King Kong Escapes
Encyclopedia
King Kong Escapes, released in Japan as , is a 1967 Kaiju
film. A Japanese/American co-production from Toho
(Japan) and Rankin/Bass
(USA). Directed by Ishiro Honda
and featuring special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya
, the film starred both American actors (such as Rhodes Reason
and Linda Miller
) alongside Japanese actors (such as Akira Takarada
, Mie Hama
and Eisei Amamoto). The film was a loose adaptation of the Rankin/Bass Saturday morning cartoon series The King Kong Show
and was the second and final Japanese made film featuring the character King Kong
.
named Dr. Hu (per the end credits; this is frequently misinterpreted as 'Who', confusing fans, but unrelated to the TV series and character of name
) has created a robot
ic version of King Kong
named Mechani-Kong
in order to dig for a highly radioactive element called "Element X", but the power of it shuts the robot down. Meanwhile, the crew of a submarine investigate the legend of King Kong on Mondo Island and Susan Watson is attacked by Gorosaurus
. However Kong comes to her rescue and kills it by breaking its jaws, before also saving the crew from a giant sea snake, named the Serpent of Mondo Island. Later, Dr. Hu kidnaps the real Kong along with the submarine crew and hypnotizes him to dig for Element X. He soon snaps out of it, escapes and swims off to Tokyo
. The submarine crew also escape and Mechani-Kong picks up Watson, who he carries to the top of the Tokyo Tower where he fights the real Kong. Kong wins and destroys the robot, rescues Watson, kills Dr. Hu and swims back to Mondo Island.
comedy The Shakiest Gun in the West
Contemporary American reviews were mixed. New York Times
film critic Vincent Canby
gave it a particularly insulting review, commenting, "The Japanese...are all thumbs when it comes to making monster movies like 'King Kong Escapes.' The Toho moviemakers are quite good in building miniature sets, but much of the process photography—matching the miniatures with the full-scale shots—is just bad...the plotting is hopelessly primitive..."
The July 15, 1968, issue of Film Bulletin, however, gave it a more positive review, saying, "Grown-ups who like their entertainments on a comic-strip level will find this good fun and the Universal release (made in Japan) has plenty of ballyhoo angles to draw the school-free youngsters in large numbers."
Veteran voice actor Paul Frees
dubbed the voice of Dr. Huu in the American release.
Outside of the Japan and the U.S, the film received a wide release in most International markets where it went by different titles. The film was released in Germany as King-Kong, Frankensteins Sohn (King Kong: Frankenstein's Son), in Belgium as La Revanche de King Kong (The Revenge of King Kong), in Italy as King Kong il gigante della foresta (King Kong, The Giant of the Forest), in Turkey as Canavarlarin Gazabi (Wrath of the Monsters), in Mexico as El Regreso de King Kong (The Return of King Kong), in Finland as King Kong kauhun saarella (King Kong on the Island of Terror), and in Sweden as King Kong på skräckens ö (King Kong on Terror Island)
but was ultimately dropped due to the fact that Toho's licence on the character was set to expire. Toho managed to get some use out of the suit though. The suit was reused to play the character "Gorilla" in episode #38 of the Toho
giant superhero show Go! Greenman
. The 3 part episode titled Greenman vs. Gorilla aired from March 21, 1974 through March 23, 1974.
Toho would bring the character Gorosaurus
into the Godzilla series in the 1968 film Destroy All Monsters
using the same suit from this film. The suit was reused again four years later (at this point in dilapidated condition) to portray the character in episode #6 of the Toho
giant superhero show Go! Godman
. The 6 part episode titled Godman vs. Gorosaurus aired from November 9, 1972 through November 15, 1972.
In the early 1990s when plans for a King Kong vs Godzilla remake fell through, Toho had planned to bring back Mechani-Kong
as an opponent for Godzilla
in the project Godzilla vs. Mechani-Kong. However, according to Koichi Kawakita, it was discovered that obtaining permission even to use the likeness of King Kong would be difficult. Kawakita stated, Toho wanted to pit Godzilla against King Kong because King Kong vs. Godzilla
was very successful. However, the studio thought that obtaining permission to use King Kong would be difficult. So, it instead decided to use MechaniKong. Soon afterward, it was discovered that obtaining permission even to use the likeness of King Kong would be difficult. So, the project was canceled. MechaniKong was going to have injectors. A number of people were going to be injected into Godzilla while the robot was wrestling with him. They then were going to do battle with Godzilla from within while MechaniKong continued to do battle with him from without. There were going to be many different strange worlds inside Godzilla. The concept was very much like the one on which Fantastic Voyage
was based.
