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Gamera, the Giant Monster

December 18, 2023

Gamera, the Giant Monster[5] (大怪獣ガメラ, Daikaijū Gamera, lit. 'Giant Monster Gamera')[6] is a 1965 Japanese kaiju film directed by Noriaki Yuasa, with special effects by Yonesaburo Tsukiji.[2] Produced and distributed by Daiei Film, it is the first film in the Gamera franchise and the Shōwa era. The film stars Eiji Funakoshi, Harumi Kiritachi, and Junichiro Yamashita. In the film, authorities deal with the attacks of Gamera, a giant prehistoric turtle unleashed in the Arctic by an atomic bomb.

Gamera, the Giant Monster
Theatrical release poster
Japanese name
Kanji大怪獣ガメラ
Transcriptions
Revised HepburnDaikaijū Gamera
Directed byNoriaki Yuasa
Screenplay byNiisan Takahashi[1]
Produced byMasaichi Nagata[2]
Hidemasa Nagata[1]
Starring
CinematographyNobuo Munegawa[1]
Edited byTatsuji Nakashizu[1]
Music byTadashi Yamanouchi
Production
company
Distributed byDaiei
Release date
  • November 27, 1965 (1965-11-27) (Japan)
Running time
78 minutes[3]
CountryJapan
LanguageJapanese
Budget¥40 million[4]

The success of The Birds and Toho's Godzilla films influenced studio head Masaichi Nagata to produce a similar film. In 1964, Daiei attempted to produce Nezura, with Yuasa directing. However, the project was shut down by the health department, since the project was to have used dozens of live rats. Nagata then conceived Gamera to replace Nezura on the schedule. Due to a low budget and tight schedule, Yuasa was forced to use outdated equipment, faulty props, and faced belittlement from colleagues. Yuasa was determined to complete the film with Daiei's resources, despite brief talks of hiring Tsuburaya Productions to finish the film.

Gamera, the Giant Monster was theatrically released in Japan on November 27, 1965. A localized version with new footage was theatrically released in the United States on December 15, 1966 by Harris Associates, Inc. and World Enterprises Corporation as Gammera the Invincible. This was the only Gamera film in the Shōwa era to be given a theatrical release in the United States.[7]

The film was followed by Gamera vs. Barugon, released on April 17, 1966.

Plot edit

In the Arctic, an unknown aircraft is shot down by an American jet fighter. The aircraft crashes and its cargo, an atomic bomb, explodes. The explosion awakens a giant prehistoric turtle with tusks. Japanese scientists on an expedition nearby, Dr. Hidaka, his assistant Kyoko and reporter Aoyagi, are given a stone tablet by an Eskimo chief, who explains that the creature is called Gamera. Gamera destroys the expedition ship and escapes. Sightings of flying saucers soon surface in Japan. In Sagami Bay, Toshio (a boy recently forced to release his pet turtle) and his family encounter Gamera, who attacks their lighthouse. However, Gamera saves Toshio from falling to his death. Toshio becomes attached to Gamera after finding his pet turtle gone, believing it turned into Gamera.

Upon returning to Japan, Dr. Hidaka, Kyoko, and Aoyagi accompany the military when Gamera approaches a geothermal power plant. Despite attempts to prevent its approach, Gamera proceeds to attack the power plant and devours the flames around it. Dr. Hidaka consults with Dr. Murase and the military recommends using experimental freezing bombs. The bombs postpone Gamera's assault as the military rig the area with explosives and succeed in turning the monster on its back. Gamera pulls in its limbs, expels flames, and takes flight, spinning around like a flying saucer. Toshio and his sister Nobuyo visit Dr. Hidaka while staying in Tokyo with their uncle. Toshio explains to Dr. Hidaka his belief that Gamera is lonely and not evil. Dr. Hidaka, meanwhile, has observed that Gamera consumes fossil fuels and may seek atomic bombs for their energy. Meanwhile, disasters and accidents start to occur: Koto Ward is struck by flash floods and ships collide in Tokyo Bay. Dr. Hidaka claims that the cause may be Gamera hiding in the bay.

An international scientific conference is called and decides to use the "Z Plan", based at Oshima Island. Gamera lands at Haneda Airport and proceeds to wreak havoc in Tokyo. Toshio and his family evacuate, but Toshio runs away. The military keep Gamera at bay at an oil refinery by feeding it petroleum via trains, while the Z Plan continues preparations. As Nobuyo searches for her brother, Toshio makes attempts to breach restricted areas to see Gamera until he is caught at Oshima. Dr. Murase informs Nobuyo of Toshio's safety. The Z Plan is eventually completed and Gamera is lured to Oshima by lighting an oil slick path. However, an approaching typhoon blows the fire out. Aoyagi starts a bonfire to lure back Gamera, but it is also extinguished by the typhoon. A nearby volcano erupts, successfully luring Gamera back. The next day, the Z Plan is put into action: Gamera is lured into the nose cone of a giant rocket and launched to Mars. The world celebrates and Toshio tells Dr. Hidaka he will become a scientist so he can visit Gamera. Toshio bids the monster farewell.

