Godzilla

About Godzilla

Godzilla is a 1954 Japanese science fiction kaiju film featuring Godzilla, produced and distributed by Toho. It is the first film in the Godzilla franchise and Shōwa series.

The film is directed by Ishirō Honda, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. The film stars Akira Takarada, Momoko Kōchi, Akihiko Hirata, Takashi Shimura, with Haruo Nakajima and Katsumi Tezuka as the performers for Godzilla. Honda's film is dedicated to telling a straightforward, compelling narrative about a monstrous creature that's revived due to nuclear testing.

Making/Production

Director Ishiro Honda, Eiji Tsuburaya, and producer Tomoyuki Tanaka conceived Godzilla as a metaphor for nuclear weapons. Production began on a tight budget and with many challenges, but the filmmakers utilized inventive methods, particularly in Tsuburaya's special effects work, to create a landmark film.

Actors

• Akira Takarada as Hideto Ogata - Takarada plays Hideto, a courageous and resourceful salvage ship captain.
• Momoko Kōchi as Emiko Yamane - Kōchi plays Emiko, the daughter of the paleontologist Dr. Yamane and Ogata's love interest.
• Akihiko Hirata as Daisuke Serizawa - Hirata plays Serizawa, a scientist with a deadly secret.
• Takashi Shimura as Kyohei Yamane - Shimura plays Kyohei, a prominent paleontologist.

Trivia/Interesting Facts

• The name Godzilla is a romanization of the original Japanese name Gojira—which is a combination of two Japanese words: gorira (gorilla), and kujira (whale).
• Godzilla's iconic roar was created by composer Akira Ifukube rubbing a resin-coated glove along the loose string of a double bass and then slowing down the playback.
• The suit used in the original 1954 Godzilla film weighed 220 pounds.

Awards

Although the original 1954 Godzilla film did not win any notable awards during its initial release, it has since been recognized for its impact and received various posthumous honors including being inducted into the Japan Movie Critics Awards "Hall of Fame" in 2016.

Quotes

• Dr. Yamane: "I can't believe that Godzilla was the last of its kind."
• Daisuke Serizawa: "Burning Godzilla...nothing can kill it."

Music/Soundtrack

• Godzilla Main Title - Akira Ifukube
• Footsteps FX - Eiji Tsuburaya (Sound Director)
• Prayer for Peace - Akira Ifukube
• Godzilla at the Ocean Floor - Akira Ifukube
• Oxygen Destroyer - Akira Ifukube