The shot of Gorosaurus living on Monster Island seen in the 1969 film All Monsters Attack
was actually stock footage taken from this film.
Kaiju
is a Japanese word that means "strange beast," but often translated in English as "monster". Specifically, it is used to refer to a genre of tokusatsu entertainment....
film. A Japanese/American co-production from Toho
Toho
is a Japanese film, theater production, and distribution company. It is headquartered in Yūrakuchō, Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group...
(Japan) and Rankin/Bass
Rankin/Bass
Rankin/Bass Productions, Inc. , also known as Rankin/Bass Animated Entertainment, was an American production company, known for its seasonal television specials, particularly its work in stop-motion animation. The pre-1974 library is currently owned by Classic Media,while the post-1974 library is...
(USA). Directed by Ishiro Honda
Ishiro Honda
Ishirō Honda , sometimes miscredited in foreign releases as "Inoshiro Honda", was a Japanese film director...
and featuring special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya
Eiji Tsuburaya
was the Japanese special effects director responsible for many Japanese science-fiction movies, including the Godzilla series...
, the film starred both American actors (such as Rhodes Reason
Rhodes Reason
Rhodes Reason is an American actor.Reason is the younger brother of actor Rex Reason, whom he strongly resembles, to the point that many have mistakenly assumed that they were twins. Rhodes Reason is two years younger.-Biography:Reason made his acting start at age 18 in Romeo and Juliet, directed...
and Linda Miller
Linda Miller
Linda J. Miller is the Iowa State Representative from the 82nd District. A Republican, she has served in the Iowa House of Representatives since 2007., Miller serves on several committees in the Iowa House - the Education and Labor committees...
) alongside Japanese actors (such as Akira Takarada
Akira Takarada
is a Japanese film actor who is most known in the west for his roles in the Godzilla film series.-Overview:Takarada was born in Japan-occupied Korea, and lived for a time in Harbin, China. His father worked as an engineer on the South Manchuria Railway...
, Mie Hama
Mie Hama
is a Japanese actress, best-known outside Japan for her role as Kissy Suzuki in the 1967 James Bond film You Only Live Twice.-Career:...
and Eisei Amamoto). The film was a loose adaptation of the Rankin/Bass Saturday morning cartoon series The King Kong Show
The King Kong Show
The King Kong Show is an American/Japanese children's animated television series produced in 1966 by Videocraft of the USA, and Japan's Toei Animation and is the first anime series produced in Japan for an American company...
and was the second and final Japanese made film featuring the character King Kong
King Kong
King Kong is a fictional character, a giant movie monster resembling a gorilla, that has appeared in several movies since 1933. These include the groundbreaking 1933 movie, the film remakes of 1976 and 2005, as well as various sequels of the first two films...
.
Plot
An evil geniusVillain
A villain is an "evil" character in a story, whether a historical narrative or, especially, a work of fiction. The villain usually is the antagonist, the character who tends to have a negative effect on other characters...
named Dr. Hu (per the end credits; this is frequently misinterpreted as 'Who', confusing fans, but unrelated to the TV series and character of name
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
) has created a robot
Robot
A robot is a mechanical or virtual intelligent agent that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance, typically by remote control. In practice a robot is usually an electro-mechanical machine that is guided by computer and electronic programming. Robots can be autonomous, semi-autonomous or...
ic version of King Kong
King Kong
King Kong is a fictional character, a giant movie monster resembling a gorilla, that has appeared in several movies since 1933. These include the groundbreaking 1933 movie, the film remakes of 1976 and 2005, as well as various sequels of the first two films...
named Mechani-Kong
Mechani-Kong
is a remote-controlled robot double of King Kong introduced in the 1966 animated television series The King Kong Show and featured again in the 1967 film King Kong Escapes. The robot was created by Dr...
in order to dig for a highly radioactive element called "Element X", but the power of it shuts the robot down. Meanwhile, the crew of a submarine investigate the legend of King Kong on Mondo Island and Susan Watson is attacked by Gorosaurus
Gorosaurus
is a fictional theropod dinosaur created by Toho Studios. He stands 35 meters tall and weighs 8,000 tons in his first appearance. He was an opponent of King Kong in 1967's King Kong Escapes. He later enjoyed a prominent role in 1968's Destroy All Monsters, in which his size was increased to match...