Cast edit

Japanese version edit

  • Eiji Funakoshi as Dr. Hidaka
  • Michiko Sugata as Nobuyo Sakurai
  • Harumi Kiritachi as Kyoko Yamamoto
  • Junichiro Yamashita as Aoyagi
  • Yoshiro Uchida as Toshio Sakurai
  • Yoshiro Kitahara as Mr. Sakurai
  • Jun Hamamura as Dr. Murase
  • Yoshio Yoshida as Eskimo Chief
  • George Hirose as the Japanese ambassador

American version edit

Cast taken from A History of Gamera.[8]

Production edit

Crew edit

  • Noriaki Yuasa – director
  • Yonesaburo Tsukiji – special effects director
  • Akira Inoue – production designer
  • Sandy Howard – director (American footage)
  • Ken Barnett – executive producer (American version)
  • Julian Townsend – cinematographer (American footage)
  • Ross–Gaffney – editor (American version)
  • Murray Rosenblum – sound (American version)
  • Hank Aldrich – art director (American version)
  • Sid Cooperschmidt – assistant director (American version)

Personnel taken from A History of Gamera.[8]

Nezura edit

See also: Nezura 1964

Due to the success of The Birds and Toho's Godzilla films,[9] Masaichi Nagata, the then-President of Daiei Film, wanted to produce a similar film and developed Giant Horde Beast Nezura, a film that would have featured overgrown rats attacking Tokyo. The film project was assigned to Yonesaburo Tsukiji to direct the special effects and Noriaki Yuasa to direct the film,[2] despite the studio thinking Yuasa was a "wash-out". Yuasa became attached to the film due to other directors refusing to accept the assignment, feeling that the film and its genre were beneath them and would have ended their careers.[10]

Stop motion, mechanical props, and suitmation were initially used to portray the creatures, with Ryosaku Takayama building several prototypes and a radio controlled prop,[11] but these were unsuccessful[12] and the crew were forced to use live rats crawling over miniature cities.[13] However, the rats were wild, uncooperative, and infested with fleas. Due to this, the health department forced the production to shut down.[12] The cancellation of Nezura left Tsukiji's privately-owned studio in debt.[2] Nezura was originally billed as Daiei's "premiere monster movie" scheduled to be released for new years in 1964.[14] Due to the resources that went into developing Nezura, Nagata was adamant in using those resources for a monster film.[15]

Gamera edit

Nagata conceived the idea for Gamera in 1965 upon flying back home from the United States. According to screenwriter Niisan Takahashi, Nagata claimed to have envisioned a tortoise flying alongside his airplane or saw an island shaped like a tortoise. During a monthly planning session, Nagata shared his tortoise vision with his staff and ordered them to create ideas for it.[16] Producer Yonejiro Saito contacted Takahashi about potential ideas, to which Takahashi shared his first story treatment titled A Lowly Tortoise Flies Through the Sky.[16] Takahashi then wrote a four-page treatment titled A Fire-Eating Turtle Attacks Japan. After reading it, Nagata requested a full screenplay.[17] Gamera's name was originally conceived as "Kamera", due to "kame" being the Japanese word for "turtle". However, the name was changed to "Gamera" due to "Kamera" sounding too close to the Japanese pronunciation for "camera".[18] Special effects technician Ryosaku Takayama designed the turtle suit used in the film.[1]

Yuasa inherited the Gamera assignment due to Nezura and was constantly belittled by studio execs and colleagues who believed the film would fail and would never compete with Godzilla. Yuasa took courses in special effects filmmaking and directed some of the film's effects in cooperation with Tsukiji. The script was still incomplete when the order was given to create the Gamera suit. Tsukiji's concept artwork was handed over to art director Akira Inoue and independent consultant Masao Yagi for further sketch designs and clay models. Yagi was assigned to build the suit and enlisted the aide of his father and associates from Toho's art department.[2] The final suit weighed over 60 kilograms and was produced with plaster reinforced by latex. Gamera was portrayed by various "tough" members of Daiei's prop department. The Gamera suit was made to walk on all fours to make filming easier and distinguish it from other upright monster characters.[19]

Gamera, the Giant Monster was the only film in the series shot in black-and-white.[7] This was due to the budget being cut by the studio due to low confidence[20] and the cancellation of Nezura.[19] Yuasa stated that the first Gamera film had a budget of about ¥40 million and that the film went "over budget a little bit".[4] Due to the film's low budget and tight schedule, the crew experienced various production issues: outdated equipment, insufficient electrical power to light up a sound stage for special effects filming, and faulty props. The flying Gamera prop burned through several wires it was attached to, causing it to crash. For the Arctic sequences, ice was delivered en masse by three trucks, however, the ice quickly melted and forced filming to be delayed for three days while the flooded set was being dried out. Yuasa received criticism from his own staff and there was consideration of hiring Tsuburaya Productions to complete the film. However, Yuasa refused and was determined to finish the film using Daiei's resources.[19]

English versions edit

The film was acquired and heavily altered by Harris Associates, Inc. and World Enterprises Corporation for its American release. Similar to the American release for Godzilla, King of the Monsters!, new footage was produced in New York City featuring American actors. This was done to replace footage from the Japanese version featuring poor performances by expats, poor English delivery by Japanese characters, and to further influence the plot from an American perspective. The American version restored shots deleted from the Japanese version and added an extra "m" to Gamera's name in order to prevent audiences from calling the monster "camera."[21]

