaker 1: hydrogen bomb testing has driven it from its sanctuary. And 391 00:21:40,720 --> 00:21:43,159 Speaker 1: later in that same scene, there is a very heated 392 00:21:43,200 --> 00:21:46,199 Speaker 1: debate about whether to go public with the information that 393 00:21:46,240 --> 00:21:48,879 Speaker 1: Gujita is a threat, and one of the issues that 394 00:21:48,960 --> 00:21:52,160 Speaker 1: cited for withholding that information is the chaos that could 395 00:21:52,160 --> 00:21:56,960 Speaker 1: be done politically, including damaging very delicate foreign relations. There 396 00:21:57,040 --> 00:21:59,960 Speaker 1: is a very clear parallel being drawn to Japan's act 397 00:22:00,080 --> 00:22:03,439 Speaker 1: ual relationship with its foreign colleagues outside the world of 398 00:22:03,440 --> 00:22:06,040 Speaker 1: the film that was going on post World War Two. 399 00:22:06,880 --> 00:22:10,040 Speaker 1: And in a scene immediately following, as the news is breaking, 400 00:22:10,080 --> 00:22:12,639 Speaker 1: there's a young woman who's riding a street car and 401 00:22:12,680 --> 00:22:16,040 Speaker 1: she remarks to another passenger, I barely escaped the atomic 402 00:22:16,080 --> 00:22:20,320 Speaker 1: bomb in Nagasaki. And now this incidentally, all these quotes 403 00:22:20,359 --> 00:22:22,960 Speaker 1: that we are reading are from the subtitles of the 404 00:22:22,960 --> 00:22:26,360 Speaker 1: Criterion Collection edition of the film. Yeah, just in case 405 00:22:26,359 --> 00:22:31,760 Speaker 1: anyone's wondering. Since it is in Japanese, uh Gajita is 406 00:22:31,840 --> 00:22:35,199 Speaker 1: grim throughout. It does not pull any punches regarding the 407 00:22:35,280 --> 00:22:38,720 Speaker 1: danger of nuclear testing. So after the creature attacks the 408 00:22:38,800 --> 00:22:43,120 Speaker 1: city and his atomic breath covers entire city blocks, children 409 00:22:43,240 --> 00:22:46,400 Speaker 1: are shown being tested for radiation and coming up positive. 410 00:22:47,000 --> 00:22:50,760 Speaker 1: Children see their parents die. Even the scientist who invents 411 00:22:50,800 --> 00:22:53,879 Speaker 1: the means by which humans can defeat their giant ancient foe, 412 00:22:54,400 --> 00:22:58,040 Speaker 1: is conflicted about introducing such a serious weapon into the world, 413 00:22:58,600 --> 00:23:01,280 Speaker 1: and the message of nuclear test, saying being a dangerous thing, 414 00:23:01,440 --> 00:23:04,800 Speaker 1: is reiterated right to the end, even after they have 415 00:23:04,880 --> 00:23:07,920 Speaker 1: defeated the creature. Good Zero was shipped to the United 416 00:23:07,920 --> 00:23:12,760 Speaker 1: States and very limited distribution, and that's how producer Edmund 417 00:23:12,760 --> 00:23:16,199 Speaker 1: Goldman saw it. He bought the distribution rights from Toho 418 00:23:16,359 --> 00:23:19,600 Speaker 1: after this and then flipped them to Jewel Enterprises. The 419 00:23:19,640 --> 00:23:23,639 Speaker 1: executives at Jewel, like Goldman, saw the potential of this film, 420 00:23:23,680 --> 00:23:26,240 Speaker 1: but they felt that it needed some doctoring to truly 421 00:23:26,280 --> 00:23:30,000 Speaker 1: capture American audiences, and it was at this stage that 422 00:23:30,080 --> 00:23:33,400 Speaker 1: Gojira kind