. However Kong comes to her rescue and kills it by breaking its jaws, before also saving the crew from a giant sea snake, named the Serpent of Mondo Island. Later, Dr. Hu kidnaps the real Kong along with the submarine crew and hypnotizes him to dig for Element X. He soon snaps out of it, escapes and swims off to Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
. The submarine crew also escape and Mechani-Kong picks up Watson, who he carries to the top of the Tokyo Tower where he fights the real Kong. Kong wins and destroys the robot, rescues Watson, kills Dr. Hu and swims back to Mondo Island.
English version
The film opened in the United States in June 1968 on a double-bill with the Don KnottsDon Knotts
Jesse Donald "Don" Knotts was an American comedic actor best known for his portrayal of Barney Fife on the 1960s television sitcom The Andy Griffith Show, a role which earned him five Emmy Awards...
comedy The Shakiest Gun in the West
The Shakiest Gun in the West
The Shakiest Gun in the West is a 1968 Western comedy film starring Don Knotts. It was directed by Alan Rafkin and written by Jim Fritzell and Everett Greenbaum.The film is a remake of The Paleface, a 1948 movie starring Bob Hope and Jane Russell....
Contemporary American reviews were mixed. New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
film critic Vincent Canby
Vincent Canby
Vincent Canby was an American film critic who became the chief film critic for The New York Times in 1969 and reviewed more than 1000 films during his tenure there.-Life and career:...
gave it a particularly insulting review, commenting, "The Japanese...are all thumbs when it comes to making monster movies like 'King Kong Escapes.' The Toho moviemakers are quite good in building miniature sets, but much of the process photography—matching the miniatures with the full-scale shots—is just bad...the plotting is hopelessly primitive..."
The July 15, 1968, issue of Film Bulletin, however, gave it a more positive review, saying, "Grown-ups who like their entertainments on a comic-strip level will find this good fun and the Universal release (made in Japan) has plenty of ballyhoo angles to draw the school-free youngsters in large numbers."
Veteran voice actor Paul Frees
Paul Frees
Paul Frees was an American voice actor and character actor.-Biography:He was born Solomon Hersh Frees in Chicago...
dubbed the voice of Dr. Huu in the American release.
Release
Toho reissued the film in 1973 as part of the Urutoramantaro Moero! Urutora roku-kyoudai film festival.Outside of the Japan and the U.S, the film received a wide release in most International markets where it went by different titles. The film was released in Germany as King-Kong, Frankensteins Sohn (King Kong: Frankenstein's Son), in Belgium as La Revanche de King Kong (The Revenge of King Kong), in Italy as King Kong il gigante della foresta (King Kong, The Giant of the Forest), in Turkey as Canavarlarin Gazabi (Wrath of the Monsters), in Mexico as El Regreso de King Kong (The Return of King Kong), in Finland as King Kong kauhun saarella (King Kong on the Island of Terror), and in Sweden as King Kong på skräckens ö (King Kong on Terror Island)
Legacy
Toho had wanted to use King Kong again after this film. King Kong was included in an early draft for the 1968 film Destroy All MonstersDestroy All Monsters
Destroy All Monsters, released in Japan as , is a 1968 Japanese horror Science fiction Kaiju film. The ninth in Toho Studios' Godzilla series, it was directed by Ishirō Honda with special effects by Sadamasa Arikawa This is the fifth film to feature Mothra, third to feature King Ghidorah, fourth...
but was ultimately dropped due to the fact that Toho's licence on the character was set to expire. Toho managed to get some use out of the suit though. The suit was reused to play the character "Gorilla" in episode #38 of the Toho
Toho
is a Japanese film, theater production, and distribution company. It is headquartered in Yūrakuchō, Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group...
giant superhero show Go! Greenman
Ike! Greenman
Ike! Greenman is a tokusatsu tv series by Toho in 1973. It ran from November 12, 1973, to September 27, 1974. It replaced Ike! Godman.-Toho monster cameos:*04.Gaira from War of the Gargantuas....