The Japanese footage was dubbed into English by Titra Studios, which featured the voices of Peter Fernandez, Corinne Orr, Jack Curtis, and Bernard Grant. Tadashi Yamanouchi's score was left intact while additional music recycled from film libraries was added to supplement the new footage. The song "Gammera" was written and recorded for the film by Wes Farrell and Artie Butler as "The Moons." Months after its release, a bootlegged instrumental version of the song was released in the U.K. as "Shing-A-Ling At the Go-Go." To impress exhibitors, World Enterprises claimed to have spent a million dollars in advertising the film. The film was released theatrically in December 1966 as Gammera the Invincible.[21] In 1969, Harris Associates, Inc. re-released the film as a double feature with the Italian swashbuckler Mario Bava film Knives of the Avenger (1966); the pairing was advertised as "The Biggest... Most Frightening Science-Fiction Action-Show of the Century!".[22]

In 1985, the Japanese version and four other Gamera titles were acquired by Sandy Frank Film Syndication. While English dubs were recorded for the Japanese cuts of the other films by Hong Kong-based studios for international releases, the Japanese version of Gamera, the Giant Monster had no existing dub and an entirely new English dub was commissioned and recorded at Anvil Studios in England, which featured the voices of Garrick Hagon and Liza Ross. This English dubbed version, simply titled Gamera, as well as the others released by Sandy Frank, were featured on Mystery Science Theater 3000.[23]

Release edit

Theatrical and television edit

Gamera, the Giant Monster was released in Japan on November 27, 1965.[1] The film was a bigger hit than the studio expected, which led to a higher budget for the second film, Gamera vs. Barugon.[4] A heavily altered version of the film was theatrically released in the United States on December 15, 1966 as Gammera the Invincible by Harris Associates, Inc. and World Enterprises Corporation.[1] The American version runs at 86 minutes.[24] At times, Gammera the Invincible was double-billed with Knives of the Avenger or The Road to Fort Alamo. After acquiring World Enterprises and their catalogue, National Telefilm Associates released a 16mm pan and scan version to television. Gammera the Invincible usually aired alongside the English versions of the Gamera films released by American International Television. It was this 16mm pan and scan version of the American cut that became the source for many public domain VHS and DVD releases in the United States and Canada.[23]

Critical response edit

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 40% based on five reviews, with an average rating of 4.80/10.[25] From contemporary reviews, "Byro." of Variety stated that Plan Z in the film was an "appropriate idea for Gammera [sic], a film which can be rated as Grade Z"[26] The review went on to note that the films script and acting was "thoroughly predictable and pedestrian level".[26] From retrospective reviews, AllMovie gave the film a positive review complimenting its direction, special effects, and cinematography, stating, "All in all, Gammera the Invincible is a solidly-crafted, engaging monster mash - just make sure you see the original Japanese version".[27] Keith Phipps from AV Club stated "Gamera finds the perfect intersection between silly and cool, looking both dangerous and ridiculous as he tromps around. He’s no Godzilla, but he’s got his own thing going on."[28] Arnold T. Blumberg from IGN awarded the film 6 out of 10, stating, "Gamera retains a kitschy charm but it was an inauspicious debut for a beloved icon."[29] James McCormick from Criterion Cast called the film "a wonderful slice of schlock that you can watch again and again and appreciate the workmanship and love put into every scene."[30]

Artist and filmmaker Tomio Sagisu (co-creator of Spectreman) claimed that Nagata stole the idea of Gamera from him. Sagisu was soliciting ideas for a kaiju television program to various studios in 1962, and screened a demo reel entitled The Colossal Turtle, which featured a stop-motion animated turtle monster that pulled its limbs, expelled flames, and took flight. Sagisu commented, "I screened my demo reel at Daiei and no matter what anybody may think, I'm sure they used this reference for Gamera."[31] Years later, effects director Yonesaburo Tsukiji dismissed Sagisu's allegations and claimed that Masaichi Nagata's son, Hidemasa, conceived the idea for Gamera.[32]

Home media edit

In 1987, Sandy Frank Film Syndication released the film on VHS as Gamera. This release featured a new English dub (separate from the 1966 American version) for the Japanese version and replaced the original soundtrack with a new score.[33] Neptune Media released the original, unaltered Japanese version and the altered U.S. version on VHS in 1999.[34] Alpha Video released a cropped public domain version of the U.S. version on DVD in 2003, along with other public domain Gamera films.[5] In 2010, the Japanese version was released for the first time in North America on DVD by Shout! Factory.[5]

In 2011, Shout! Factory included the Mystery Science Theater 3000 episode featuring the Sandy Frank version of the film on the MST3K vs. Gamera DVD collection.[35] In 2014, the Japanese version was released on Blu-ray and DVD by Mill Creek Entertainment, bundled with other Gamera titles.[36] In 2020, the Japanese version, the American version, and the Anvil Studios English dub were included in the Gamera: The Complete Collection Blu-ray box set released by Arrow Video, which included all 12 films in the franchise.[37]