of morphed. At the suggestion of the Tohoe 423 00:23:33,400 --> 00:23:37,719 Speaker 1: marketing department into Godzilla to make it easier for English 424 00:23:37,760 --> 00:23:41,000 Speaker 1: speakers to approximate the name, and the film underwent a 425 00:23:41,119 --> 00:23:44,199 Speaker 1: number of revisions to repackage it for US screens for 426 00:23:44,240 --> 00:23:47,919 Speaker 1: a much wider distribution. About fifteen minutes of the film 427 00:23:47,960 --> 00:23:51,240 Speaker 1: were cut to minimize concepts that would be difficult for 428 00:23:51,359 --> 00:23:54,399 Speaker 1: US culture to grasp, like an arranged marriage that's part 429 00:23:54,440 --> 00:23:59,280 Speaker 1: of the original film. There's also uh scenes that would 430 00:23:59,280 --> 00:24:01,920 Speaker 1: have been uncomfortab bowl, like the villany of nuclear weapons 431 00:24:02,359 --> 00:24:06,280 Speaker 1: which the US had recently used against Japan. And of course, 432 00:24:06,320 --> 00:24:08,840 Speaker 1: the whole premise is based on nuclear testing as the 433 00:24:08,840 --> 00:24:11,560 Speaker 1: catalyst for the movie's central conflict, so it could not 434 00:24:11,640 --> 00:24:14,639 Speaker 1: be removed completely, but a lot of the very grim 435 00:24:14,720 --> 00:24:19,240 Speaker 1: scenes which give Honda's original version so much gravity, were removed. 436 00:24:19,640 --> 00:24:21,879 Speaker 1: There were also scenes that were added to the film 437 00:24:21,920 --> 00:24:24,520 Speaker 1: in the US version, which starred Raymond Burr as a 438 00:24:24,600 --> 00:24:28,600 Speaker 1: journalist named Steve Martin. Burr's segments were used to give 439 00:24:28,640 --> 00:24:30,800 Speaker 1: a different perspective to the film and to tell the 440 00:24:30,840 --> 00:24:34,159 Speaker 1: story as seen through the eyes of Burr's character, and 441 00:24:34,240 --> 00:24:37,440 Speaker 1: the film, Burr was sent to report on incidents in Japan. 442 00:24:38,280 --> 00:24:41,679 Speaker 1: This newly cut film was titled Godzilla King of the 443 00:24:41,720 --> 00:24:46,479 Speaker 1: Monsters and released in US cinemas on April six, and, 444 00:24:46,600 --> 00:24:48,879 Speaker 1: just as was the case in Japan, critics did not 445 00:24:48,960 --> 00:24:50,919 Speaker 1: fall in love with the film, but that did not 446 00:24:51,000 --> 00:24:54,479 Speaker 1: matter because audience is sure did. Godzilla was again an 447 00:24:54,520 --> 00:24:57,560 Speaker 1: instant hit, and that recut version of the film ended 448 00:24:57,600 --> 00:25:01,920 Speaker 1: up being distributed internationally, gaining new audiences wherever it opened. 449 00:25:02,320 --> 00:25:04,520 Speaker 1: By the time Godzilla King of the Monsters had made 450 00:25:04,520 --> 00:25:08,560 Speaker 1: its US debut, Japanese audiences were already watching the sequel 451 00:25:08,600 --> 00:25:11,840 Speaker 1: to the original, which was called Godzilla Raids Again. That 452 00:25:11,960 --> 00:25:15,560 Speaker 1: was directed by Moto Yoshi Oda, with A. G. Subariyah 453 00:25:15,680 --> 00:25:18,720 Speaker 1: once again serving as the effects director. And that was 454 00:25:18,880 --> 00:25:22,080 Speaker 1: just the beginning. In the almost sixty five years since 455 00:25:22,160 --> 00:25:26,359 Speaker 1: Gja first appeared in Japanese cinemas, almost three dozen films 456 00:25:26,359 --> 00:25:30,240 Speaker 1: have been made featuring Godzilla, and in the Guinness Book 457 00:25:30,240 --> 00:25:33,800 Speaker 1: of World Records named it the longest continually running film franchise. 