About Ebirah, Horror of the Deep

Ebirah, Horror of the Deep, also known as Godzilla vs The Sea Monster, is a 1966 Japanese science fiction film directed by Jun Fukuda and produced by Toho. It's the seventh installment in the Godzilla franchise. The film involves a group of individuals who stumbles upon a terrorist organization on a remote island, guarded by a giant lobster called Ebirah. The group soon awakens Godzilla to assist them in fighting off the terrorists and Ebirah.

Making / Production

The film was initially intended to star King Kong, not Godzilla. However, due to contract disputes with Rankin/Bass Productions, Toho replaced Kong with Godzilla. Despite this, many aspects of the movie maintain a King Kong-like feel, such as Godzilla's attraction to the female lead.

Actors

• Akira Takarada as Yoshimura: Famed for his roles in other Godzilla movies, Takarada plays a thief who is enlisted to find a missing man. He seeks to oppose the terrorist organization 'the Red Bamboo'.
• Kumi Mizuno as Daiyo: One of the most popular actresses in the Godzilla franchise, Mizuno plays an enslaved island girl who allies with Takarada and shares a mutual attraction with Godzilla.
• Hideo Sunazuka as Ryota: Sunazuka plays Kayama's brother, who goes on the hunt for his missing brother and joins the fight against the Red Bamboo.
• Chôtarô Tôgin as Ichino: Tôgin is one of the comedic relief characters in the movie, playing Ryota's friend who reluctantly takes part in the adventure.

Trivia / Interesting Facts

• The film was initially intended to be a King Kong film.
• This film marks the first appearance of the giant condor and the Red Bamboo.
• Despite getting top billing, Godzilla doesn’t appear in the film until 41 minutes in.
• In Japan, the movie was released on a double bill with a sports movie, called The Grand Olympics '68.

Quotes

• "What is it? A bird? A plane? A porpoise?" - Nita, seeing Godzilla in the water for the first time.
• "That's Godzilla! It's him!" - Ryota, upon seeing Godzilla in person.

Music, Soundtrack

• Godzilla’s main theme, composed by Akira Ifukube, is still used in this film despite the rest of the score being composed by Masaru Sato.
• "The Last Battle", the film's climactic score, is one of the movie's most memorable tracks, capturing the intense, action-packed showdown between Godzilla, Ebirah, and the Red Bamboo.