Legacy edit

Gamera, the Giant Monster is one of few films featured twice on Mystery Science Theater 3000 (both times as Gamera), the first as part of the initial KTMA series (episode 5) and again in Season 3 (episode 2).[38] Filmmaker Guillermo del Toro named the original Gamera film amongst his top five favorite kaiju films.[39] A character named "Baby Gamera", who has an appearance and abilities similar to Daiei's Gamera, appears in the manga and anime of Dragon Ball.[40] Later films would turn Gamera's characterization into a protector of children. This was due to a positive response from a scene in the 1965 film when Gamera saved Toshio, Yuasa commented, "It led to a great response and we received many letters from children. And so, Gamera became a [sic] children's ally in the end."[41] Yuasa and screenwriter Niisan Takahashi were secretly hoping for that effect and were pleased when their intentions succeeded.[42]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Galbraith IV 1994, p. 303.
  2. ^ a b c d e Macias 2020, p. 07.
  3. ^ Bogue 2017, p. 190.
  4. ^ a b c Galbraith IV 1998, p. 74.
  5. ^ a b c Aiken, Keith (February 13, 2010). . Scifi Japan. Archived from the original on January 26, 2021. Retrieved October 28, 2016.
  6. ^ Galbraith IV 1996, p. 177.
  7. ^ a b Galbraith IV 1994, p. 114.
  8. ^ a b Macias 2020, p. 07–08.
  9. ^ Galbraith IV 1994, p. 112.
  10. ^ Ragone 2020, 09:19.
  11. ^ Ragone & Varney 2010, 01:19:20.
  12. ^ a b Ragone 2020, 03:49.
  13. ^ Fischer 2011, p. 657.
  14. ^ Ragone 2020, 04:08.
  15. ^ Ragone 2020, 04:30.
  16. ^ a b Daiei Film 1991, 01:33.
  17. ^ Ragone 2020, 06:30.
  18. ^ Ragone 2020, 07:03.
  19. ^ a b c Macias 2020, p. 08.
  20. ^ Ragone 2020, 9:47.
  21. ^ a b Flower 2020, p. 73–74.
  22. ^ Lucas 2013, p. 659.
  23. ^ a b Flower 2020, p. 74.
  24. ^ Bogue 2017, p. 191.
  25. ^ "Daikaijû Gamera (The Giant Monster Gamera) (1965) - Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved July 30, 2015.
  26. ^ a b Variety's Film Reviews 1964-1967. Vol. 11. R. R. Bowker. 1983. There are no page numbers in this book. This entry is found under the header "December 27, 1967". ISBN 0-8352-2790-1.
  27. ^ Guarisco, Donald. "Gamera the Invincible (1965) - Noriyaki Yuasa". AllMovie.com. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
  28. ^ Keith Phipps (June 2, 2010). "Gamera: The Giant Monster". AV Club. from the original on December 30, 2019. Retrieved December 30, 2019.
  29. ^ Arnold T. Blumberg (May 14, 2010). "Gamera, The Giant Monster (Special Edition) DVD Review". IGN. from the original on December 30, 2019. Retrieved December 30, 2019.
  30. ^ James McCormick (May 19, 2010). "James Reviews Gamera: The Giant Monster on DVD from Shout! Factory [DVD Review]". Criterion Cast. Retrieved December 30, 2019.
  31. ^ Ragone 2020, 05:11.
  32. ^ Ragone 2020, 05:51.
  33. ^ Galbraith IV 1994, p. 308.
  34. ^ "Gamera - The Giant Monster". DVD Talk. Retrieved 23 October 2017.
  35. ^ Andre Dellamorte (August 16, 2011). "MST3K vs. Gamera DVD Review". Collider. from the original on May 19, 2021. Retrieved May 19, 2021.
  36. ^ . SciFi Japan. Archived from the original on March 7, 2021. Retrieved April 18, 2018.
  37. ^ "Gamera: The Complete Collection – Limited Edition Blu-ray Set Coming From Arrow Video". SciFi Japan. 21 February 2020. from the original on 23 February 2020. Retrieved 22 February 2020.
  38. ^ Beaulieu, Trace; Chaplin, Paul; Jim Mallon, Jim; Murphy, Kevin; Nelson, Michael J.; Pehl, Mary Jo (May 1996). The Mystery Science Theater 3000 amazing Colossal Episode Guide. Bantam Books. p. 40. ISBN 9780553377835.
  39. ^ Blanco, Alvin Aqua (July 13, 2013). . Hip Hop Wired. Archived from the original on March 3, 2019. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
  40. ^ Baird, Scott (March 8, 2017). . Screen Rant. Archived from the original on March 3, 2019. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
  41. ^ Buttgereit 2002, 2:00.
  42. ^ Buttgereit 2002, 2:14.

Sources edit

  • Bogue, Mike (2017). Apocalypse Then: American and Japanese Atomic Cinema, 1951–1967. McFarland. ISBN 978-1476668413.
  • Buttgereit, Jörg (2002). Interview with Noriaki Yuasa (Blu-ray). Arrow Video.
  • Daiei Film (1991). Remembering the Gamera Series (Blu-ray). Arrow Video.
  • Fischer, Dennis (2011). Science Fiction Film Directors, 1895-1998. McFarland. ISBN 978-0786485055.
  • Flower, James (2020). A Guide to English-Language Gamera. Arrow Video. ASIN B084Z13QYD.
  • Galbraith IV, Stuart (1994). Japanese Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films. McFarland. ISBN 0-89950-853-7.
  • Galbraith IV, Stuart (1996). The Japanese Filmography: 1900 through 1994. McFarland. ISBN 0-7864-0032-3.
  • Galbraith IV, Stuart (1998). Monsters Are Attacking Tokyo! The Incredible World of Japanese Fantasy Films. McFarland. ISBN 0922915474.
  • Lucas, Tim (2013). Mario Bava - All the Colors of the Dark. Video Watchdog. ISBN 978-0-9633756-1-2.
  • Macias, Patrick (2020). A History of Gamera. Arrow Video. ASIN B084Z13QYD.
  • Ragone, August; Varney, Jason (2010). Gamera vs. Barugon Audio Commentary (DVD). Shout! Factory.
  • Ragone, August (2020). Introduction by August Ragone (Blu-ray). Arrow Video. ASIN B084Z13QYD.
  • Rhoads & McCorkle, Sean & Brooke (2018). Japan's Green Monsters: Environmental Commentary in Kaiju Cinema. McFarland. ISBN 9781476663906.