458 00:25:34,320 --> 00:25:36,040 Speaker 1: UH this film that's about to come out is the 459 00:25:36,040 --> 00:25:39,080 Speaker 1: thirty five. They're already slated to work on follow ups 460 00:25:39,080 --> 00:25:41,919 Speaker 1: to it, so it will hit three dozen very quickly, 461 00:25:42,720 --> 00:25:46,040 Speaker 1: and the films have taken on some wildly different tones 462 00:25:46,119 --> 00:25:48,960 Speaker 1: over the years, as Toho, which has continued to make 463 00:25:49,000 --> 00:25:51,359 Speaker 1: all but three of the movies in the franchise's history, 464 00:25:51,760 --> 00:25:54,600 Speaker 1: has shifted in its tone for the series and made 465 00:25:54,600 --> 00:25:57,959 Speaker 1: a number of reboots over time and through different eras 466 00:25:57,960 --> 00:26:01,679 Speaker 1: of production. Additional Kaiju have been added to the Godzilla lineup, 467 00:26:01,720 --> 00:26:04,040 Speaker 1: and a lot of them started out in their own films, 468 00:26:04,080 --> 00:26:08,960 Speaker 1: including Mathra and Rodent. There have been TV series, video games, toys, 469 00:26:09,160 --> 00:26:13,080 Speaker 1: all kinds of merchandise picturing Godzilla as well. In two 470 00:26:13,160 --> 00:26:16,240 Speaker 1: thousand four, which was the fiftieth anniversary of the Japanese 471 00:26:16,320 --> 00:26:20,640 Speaker 1: version gujira uh, it was restored digitally by rialto pictures 472 00:26:20,640 --> 00:26:23,200 Speaker 1: and released in theaters and on home video, And this 473 00:26:23,359 --> 00:26:25,760 Speaker 1: was for a lot of fans the first time that 474 00:26:25,800 --> 00:26:28,320 Speaker 1: they had ready access to the movie that started at 475 00:26:28,320 --> 00:26:31,879 Speaker 1: all there. That was also sort of revelatory in um 476 00:26:32,080 --> 00:26:35,280 Speaker 1: film circles because I think people had not realized how 477 00:26:35,320 --> 00:26:38,320 Speaker 1: much had been cut from the original to make it 478 00:26:38,359 --> 00:26:42,280 Speaker 1: more comfortable and palatable for American audiences. UM So it 479 00:26:42,400 --> 00:26:44,920 Speaker 1: kind of that moment is really quite pivotal in film 480 00:26:44,960 --> 00:26:48,640 Speaker 1: history where people realized, like, oh, you really did do 481 00:26:48,760 --> 00:26:52,520 Speaker 1: some serious changing to this. The film Yeah, well, and 482 00:26:52,600 --> 00:26:57,080 Speaker 1: I like certainly knew that the preponderance of big monster 483 00:26:57,160 --> 00:27:00,600 Speaker 1: movies in the fifties was all out of ways a 484 00:27:00,760 --> 00:27:06,119 Speaker 1: response to the nuclear tax on Hiroshima and Nagasaki and 485 00:27:06,160 --> 00:27:08,880 Speaker 1: the threat of nuclear warfare and this idea of radiation 486 00:27:08,920 --> 00:27:12,320 Speaker 1: causing giant creatures to exist and do terrible things. But 487 00:27:12,480 --> 00:27:16,760 Speaker 1: I didn't really know until reading your outline how much 488 00:27:16,840 --> 00:27:20,040 Speaker 1: the original Japanese