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Akira Watanabe (art Director)
was a Japanese special effects art director who worked on 38 films in a career spanning 25 years. Career On April 1, 1929, Watanabe graduating from art school, and joined Shochiku as an assistant director, then transferred to Toho in 1941 upon the recommendation of Eiji Tsuburaya, working on his first film with the company the following year. He left Toho in 1966 after serving as Tsuburaya's art director on ''Invasion of Astro-Monster''. With Japanese Special Effects Productions, which was later called Japanese Special Effects Film Co., Ltd., he directed special effects on '' Gappa: The Triphibian Monster'', Nikkatsu's sole Showa ''kaiju'' film, and the Japanese-American co-production ''The Green Slime''. Partial filmography Special effects art director * ''The War at Sea from Hawaii to Malaya'' (1942) * ''Lady from Hell'' (1949) *'' Nangoku no hada'' (1952) * ''Godzilla'' (1954) * ''Godzilla Raids Again'' (1955) *''Half Human'' (1955) * '' The Legend of the White Serpen ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lady From Hell
is a 1949 Japanese Action film, action drama film directed by Motoyoshi Oda and co-written by Akira Kurosawa, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. The film has been called a "protest movie" which "portrayed a cornucopia of corruption and indicted every known example of postwar exploitation: black-marketeering, crooked politicians, blackmailing journalists, and a decaying aristocracy." ''Lady of Hell'' is regarded as one of Oda's most celebrated films. Plot It has been three and a half years since Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Hiroshima and Nagasaki were bombed, and Japan's economy is no longer growing slowly due to inflation. To balance the fiscal balance, the tax authorities have organized a "T-men" squad to detect tax evasion, the biggest cause of inflation. The building is called Fujimura Sangyo and it is located in front of it. As a group of T Men are inspecting the books in the office, Yoshioka, Kano, Mihara and others are accompanied by the police; howeve ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Godzilla Raids Again
is a 1955 Japanese ''kaiju'' film directed by Motoyoshi Oda, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. Produced and distributed by Toho Co., Ltd., it is the second film in the ''Godzilla'' franchise. The film stars Hiroshi Koizumi, Setsuko Wakayama, Minoru Chiaki, and Takashi Shimura, with Haruo Nakajima as Godzilla and Katsumi Tezuka as Anguirus. In the film, Japan struggles to survive Godzilla's return, as well as its destructive battle against its ancient foe Anguirus. Executive producer Iwao Mori instructed producer Tomoyuki Tanaka to immediately commence production on a second ''Godzilla'' film, fearing to lose the momentum of the first film's success. Oda was chosen to direct the film as Ishirō Honda was busy directing '' Lovetide''. ''Godzilla Raids Again'' was released theatrically in Japan on April 24, 1955. A re-edited, English dubbed version was released theatrically in the United States on June 2, 1959, by Warner Bros. Pictures, under the title ''Gigantis, the Fir ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mothra (film)
is a 1961 Japanese ''kaiju'' film directed by Ishirō Honda, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. Produced and distributed by Toho Co., Ltd, it is the first film in the ''Mothra'' franchise. The film stars Frankie Sakai, Hiroshi Koizumi, Kyōko Kagawa, Jerry Ito, and The Peanuts. In 1960, producer Tomoyuki Tanaka hired Shin'ichirō Nakamura to write an original story for a new ''kaiju'' film. Co-written with Takehiko Fukunaga, and Yoshie Hotta, ''The Glowing Fairies and Mothra'' was serialized in a magazine in January 1961. Screenwriter Shinichi Sekizawa later adapted the story into a screenplay, patterning his version after ''King Kong'' (1933) and ''Godzilla'' (1954). ''Mothra'' was theatrically released in Japan on July 30, 1961. An edited, English dubbed version was released theatrically in the United States on May 10, 1962 by Columbia Pictures. The titular monster, Mothra, would become Toho's second most popular ''kaiju'' character after Godzilla, appearing in eleve ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Story Of Osaka Castle