External links edit

 
Wikiquote has quotations related to Gamera, the Giant Monster.

December 18, 2023
gamera, giant, monster, 大怪獣ガメラ, daikaijū, gamera, giant, monster, gamera, 1965, japanese, kaiju, film, directed, noriaki, yuasa, with, special, effects, yonesaburo, tsukiji, produced, distributed, daiei, film, first, film, gamera, franchise, shōwa, film, stars. Gamera the Giant Monster 5 大怪獣ガメラ Daikaiju Gamera lit Giant Monster Gamera 6 is a 1965 Japanese kaiju film directed by Noriaki Yuasa with special effects by Yonesaburo Tsukiji 2 Produced and distributed by Daiei Film it is the first film in the Gamera franchise and the Shōwa era The film stars Eiji Funakoshi Harumi Kiritachi and Junichiro Yamashita In the film authorities deal with the attacks of Gamera a giant prehistoric turtle unleashed in the Arctic by an atomic bomb Gamera the Giant MonsterTheatrical release posterJapanese nameKanji大怪獣ガメラTranscriptionsRevised HepburnDaikaiju GameraDirected byNoriaki YuasaScreenplay byNiisan Takahashi 1 Produced byMasaichi Nagata 2 Hidemasa Nagata 1 StarringEiji Funakoshi Michiko Sugata Harumi Kiritachi Junichiro YamashitaCinematographyNobuo Munegawa 1 Edited byTatsuji Nakashizu 1 Music byTadashi YamanouchiProductioncompanyDaiei Film 1 Distributed byDaieiRelease dateNovember 27 1965 1965 11 27 Japan Running time78 minutes 3 CountryJapanLanguageJapaneseBudget 40 million 4 The success of The Birds and Toho s Godzilla films influenced studio head Masaichi Nagata to produce a similar film In 1964 Daiei attempted to produce Nezura with Yuasa directing However the project was shut down by the health department since the project was to have used dozens of live rats Nagata then conceived Gamera to replace Nezura on the schedule Due to a low budget and tight schedule Yuasa was forced to use outdated equipment faulty props and faced belittlement from colleagues Yuasa was determined to complete the film with Daiei s resources despite brief talks of hiring Tsuburaya Productions to finish the film Gamera the Giant Monster was theatrically released in Japan on November 27 1965 A localized version with new footage was theatrically released in the United States on December 15 1966 by Harris Associates Inc and World Enterprises Corporation as Gammera the Invincible This was the only Gamera film in the Shōwa era to be given a theatrical release in the United States 7 The film was followed by Gamera vs Barugon released on April 17 1966 Contents 1 Plot 2 Cast 2 1 Japanese version 2 2 American version 3 Production 3 1 Crew 3 2 Nezura 3 3 Gamera 4 English versions 5 Release 5 1 Theatrical and television 5 2 Critical response 5 3 Home media 6 Legacy 7 See also 8 References 8 1 Sources 9 External linksPlot editIn the Arctic an unknown aircraft is shot down by an American jet fighter The aircraft crashes and its cargo an atomic bomb explodes The explosion awakens a giant prehistoric turtle with tusks Japanese scientists on an expedition nearby Dr Hidaka his assistant Kyoko and reporter Aoyagi are given a stone tablet by an Eskimo chief who explains that the creature is called Gamera Gamera destroys the expedition ship and escapes Sightings of flying saucers soon surface in Japan In Sagami Bay Toshio a boy recently forced to release his pet turtle and his family encounter Gamera who attacks their lighthouse However Gamera saves Toshio from falling to his death Toshio becomes attached to Gamera after finding his pet turtle gone believing it turned into Gamera Upon returning to Japan Dr Hidaka Kyoko and Aoyagi accompany the military when Gamera approaches a geothermal power plant Despite attempts to prevent its approach Gamera proceeds to attack the power plant and devours the flames around it Dr Hidaka consults with Dr Murase and the military recommends using experimental freezing bombs The bombs postpone Gamera s assault as the military rig the area with explosives and succeed in turning the monster on its back Gamera pulls in its limbs expels flames and takes flight spinning around like a flying saucer Toshio and his sister Nobuyo visit Dr Hidaka while staying in Tokyo with their uncle Toshio explains to Dr Hidaka his belief that Gamera is lonely and not evil Dr Hidaka meanwhile has observed that Gamera consumes fossil fuels and may seek atomic bombs for their energy Meanwhile disasters and accidents start to occur Koto Ward is struck by flash floods and ships collide in Tokyo Bay Dr Hidaka claims that the cause may be Gamera hiding in the bay An international scientific conference is called and decides to use the Z Plan based at Oshima Island Gamera lands at Haneda Airport and proceeds to wreak havoc in Tokyo Toshio and his family evacuate but Toshio runs away The military keep Gamera at bay at an oil refinery by feeding it petroleum via trains while the Z Plan continues preparations As Nobuyo searches for her brother Toshio makes attempts to breach restricted areas to see Gamera until he is caught at Oshima Dr Murase informs Nobuyo of Toshio s safety The Z Plan is eventually completed and Gamera is lured to Oshima by lighting an oil slick path However an approaching typhoon blows the fire out Aoyagi starts a bonfire to lure back Gamera but it is also extinguished by the typhoon A nearby volcano erupts successfully luring Gamera back The next day the Z Plan is put into action Gamera is lured into the nose cone of a giant rocket and launched to Mars The world celebrates and Toshio tells Dr Hidaka he will become a scientist so he can visit Gamera Toshio bids the monster farewell Cast editJapanese version edit Eiji Funakoshi as Dr Hidaka Michiko Sugata as Nobuyo Sakurai Harumi Kiritachi as