. The 3 part episode titled Greenman vs. Gorilla aired from March 21, 1974 through March 23, 1974.
Toho would bring the character Gorosaurus
Gorosaurus
is a fictional theropod dinosaur created by Toho Studios. He stands 35 meters tall and weighs 8,000 tons in his first appearance. He was an opponent of King Kong in 1967's King Kong Escapes. He later enjoyed a prominent role in 1968's Destroy All Monsters, in which his size was increased to match...
into the Godzilla series in the 1968 film Destroy All Monsters
Destroy All Monsters
Destroy All Monsters, released in Japan as , is a 1968 Japanese horror Science fiction Kaiju film. The ninth in Toho Studios' Godzilla series, it was directed by Ishirō Honda with special effects by Sadamasa Arikawa This is the fifth film to feature Mothra, third to feature King Ghidorah, fourth...
using the same suit from this film. The suit was reused again four years later (at this point in dilapidated condition) to portray the character in episode #6 of the Toho
Toho
is a Japanese film, theater production, and distribution company. It is headquartered in Yūrakuchō, Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group...
giant superhero show Go! Godman
Ike! Godman
is a tokusatsu tv series by Toho. It ran from October 5, 1972 to April 10, 1973. This was Toho's first Kyodai Hero. It was pulled from reruns on September 28,1973 and it was replaced by Ike! Greenman....
. The 6 part episode titled Godman vs. Gorosaurus aired from November 9, 1972 through November 15, 1972.
In the early 1990s when plans for a King Kong vs Godzilla remake fell through, Toho had planned to bring back Mechani-Kong
Mechani-Kong
is a remote-controlled robot double of King Kong introduced in the 1966 animated television series The King Kong Show and featured again in the 1967 film King Kong Escapes. The robot was created by Dr...
as an opponent for Godzilla
Godzilla
is a daikaijū, a Japanese movie monster, first appearing in Ishirō Honda's 1954 film Godzilla. Since then, Godzilla has gone on to become a worldwide pop culture icon starring in 28 films produced by Toho Co., Ltd. The monster has appeared in numerous other media incarnations including video games,...
in the project Godzilla vs. Mechani-Kong. However, according to Koichi Kawakita, it was discovered that obtaining permission even to use the likeness of King Kong would be difficult. Kawakita stated, Toho wanted to pit Godzilla against King Kong because King Kong vs. Godzilla
King Kong vs. Godzilla
is a 1962 Japanese science fiction kaiju film produced by Toho Studios. Directed by Ishirō Honda with visual effects by Eiji Tsuburaya, the film starred Tadao Takashima, Kenji Sahara, and Mie Hama. It was the third installment in the Japanese series of films featuring the monster Godzilla...
was very successful. However, the studio thought that obtaining permission to use King Kong would be difficult. So, it instead decided to use MechaniKong. Soon afterward, it was discovered that obtaining permission even to use the likeness of King Kong would be difficult. So, the project was canceled. MechaniKong was going to have injectors. A number of people were going to be injected into Godzilla while the robot was wrestling with him. They then were going to do battle with Godzilla from within while MechaniKong continued to do battle with him from without. There were going to be many different strange worlds inside Godzilla. The concept was very much like the one on which Fantastic Voyage
Fantastic Voyage
Fantastic Voyage is a 1966 science fiction film written by Harry Kleiner, based on a story by Otto Klement and Jerome Bixby.Bantam Books obtained the rights for a paperback novelization based on the screenplay and approached Isaac Asimov to write it....
was based.
The shot of Gorosaurus living on Monster Island seen in the 1969 film All Monsters Attack
All Monsters Attack
All Monsters Attack, released in Japan as , is a 1969 tokusatsu Kaiju film, also known as Godzilla's Revenge The 10th film in Toho Studio's Godzilla series, it was directed by Ishirō Honda, who also directed the special effects, assisted by Teruyoshi Nakano. This is the second film to feature...
was actually stock footage taken from this film.
Credits
- Eiji TsuburayaEiji Tsuburayawas the Japanese special effects director responsible for many Japanese science-fiction movies, including the Godzilla series...
- Special effects director - Sadamasa Arikawa - Secondary special effects director
- Teruyoshi NakanoTeruyoshi Nakano, is a Japanese special effects director, most notable for his contributions to the Godzilla film series and other tokusatsu movies. Nakano was a special guest at G-Fest XI, where he was the recipient of the Mangled Skyscraper Award....