Gajia was really like an anti war 489 00:27:20,160 --> 00:27:24,400 Speaker 1: movie and it wasn't just about radiation made this thing 490 00:27:24,440 --> 00:27:28,119 Speaker 1: it kind of an abstract level. Yeah, we talked about 491 00:27:28,160 --> 00:27:30,680 Speaker 1: you know how. It kind of was inspired also by 492 00:27:30,720 --> 00:27:34,040 Speaker 1: the American movie The Beast from twenty fathoms. One thing 493 00:27:34,080 --> 00:27:36,639 Speaker 1: that's really interesting is that even though that Beast was 494 00:27:36,720 --> 00:27:41,880 Speaker 1: awakened by nuclear testing like Ga was in the first one, Uh, 495 00:27:41,960 --> 00:27:45,080 Speaker 1: it stayed. It just was awakened. It wasn't morphed, It 496 00:27:45,119 --> 00:27:49,359 Speaker 1: did not take on any atomic powers the way Godzilla does. 497 00:27:49,480 --> 00:27:51,920 Speaker 1: And it really kind of shifts the gear to be 498 00:27:52,040 --> 00:27:56,000 Speaker 1: a little bit more of a film about not messing 499 00:27:56,119 --> 00:28:00,520 Speaker 1: with nature, right, um, which I'm only lay thing because 500 00:28:00,560 --> 00:28:04,399 Speaker 1: it it's it's always so strongly been that, and I'm 501 00:28:04,400 --> 00:28:07,280 Speaker 1: realizing that it had its roots in some films from 502 00:28:07,320 --> 00:28:09,199 Speaker 1: the US that didn't really take that part of it 503 00:28:09,240 --> 00:28:12,280 Speaker 1: into account. Was kind of interesting. There was also am 504 00:28:13,280 --> 00:28:15,920 Speaker 1: an interesting commentary that I read in one of the 505 00:28:15,960 --> 00:28:18,560 Speaker 1: sources I was using for this one, where they made 506 00:28:18,560 --> 00:28:22,200 Speaker 1: the point that the films, the creature films that came 507 00:28:22,200 --> 00:28:27,920 Speaker 1: out of Japan often have that that much more um 508 00:28:28,000 --> 00:28:31,800 Speaker 1: ecologically minded ideology, where they actually, even though they recognize 509 00:28:31,840 --> 00:28:35,360 Speaker 1: they have to battle the creature to save humanity, there 510 00:28:35,440 --> 00:28:37,720 Speaker 1: is a certain level of empathy for the creature and 511 00:28:37,760 --> 00:28:40,480 Speaker 1: like understanding that we did this, whereas if you look 512 00:28:40,520 --> 00:28:43,640 Speaker 1: at most of the US made films with creatures, none 513 00:28:43,680 --> 00:28:45,800 Speaker 1: of that is in there. It's just like, there's a threat, 514 00:28:45,800 --> 00:28:48,120 Speaker 1: we gotta kill it, and they don't really have that 515 00:28:48,240 --> 00:28:51,239 Speaker 1: same that same level of sensitivity to like cause an 516 00:28:51,240 --> 00:28:53,800 Speaker 1: effect in it, which is pretty interesting. I would want 517 00:28:53,800 --> 00:28:56,000 Speaker 1: to do a bigger survey of of creature films from 518 00:28:56,000 --> 00:28:58,400 Speaker 1: the era to really see how that plays out. But 519 00:28:58,680 --> 00:29:01,640 Speaker 1: it made me think for her. Um. So yeah, and 520 00:29:01,680 --> 00:29:05,040 Speaker 1: again thanks to uh to the new Godzilla, King of 521 00:29:05,080 --> 00:29:07,800 Speaker 1: the Monsters into Michael Doherty for talking to us about it. 522 00:29:08,160 --> 00:29:09,960 Speaker 1: He's so passionate about it, and like we