Kyoko Yamamoto Junichiro Yamashita as Aoyagi Yoshiro Uchida as Toshio Sakurai Yoshiro Kitahara as Mr Sakurai Jun Hamamura as Dr Murase Yoshio Yoshida as Eskimo Chief George Hirose as the Japanese ambassador American version edit Albert Dekker as the Secretary of Defense Brian Donlevy as Gen Terry Arnold Diane Findlay as Sgt Susan Embers John Baragrey as Captain Lovell Dick O Neill as Gen O Neill Mort Marshall as Jules Manning Alan Oppenheimer as Dr Contrare Steffen Zacharias as Senator Billings Thomas Stubblefield as J T Standish Cast taken from A History of Gamera 8 Production editCrew edit Noriaki Yuasa director Yonesaburo Tsukiji special effects director Akira Inoue production designer Sandy Howard director American footage Ken Barnett executive producer American version Julian Townsend cinematographer American footage Ross Gaffney editor American version Murray Rosenblum sound American version Hank Aldrich art director American version Sid Cooperschmidt assistant director American version Personnel taken from A History of Gamera 8 Nezura edit See also Nezura 1964 Due to the success of The Birds and Toho s Godzilla films 9 Masaichi Nagata the then President of Daiei Film wanted to produce a similar film and developed Giant Horde Beast Nezura a film that would have featured overgrown rats attacking Tokyo The film project was assigned to Yonesaburo Tsukiji to direct the special effects and Noriaki Yuasa to direct the film 2 despite the studio thinking Yuasa was a wash out Yuasa became attached to the film due to other directors refusing to accept the assignment feeling that the film and its genre were beneath them and would have ended their careers 10 Stop motion mechanical props and suitmation were initially used to portray the creatures with Ryosaku Takayama building several prototypes and a radio controlled prop 11 but these were unsuccessful 12 and the crew were forced to use live rats crawling over miniature cities 13 However the rats were wild uncooperative and infested with fleas Due to this the health department forced the production to shut down 12 The cancellation of Nezura left Tsukiji s privately owned studio in debt 2 Nezura was originally billed as Daiei s premiere monster movie scheduled to be released for new years in 1964 14 Due to the resources that went into developing Nezura Nagata was adamant in using those resources for a monster film 15 Gamera edit Nagata conceived the idea for Gamera in 1965 upon flying back home from the United States According to screenwriter Niisan Takahashi Nagata claimed to have envisioned a tortoise flying alongside his airplane or saw an island shaped like a tortoise During a monthly planning session Nagata shared his tortoise vision with his staff and ordered them to create ideas for it 16 Producer Yonejiro Saito contacted Takahashi about potential ideas to which Takahashi shared his first story treatment titled A Lowly Tortoise Flies Through the Sky 16 Takahashi then wrote a four page treatment titled A Fire Eating Turtle Attacks Japan After reading it Nagata requested a full screenplay 17 Gamera s name was originally conceived as Kamera due to kame being the Japanese word for turtle However the name was changed to Gamera due to Kamera sounding too close to the Japanese pronunciation for camera 18 Special effects technician Ryosaku Takayama designed the turtle suit used in the film 1 Yuasa inherited the Gamera assignment due to Nezura and was constantly belittled by studio execs and colleagues who believed the film would fail and would never compete with Godzilla Yuasa took courses in special effects filmmaking and directed some of the film s effects in cooperation with Tsukiji The script was still incomplete when the order was given to create the Gamera suit Tsukiji s concept artwork was handed over to art director Akira Inoue and independent consultant Masao Yagi for further sketch designs and clay models Yagi was assigned to build the suit and enlisted the aide of his father and associates from Toho s art department 2 The final suit weighed over 60 kilograms and was produced with plaster reinforced by latex Gamera was portrayed by various tough members of Daiei s prop department The Gamera suit was made to walk on all fours to make filming easier and distinguish it from other upright monster characters 19 Gamera the Giant Monster was the only film in the series shot in black and white 7 This was due to the budget being cut by the studio due to low confidence 20 and the cancellation of Nezura 19 Yuasa stated that the first Gamera film had a budget of about 40 million and that the film went over budget a little bit 4 Due to the film s low budget and tight schedule the crew experienced various production issues outdated equipment insufficient electrical power to light up a sound stage for special effects filming and faulty props The flying Gamera prop burned through several wires it was attached to causing it to crash For the Arctic sequences ice was delivered en masse by three trucks however the ice quickly melted and forced filming to be delayed for three days while the flooded set was being dried out Yuasa received criticism from his own staff and there was consideration of hiring Tsuburaya Productions to complete the film However Yuasa refused and was determined to finish the film using Daiei s resources 19 English versions editThe film was acquired and heavily altered by Harris Associates Inc and World Enterprises Corporation for its American release Similar to the American release for Godzilla King of the Monsters new footage was produced in New York City featuring American actors This was done to replace