is a 1961 Japanese drama film directed by Hiroshi Inagaki, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. The film is based on historical events taking place in Japan during the beginning of the 17th century. Plot The plot is set about a decade after the battle of Sekigahara. Toshiro Mifune's character, Mohei is a contumacious wandering samurai with his very own point of view. He arrives in the city of Osaka to look for new beginning. As a backdrop, there unfolds a conspiracy masterminded by the Toyotomi clan to rein in Lord Ieyasu Tokugawa's ambition for personal domination of Japan. Cast * Toshiro Mifune as Mohei * Kyōko Kagawa as Ai * Yuriko Hoshi as Senhime * Yoshiko Kuga as Kobue * Isuzu Yamada as Yodogimi * Yosuke Natsuki as Chomonshu Kimura * Jun Tazaki as Teikabo Tsutumi * Danko Ichikawa (Sarunosuke Ichikawa) as Saizo Muin * Akihiko Hirata as Hayatonosho (Hayato) Susukida * Takashi Shimura as Katagiri Katsumoto * Koedako Kuroiwa as Nobuo * Tetsurō Tamba as Sadamasa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Human Vapor
is a 1960 Japanese science fiction film directed by Ishirō Honda, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. The film is the story of a librarian (Yoshio Tsuchiya), his love for a dancer and his ability to change into a gaseous form. Plot While investigating a mysterious bank robber, Detective Okamoto encounters dancer Fujichiyo Kasuga and her servant, Jiya. Okamoto's girlfriend, newspaper reporter Kyoko Kono, insists on helping him despite him not taking her seriously. Shortly thereafter, another bank is robbed, with the culprit mysteriously evading all security measures, surviving gunfire from a police officer, and killing the officer and an employee before vanishing. Kyoko informs Okamoto that Fujichiyo is from a wealthy and respected family, but has not performed in some time. He also learns from his superior Tabata that the bank victims died from asphyxiation. Okamoto and Kyoko discover that Fujichiyo is planning to perform again, but is reticent about the details. They fo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Secret Of The Telegian
() is a 1960 tokusatsu science fiction- horror and mystery film. Produced by Toho Company, Ltd., the film was directed by Jun Fukuda, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. Herts-Lion International Corp. acquired the western hemisphere rights to the film in January 1964 and planned to release it theatrically in the United States. This proposed U.S. theatrical release was aborted, and the film was subsequently syndicated to television. Besides being in black and white, the TV prints were identical to Toho's uncut international English version, dubbing and all. Plot At an amusement park's "Cave of Horrors" attraction, a man is stabbed to death and the killer leaves behind a gold-plated dog tag, a note asking the victim to meet them there, and a piece of Cryotron transistor wire. Reporter Kirioka, his childhood friend Detective Kobayashi, and the police led by Captain Onosaki begin investigating. They discover clues that lead them to a military-themed nightclub called the Mili ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Battle In Outer Space
is a 1959 Japanese science fiction film directed by Ishirō Honda, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. Plot In 1965, a series of mysterious and devastating incidents are happening on Earth. These incidents range from a railroad bridge levitated off the ground causing a train wreck in Japan; an ocean liner lifted out of the Panama Canal by a waterspout, destroying it; severe flooding in Venice, Italy; and the destruction of the J-SS3 space station. A UN-connected international meeting is called at the Space Research Center in Japan. Major Ichiro Katsumiya, Professor Adachi and Dr. Richardson open the conference and describe the disasters, adding that the survivors suffered from extreme frostbite. Dr. Richardson theorizes that some unknown force lowered the temperatures of the objects so as to lower the Earth's gravitational pull, thus making the objects easier to lift, regardless of their size and weight. Katsumiya determines that such an action could only be accomplished by ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Three Treasures
is a 1959 Japanese film directed by Hiroshi Inagaki. The film is based on the legends ''Kojiki'' and '' Nihon Shoki'' and the origins of ''Shinto''. The film was the highest-grossing film of 1959 for Toho and the second highest grossing domestic production in Japan for the year. The film was shown in Japan in 1959 as ''Nippon Tanjo'' (''The Birth of Japan'') with a running time of 182 minutes, but it was released in the United States in December, 1960 as ''The Three Treasures'', edited down to only 112 minutes. It was also shown internationally under the title ''Age of the Gods''. Plot ''The Three Treasures'' retells the story of the Yamato Takeru legend, and features a recounting of the great battle between Susanoo and the legendary dragon Orochi. Cast * Toshiro Mifune as Prince Yamato Takeru and Susanoo * Takashi Shimura as Elder Kumaso * Kōji Tsuruta as Younger Kumaso * Nakamura Ganjirō II as Emperor Keikō * Akira Takarada as Prince Wakatarashi * Kinuyo Tanaka as Pri ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Monkey Sun