said, he 523 00:29:10,000 --> 00:29:12,760 Speaker 1: really knows a lot of Godzilla history on his own 524 00:29:12,800 --> 00:29:16,920 Speaker 1: and can speak extemporaneously at length about it. UM. So 525 00:29:17,040 --> 00:29:20,080 Speaker 1: it's cool that he is getting to uh to be 526 00:29:20,160 --> 00:29:24,040 Speaker 1: a big part of this universe now and uh yeah, 527 00:29:24,160 --> 00:29:26,200 Speaker 1: hopefully everyone will see and enjoy it. I had to say, 528 00:29:26,200 --> 00:29:29,640 Speaker 1: that's the most beautiful Mathra has ever looked in my opinion. Yeah, 529 00:29:29,880 --> 00:29:34,320 Speaker 1: it's just spectacularly beautiful. The film is absolutely beautiful, um 530 00:29:34,360 --> 00:29:38,480 Speaker 1: in terms of just like cinematography and composition, it's really 531 00:29:38,480 --> 00:29:41,160 Speaker 1: spectacular and in fact, as I mentioned at the top, 532 00:29:41,200 --> 00:29:44,520 Speaker 1: hearkens back a lot to this original film UM, which 533 00:29:44,560 --> 00:29:47,120 Speaker 1: is kind of a lovely homage in a way that 534 00:29:47,160 --> 00:29:51,120 Speaker 1: still feels very new and fresh. I have completely unrelated 535 00:29:51,160 --> 00:29:55,040 Speaker 1: listener mail because I came into the office today to 536 00:29:55,120 --> 00:29:58,600 Speaker 1: find a very strange and delightful gift on my desk. 537 00:29:58,920 --> 00:30:01,560 Speaker 1: It is tiny, but the full um it is from 538 00:30:01,560 --> 00:30:04,880 Speaker 1: our listeners Sean, and he writes, Hello, Holly. Enclosed is 539 00:30:04,880 --> 00:30:07,840 Speaker 1: a path tag for you. Path tags are small coins 540 00:30:07,840 --> 00:30:10,520 Speaker 1: created by Geo Cashier's to leave in cash is as 541 00:30:10,560 --> 00:30:12,680 Speaker 1: a sort of calling card. I had a bunch of 542 00:30:12,720 --> 00:30:14,560 Speaker 1: these made up a few years ago. Thanks to you 543 00:30:14,600 --> 00:30:17,160 Speaker 1: and Tracy for all of the podcasts. But what makes 544 00:30:17,200 --> 00:30:19,760 Speaker 1: this very very cool is he has this teeny tiny 545 00:30:19,800 --> 00:30:24,760 Speaker 1: coin that is made with my Hana mansioned boyfriend the 546 00:30:24,760 --> 00:30:28,840 Speaker 1: hat Box Ghost on it, and it glows in the 547 00:30:28,920 --> 00:30:30,880 Speaker 1: dark and there's a hidden mickey when it glows in 548 00:30:30,880 --> 00:30:32,920 Speaker 1: the dark. I have not been able to get it 549 00:30:32,960 --> 00:30:34,880 Speaker 1: into a dark room because I just opened it this 550 00:30:34,920 --> 00:30:37,200 Speaker 1: morning and then we had to run into the studio. 551 00:30:37,280 --> 00:30:39,520 Speaker 1: But it's adorable and I love it and I kind 552 00:30:39,520 --> 00:30:41,560 Speaker 1: of want to make a necklace charm out of it. 553 00:30:41,840 --> 00:30:43,920 Speaker 1: So thank you so much, Sean. What a cool thing, 554 00:30:44,040 --> 00:30:46,920 Speaker 1: and it's really beautifully designed and I love it, so 555 00:30:47,360 --> 00:30:49,760 Speaker 1: that is a deep treasure for me. If you would 556 00:30:49,760 --> 00:30:51,280 Speaker 1: like to write to us, you can do so at 557 00:30:51,320 --> 00:30:53,640 Speaker 1: History Podcast at how stofworks dot com. 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