footage from the Japanese version featuring poor performances by expats poor English delivery by Japanese characters and to further influence the plot from an American perspective The American version restored shots deleted from the Japanese version and added an extra m to Gamera s name in order to prevent audiences from calling the monster camera 21 The Japanese footage was dubbed into English by Titra Studios which featured the voices of Peter Fernandez Corinne Orr Jack Curtis and Bernard Grant Tadashi Yamanouchi s score was left intact while additional music recycled from film libraries was added to supplement the new footage The song Gammera was written and recorded for the film by Wes Farrell and Artie Butler as The Moons Months after its release a bootlegged instrumental version of the song was released in the U K as Shing A Ling At the Go Go To impress exhibitors World Enterprises claimed to have spent a million dollars in advertising the film The film was released theatrically in December 1966 as Gammera the Invincible 21 In 1969 Harris Associates Inc re released the film as a double feature with the Italian swashbuckler Mario Bava film Knives of the Avenger 1966 the pairing was advertised as The Biggest Most Frightening Science Fiction Action Show of the Century 22 In 1985 the Japanese version and four other Gamera titles were acquired by Sandy Frank Film Syndication While English dubs were recorded for the Japanese cuts of the other films by Hong Kong based studios for international releases the Japanese version of Gamera the Giant Monster had no existing dub and an entirely new English dub was commissioned and recorded at Anvil Studios in England which featured the voices of Garrick Hagon and Liza Ross This English dubbed version simply titled Gamera as well as the others released by Sandy Frank were featured on Mystery Science Theater 3000 23 Release editTheatrical and television edit Gamera the Giant Monster was released in Japan on November 27 1965 1 The film was a bigger hit than the studio expected which led to a higher budget for the second film Gamera vs Barugon 4 A heavily altered version of the film was theatrically released in the United States on December 15 1966 as Gammera the Invincible by Harris Associates Inc and World Enterprises Corporation 1 The American version runs at 86 minutes 24 At times Gammera the Invincible was double billed with Knives of the Avenger or The Road to Fort Alamo After acquiring World Enterprises and their catalogue National Telefilm Associates released a 16mm pan and scan version to television Gammera the Invincible usually aired alongside the English versions of the Gamera films released by American International Television It was this 16mm pan and scan version of the American cut that became the source for many public domain VHS and DVD releases in the United States and Canada 23 Critical response edit On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 40 based on five reviews with an average rating of 4 80 10 25 From contemporary reviews Byro of Variety stated that Plan Z in the film was an appropriate idea for Gammera sic a film which can be rated as Grade Z 26 The review went on to note that the films script and acting was thoroughly predictable and pedestrian level 26 From retrospective reviews AllMovie gave the film a positive review complimenting its direction special effects and cinematography stating All in all Gammera the Invincible is a solidly crafted engaging monster mash just make sure you see the original Japanese version 27 Keith Phipps from AV Club stated Gamera finds the perfect intersection between silly and cool looking both dangerous and ridiculous as he tromps around He s no Godzilla but he s got his own thing going on 28 Arnold T Blumberg from IGN awarded the film 6 out of 10 stating Gamera retains a kitschy charm but it was an inauspicious debut for a beloved icon 29 James McCormick from Criterion Cast called the film a wonderful slice of schlock that you can watch again and again and appreciate the workmanship and love put into every scene 30 Artist and filmmaker Tomio Sagisu co creator of Spectreman claimed that Nagata stole the idea of Gamera from him Sagisu was soliciting ideas for a kaiju television program to various studios in 1962 and screened a demo reel entitled The Colossal Turtle which featured a stop motion animated turtle monster that pulled its limbs expelled flames and took flight Sagisu commented I screened my demo reel at Daiei and no matter what anybody may think I m sure they used this reference for Gamera 31 Years later effects director Yonesaburo Tsukiji dismissed Sagisu s allegations and claimed that Masaichi Nagata s son Hidemasa conceived the idea for Gamera 32 Home media edit In 1987 Sandy Frank Film Syndication released the film on VHS as Gamera This release featured a new English dub separate from the 1966 American version for the Japanese version and replaced the original soundtrack with a new score 33 Neptune Media released the original unaltered Japanese version and the altered U S version on VHS in 1999 34 Alpha Video released a cropped public domain version of the U S version on DVD in 2003 along with other public domain Gamera films 5 In 2010 the Japanese version was released for the first time in North America on DVD by Shout Factory 5 In 2011 Shout Factory included the Mystery Science Theater 3000 episode featuring the Sandy Frank version of the film on the MST3K vs Gamera DVD collection 35 In 2014 the Japanese version was released on Blu ray and DVD by Mill Creek Entertainment bundled with other Gamera titles 36 In 2020 the Japanese version the