is a 1959 Japanese tokusatsu Fantasy film, fantasy action film directed by Kajirō Yamamoto, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. The film was based on ''Journey to the West'' written by Wu Cheng'en and was the second adaptation of the novel by Yamamoto and Tsuburaya, after 1940's ''Enoken's Sun Wukong''. It has never been released in the United States or dubbed and subtitled in English. Plot The tale unfolds in Changan, capital of China during the Tang Dynasty. People are suffering and dying from floods, epidemics, and famine, and the Emperor believes he can save his country if he can obtain the holy script, San Tsang, from distant India. He discovers, however, that no one is willing to make the long journey because the roads to India are infested with savages and devils. The Emperor has a dream in which a hermit appears and tells him there is a brave boy, only 13 years old, by the name of Genjo who would be able to accomplish the mission. The Emperor summons the boy, give ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Varan The Unbelievable
is a 1958 Japanese ''kaiju'' film directed by Ishirō Honda, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. Produced and distributed by Toho Co., Ltd, it stars Kōzō Nomura, Ayumi Sonoda, and Koreya Senda, with Haruo Nakajima as Varan. In the film, authorities contend with the appearance of a giant reptilian monster as it attempts to reach civilization. In 1957, Toho was approached by American Broadcasting-Paramount Theatres (AB-PT) to co-produce a new ''kaiju'' film for television. It was intended to be a three-part film, each 30 minutes with fade-in/outs for commercial breaks. However, AB-PT collapsed during production and Toho altered the film's status from a television film to a theatrical feature. As a result, the crew faced difficulties and filming lasted 28 days. The film was theatrically released in Japan on October 14, 1958. A heavily localized version, with new footage starring Myron Healey in the lead, was released in the United States on December 12, 1962 by Crown Intern ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The H-Man
is a Japanese science fiction thriller film directed by Ishirō Honda, with special effects directed by Eiji Tsuburaya. Plot On a rainy night in the outskirts of Tokyo, a drug smuggler, Misaki, is killed while trying to escape in a getaway car, leaving only his clothes behind. The police go to his apartment to investigate, questioning his girlfriend, Arai Chikako, who says Misaki hasn't returned home for five days. Arai is a singer at a cabaret, and meets Masada, a Jyoto University professor, there. She gives him a note to take to Misaki, but is confiscated and taken into custody by the police. He theorizes to the police Misaki's disappearance is the result of his physical form melting away due to exposure to radiation in the rain that night. The police dismisses the theory. That night, Nishiyama of a drug smuggling gang sneaks into Arai's apartment and threatens her, asking her where Misaki is. However, Arai doesn't know, and Nishiyama leaves by the window, followed by gu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Mysterians
is a 1957 Japanese tokusatsu science fiction film directed by Ishirō Honda, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. The film begins with a giant fissure destroying an entire village. This leads to an investigation whereby the source is discovered to be Moguera, a giant robot, who is then destroyed by the military. The remains are analyzed and discovered to be of alien origin. Shortly after, an alien race known as the Mysterians arrive, declaring they have taken some Earth women captive and that they demand both land and the right to marry women of Earth. For ''The Mysterians'', producer Tomoyuki Tanaka recruited Jojiro Okami, a science fiction writer, to develop the story. Honda later elaborated that he wanted the film to differ from both ''Godzilla'' and ''Rodan'' and to make it more of a "true science fiction film," one to promote peace and understanding between cultures. The film was popular upon its release in Japan, where it was among the top ten grossing domestic produc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