- Assistant special effects director - Takeo Kita - Art direction
- Fumio Nakadai - Wireworks director
- Yasuyuki Inoue - Special effects sets
Cast
- Rhodes ReasonRhodes ReasonRhodes Reason is an American actor.Reason is the younger brother of actor Rex Reason, whom he strongly resembles, to the point that many have mistakenly assumed that they were twins. Rhodes Reason is two years younger.-Biography:Reason made his acting start at age 18 in Romeo and Juliet, directed...
- Commander Carl Nelson (voice actor: Kei Taguchi) - Akira TakaradaAkira Takaradais a Japanese film actor who is most known in the west for his roles in the Godzilla film series.-Overview:Takarada was born in Japan-occupied Korea, and lived for a time in Harbin, China. His father worked as an engineer on the South Manchuria Railway...
- Lt. Commander Jiro Nomura - Linda Miller - Lt. Susan Watson (voice actor: Akiko Santou)
- Eisei Amamoto - Dr. Who
- Mie HamaMie Hamais a Japanese actress, best-known outside Japan for her role as Kissy Suzuki in the 1967 James Bond film You Only Live Twice.-Career:...
- Madame Piranha - Ikio Sawamura - Old Man of Mond Island
- Yosihumi Tajima - Chief
- Nadao Kirino - Dr. Who’s assistant
- Sachio Sakai - Dr. Who’s assistant
- Naoya Kusakawa - Dr. Who’s assistant
- Susumu KurobeSusumu Kurobe, given the birth name of , was born on in Kurobe, Toyama, Japan.He is commonly known for having played the character role Shin Hayata in the Ultraman series, a role he reprised in episode 47 of the 2006 television series Ultraman Mebius and its theatrical film adaption, Ultraman Mebius & Ultraman...
- Dr. Who’s subordinate - Tooru Ibuki - Dr. Who’s subordinate
- Kazuo Suzuki - Dr. Who’s subordinate
- Shigemi Sagawa - Dr. Who’s subordinate
- Yoshio Katsube - Dr. Who’s subordinate
- Haruo Suzuki - Dr. Who’s subordinate
- Jun Kuroki - Jet helicopter crewman
- Takuya Yuki - Jet helicopter crewman
- Masaki Shinohara - Carrier sailor
- Andrew Hughes - United Nations journalist
- Al Kramer - United Nations journalist
- Ryuuji Kita - Police inspector
- Shoichi HiroseShoichi Hirosewas a Japanese actor. He is probably best known for playing Godzilla's archenemy King Ghidorah and for being the actor inside the King Kong suit in King Kong vs...
- Submarine Explore crewman - Rinsaku Ogata - Submarine Explore crewman
- Ousmane Yusef - Submarine Explore crewman
- Yutaka Oka - Submarine Explore crewman
- Yū Sekida - Headquarters guard
- Kazuo Hinata - Headquarters guard
- Akio Kusama - Headquarters guard
- Masaaki Tachibana - Self-Defense Force soldier
- Tadashi Okabe - Self-Defense Force soldier
- Hideo Shibuya - Self-Defense Force soldier
- Haruya Sakamoto - Self-Defense Force soldier
- Keiichirou Katsumoto - Curious spectator
- Haruo NakajimaHaruo Nakajimais a famous Japanese actor. He is best known for playing Godzilla and is considered by many to be the best suit actor in the long history of the franchise...
- King KongKing KongKing Kong is a fictional character, a giant movie monster resembling a gorilla, that has appeared in several movies since 1933. These include the groundbreaking 1933 movie, the film remakes of 1976 and 2005, as well as various sequels of the first two films...
, Curious spectator - Yū Sekida - Mechani-KongMechani-Kongis a remote-controlled robot double of King Kong introduced in the 1966 animated television series The King Kong Show and featured again in the 1967 film King Kong Escapes. The robot was created by Dr...
, GorosaurusGorosaurusis a fictional theropod dinosaur created by Toho Studios. He stands 35 meters tall and weighs 8,000 tons in his first appearance. He was an opponent of King Kong in 1967's King Kong Escapes. He later enjoyed a prominent role in 1968's Destroy All Monsters, in which his size was increased to match...