American version and the Anvil Studios English dub were included in the Gamera The Complete Collection Blu ray box set released by Arrow Video which included all 12 films in the franchise 37 Legacy editGamera the Giant Monster is one of few films featured twice on Mystery Science Theater 3000 both times as Gamera the first as part of the initial KTMA series episode 5 and again in Season 3 episode 2 38 Filmmaker Guillermo del Toro named the original Gamera film amongst his top five favorite kaiju films 39 A character named Baby Gamera who has an appearance and abilities similar to Daiei s Gamera appears in the manga and anime of Dragon Ball 40 Later films would turn Gamera s characterization into a protector of children This was due to a positive response from a scene in the 1965 film when Gamera saved Toshio Yuasa commented It led to a great response and we received many letters from children And so Gamera became a sic children s ally in the end 41 Yuasa and screenwriter Niisan Takahashi were secretly hoping for that effect and were pleased when their intentions succeeded 42 See also editList of Japanese films of 1965References edit a b c d e f g h Galbraith IV 1994 p 303 a b c d e Macias 2020 p 07 Bogue 2017 p 190 a b c Galbraith IV 1998 p 74 a b c Aiken Keith February 13 2010 Showa Gamera Films Coming to DVD from Shout Factory Scifi Japan Archived from the original on January 26 2021 Retrieved October 28 2016 Galbraith IV 1996 p 177 a b Galbraith IV 1994 p 114 a b Macias 2020 p 07 08 Galbraith IV 1994 p 112 Ragone 2020 09 19 Ragone amp Varney 2010 01 19 20 a b Ragone 2020 03 49 Fischer 2011 p 657 Ragone 2020 04 08 Ragone 2020 04 30 a b Daiei Film 1991 01 33 Ragone 2020 06 30 Ragone 2020 07 03 a b c Macias 2020 p 08 Ragone 2020 9 47 a b Flower 2020 p 73 74 Lucas 2013 p 659 a b Flower 2020 p 74 Bogue 2017 p 191 Daikaiju Gamera The Giant Monster Gamera 1965 Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes Retrieved July 30 2015 a b Variety s Film Reviews 1964 1967 Vol 11 R R Bowker 1983 There are no page numbers in this book This entry is found under the header December 27 1967 ISBN 0 8352 2790 1 Guarisco Donald Gamera the Invincible 1965 Noriyaki Yuasa AllMovie com Retrieved 30 July 2015 Keith Phipps June 2 2010 Gamera The Giant Monster AV Club Archived from the original on December 30 2019 Retrieved December 30 2019 Arnold T Blumberg May 14 2010 Gamera The Giant Monster Special Edition DVD Review IGN Archived from the original on December 30 2019 Retrieved December 30 2019 James McCormick May 19 2010 James Reviews Gamera The Giant Monster on DVD from Shout Factory DVD Review Criterion Cast Retrieved December 30 2019 Ragone 2020 05 11 Ragone 2020 05 51 Galbraith IV 1994 p 308 Gamera The Giant Monster DVD Talk Retrieved 23 October 2017 Andre Dellamorte August 16 2011 MST3K vs Gamera DVD Review Collider Archived from the original on May 19 2021 Retrieved May 19 2021 New Gamera Blu ray and DVD Sets from Mill Creek in April SciFi Japan Archived from the original on March 7 2021 Retrieved April 18 2018 Gamera The Complete Collection Limited Edition Blu ray Set Coming From Arrow Video SciFi Japan 21 February 2020 Archived from the original on 23 February 2020 Retrieved 22 February 2020 Beaulieu Trace Chaplin Paul Jim Mallon Jim Murphy Kevin Nelson Michael J Pehl Mary Jo May 1996 The Mystery Science Theater 3000 amazing Colossal Episode Guide Bantam Books p 40 ISBN 9780553377835 Blanco Alvin Aqua July 13 2013 Pacific Rim Director Guillermo Del Toro s Top 5 Kaiju Films Hip Hop Wired Archived from the original on March 3 2019 Retrieved March 3 2019 Baird Scott March 8 2017 15 Times Dragon Ball Z Crossed Over With Other Series Screen Rant Archived from the original on March 3 2019 Retrieved March 3 2019 Buttgereit 2002 2 00 Buttgereit 2002 2 14 Sources edit Bogue Mike 2017 Apocalypse Then American and Japanese Atomic Cinema 1951 1967 McFarland ISBN 978 1476668413 Buttgereit Jorg 2002 Interview with Noriaki Yuasa Blu ray Arrow Video Daiei Film 1991 Remembering the Gamera Series Blu ray Arrow Video Fischer Dennis 2011 Science Fiction Film Directors 1895 1998 McFarland ISBN 978 0786485055 Flower James 2020 A Guide to English Language Gamera Arrow Video ASIN B084Z13QYD Galbraith IV Stuart 1994 Japanese Science Fiction Fantasy and Horror Films McFarland ISBN 0 89950 853 7 Galbraith IV Stuart 1996 The Japanese Filmography 1900 through 1994 McFarland ISBN 0 7864 0032 3 Galbraith IV Stuart 1998 Monsters Are Attacking Tokyo The Incredible World of Japanese Fantasy Films McFarland ISBN 0922915474 Lucas Tim 2013 Mario Bava All the Colors of the Dark Video Watchdog ISBN 978 0 9633756 1 2 Macias Patrick 2020 A History of Gamera Arrow Video ASIN B084Z13QYD Ragone August Varney Jason 2010 Gamera vs Barugon Audio Commentary DVD Shout Factory Ragone August 2020 Introduction by August Ragone Blu ray Arrow Video ASIN B084Z13QYD Rhoads amp McCorkle Sean amp Brooke 2018 Japan s Green Monsters Environmental Commentary in Kaiju Cinema McFarland ISBN 9781476663906 External links edit nbsp Wikiquote has quotations related to Gamera the Giant Monster Gamera The Giant Monster at IMDb Gammera the Invincible at IMDb Gammera the Invincible at AllMovie Gammera the Invincible at Rotten Tomatoes Gammera the Invincible at the TCM Movie Database Mystery Science Theater 3000 Gamera at IMDb Mystery Science Theater 3000 Gamera at AllMovie 大怪獣ガメラ Daikaiju Gamera at the Japanese Movie Database in Japanese Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Gamera the Giant Monster amp oldid 1178950070, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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