Terry O. Morse (January 30, 1906 – May 19, 1984) was an American

film director A film director controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfilment of that vision. The director has a key role in choosing the cast members, p ...

and

editor Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, photographic, visual, audible, or cinematic material used by a person or an entity to convey a message or information. The editing process can involve correction, condensation, orga ...

. He is perhaps best known for directing the American scenes in ''

Godzilla, King of the Monsters! is a 1956 '' kaiju'' film directed by Terry O. Morse and Ishirō Honda. It is a heavily re-edited American localization, commonly referred to as an "Americanization", of the 1954 Japanese film ''Godzilla''. The film was a Japanese- American c ...

'', the "Americanized" version of the 1954 Japanese ''

Godzilla is a fictional monster, or '' kaiju'', originating from a series of Japanese films. The character first appeared in the 1954 film ''Godzilla'' and became a worldwide pop culture icon, appearing in various media, including 32 films produc ...

'' film from

Toho is a Japanese film, theatre production and distribution company. It has its headquarters in Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Osaka-based Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group. Outside of Japan, it is best known as the producer an ...

. The film went on to long-lasting success with regular showings at drive-in theatres, repertory theatres and on television. Its popularity completely obscured the original film which remained virtually unknown in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

for several decades after its release.

Biography

Born in

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the Greater St. Louis, ...

, Morse began his career as a film editor in 1927, and early in his career was credited as Terrell Morse, and later Terry Morse. Although he continued working as an editor throughout his career, he also directed films, starting with ''

The Adventures of Jane Arden ''The Adventures of Jane Arden'' is a 1939 American crime film directed by Terry O. Morse and written by Vincent Sherman, Lawrence Kimble, and Charles W. Curran. The film stars Rosella Towne, William Gargan, James Stephenson, Benny Rubin, Den ...

'' in 1939. Most of his career was spent at

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...

, and was usually within the crime melodrama genre, although he also directed some comedies. He was unhappy with the movies he was given to direct and went independent. By this time, Morse had gained a solid reputation as a "film doctor," whose sharp editing skills helped to improve some movies. He was therefore asked to edit and direct new scenes in ''

'', spliced into the original film. At the time, the re-editing was so effective that American audiences were convinced that

Raymond Burr Raymond William Stacy Burr (May 21, 1917September 12, 1993) was a Canadian actor known for his lengthy Hollywood film career and his title roles in television dramas ''Perry Mason'' and '' Ironside''. Burr's early acting career included roles ...

had actually gone to Japan to shoot the picture. It became the most famous film he was involved with. His son, Terry Morse Jr. followed him into filmmaking, and is a

film producer A film producer is a person who oversees film production. Either employed by a production company or working independently, producers plan and coordinate various aspects of film production, such as selecting the script, coordinating writing, di ...

and director. Morse died in

Newhall, California Newhall is the southernmost and oldest community in the city of Santa Clarita, California. Prior to the 1987 consolidation of Canyon Country, Santa Clarita, California, Canyon Country, Saugus, Santa Clarita, California, Saugus, Newhall, and Val ...

Selected filmography

Editor

* ''

The Whip Woman ''The Whip Woman'' is a lost''The Whip Woman'' at Lost F ...

'' (1928) * ''

The Girl from Woolworth's ''The Girl from Woolworth's'' is a 1929 American pre-Code romance film directed by William Beaudine and starring Alice White, Gladden James and Bert Moorhouse. It was released both as a sound film and in a slightly shorter silent version.Marsh ...

'' (1929) * ''

Misbehaving Ladies ''Misbehaving Ladies'' is a 1931 American Pre-Code comedy film directed by William Beaudine and starring Lila Lee, Ben Lyon and Louise Fazenda. It is also known as ''The Queen of Main Street''. Cast * Lila Lee as Princess Ellen * Ben Lyon as ...

'' (1931) * ''

Two Seconds ''Two Seconds'' is a 1932 American pre-Code crime drama film directed by Mervyn LeRoy and starring Edward G. Robinson, Vivienne Osborne and Preston Foster. It was based on a successful Broadway play of the same name by Elliott Lester. The title ...

'' (1932) * ''

Talent Scout In professional sports, scouts are experienced talent evaluators who travel extensively for the purposes of watching athletes play their chosen sports and determining whether their set of skills and talents represent what is needed by the scout ...

'' (1937) * '' Rogue River'' (1951) * ''

The List of Adrian Messenger ''The List of Adrian Messenger'' is a 1963 American mystery film directed by John Huston starring Kirk Douglas, George C. Scott, Dana Wynter, Clive Brook, Gladys Cooper and Herbert Marshall. It is based on a 1959 novel of the same name written by ...

'' (1963) * ''

Panic in the City ''Panic in the City'' is a 1968 American science fiction thriller film directed by Eddie Davis and written by Eddie Davis and Charles E. Savage. The film is about nuclear weapons, set and filmed on location in Los Angeles in 1967. The film stars ...

'' (1968) * '' The Girl Who Knew Too Much'' (1969)

Director

* '' Waterfront'' (1939) * ''

Smashing the Money Ring ''Smashing the Money Ring'' is a 1939 American adventure film directed by Terry O. Morse, written by Anthony Coldeway and Raymond L. Schrock, and starring Ronald Reagan, Margot Stevenson, Eddie Foy, Jr., Joe Downing, Charles D. Brown and Jo ...

'' (1939) * ''

British Intelligence The Government of the United Kingdom maintains intelligence agencies within three government departments, the Foreign Office, the Home Office and the Ministry of Defence. These agencies are responsible for collecting and analysing foreign and do ...

'' (1940) * ''

Fog Island ''Fog Island'' is a 1945 American mystery-suspense film directed by Terry O. Morse. The film stars B movie horror film regulars George Zucco and Lionel Atwill. It was based on the 1937 play ''Angel Island'' by Bernadine "Bernie" Angus. Plot A ...

'' (1945) *''

Don Ricardo Returns ''Don Ricardo Returns'' is a 1946 American western drama film. After having been abducted and sent away on a ship in 1835, Don Ricardo (Coby) escapes and makes his way back to Alta California. He returns to exact revenge on those who kidnappe ...

'' (1946) * ''

Unknown World ''Unknown World'' (a.k.a. ''Night Without Stars'') is a 1951 independent film, independently made American black-and-white science fiction adventure film, directed by Terry O. Morse, Terrell O. Morse, and starring Bruce Kellogg, Marilyn Nash, Jim ...

'' (1951) * '' Godzilla, King of the Monsters'' (1956) * '' Taffy and the Jungle Hunter'' (1965) * ''

Young Dillinger ''Young Dillinger'' is a 1965 gangster film directed by Terry O. Morse. It stars Nick Adams as the notorious criminal John Dillinger, and co-stars Robert Conrad, John Ashley and Mary Ann Mobley. Plot With help from Elaine, his girlfriend, you ...

'' (1965)

External links

* 1906 births 1984 deaths American film directors American film editors Artists from St. Louis {{US-film-director-1900s-stub