Rodan (film)
Encyclopedia
Rodan, released in Japan as , is a 1956 Kaiju
film produced by Toho Studios
. It was the studio's first Kaiju movie filmed in color (though Toho's first color tokusatsu film, Madame White Snake
, was released earlier that year). It is one of a series of "giant monster" movies that found an audience outside Japan, especially in the United States, where it was originally released as Rodan! The Flying Monster!
) and a team kills the Meganulon, he is lost in a large earthquake and falls unconscious. When he wakes up, he finds himself in a lair with an enormous egg. The egg hatches and a huge flying reptile known as Rodan
emerges to feed upon the Meganulons, but not before Shigeru escapes. Once all the Meganulon are devoured, Rodan begins preying on humans, ultimately flies around the world, destroying Fukuoka
and it is discovered that a second Rodan exists upon the city's assault. The Japanese military locates the Rodans lurking at Mt. Aso and launches a missile barrage which triggers a volcanic eruption. The Rodans attempt to escape, but one succumbs to the forces of the eruption and plummets to earth. The other, refusing to abandon its mate, joins it in the fiery lava.
flagship station WRCA-TV
, where a series of commercials running 10 to 60 seconds were shown for a week before the film's opening.
It grossed an estimated $450,000 to $500,000 during its opening weekend at 79 theaters in the New York City
metropolitan area. Several theatrical circuits, including RKO, announced that Rodan broke the records for a science-fiction film.
George Takei
, better known as Lt. Hikaru Sulu
in the original Star Trek
series, was one of the many voice actors employed for this film. The only other Kaiju
film for which he performed voice work was Godzilla Raids Again
. The main narration provided by the character of Shigeru was voiced by actor Keye Luke
with additional voices provided by veteran voice actor Paul Frees
.
Changes to the Japanese version :
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 produced by Toho Studios
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...
. It was the studio's first Kaiju movie filmed in color (though Toho's first color tokusatsu film, Madame White Snake
Madame White Snake
The Legend of the White Snake, also known as Madame White Snake, is a Chinese legend, which existed as oral traditions before any written compilation...
, was released earlier that year). It is one of a series of "giant monster" movies that found an audience outside Japan, especially in the United States, where it was originally released as Rodan! The Flying Monster!
Plot
In a villiage in Kyushu, both miners and other civilians alike are mysteriously slaughtered one by one within the local Mine. Eventually, a species of giant prehistoric insects (Meganulon) is confirmed to be responsible for the murders and appear to the surface. After the main protagonist Shigeru (Kenji SaharaKenji Sahara
Kenji Sahara is a Japanese actor. He was born in Kawasaki City, Kanagawa. His real name is Masayoshi Kato...
) and a team kills the Meganulon, he is lost in a large earthquake and falls unconscious. When he wakes up, he finds himself in a lair with an enormous egg. The egg hatches and a huge flying reptile known as Rodan
Rodan
is a fictional Japanese mutated pterosaur introduced in Rodan, a 1956 release from Toho Studios, the company responsible for the Godzilla series. Like Godzilla and Anguirus, he is designed after a type of prehistoric reptile...
emerges to feed upon the Meganulons, but not before Shigeru escapes. Once all the Meganulon are devoured, Rodan begins preying on humans, ultimately flies around the world, destroying Fukuoka
Fukuoka
Fukuoka most often refers to the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture.It can also refer to:-Locations:* Fukuoka, Gifu, a town in Gifu Prefecture, Japan* Fukuoka, Toyama, a town in Toyama Prefecture, Japan...
and it is discovered that a second Rodan exists upon the city's assault. The Japanese military locates the Rodans lurking at Mt. Aso and launches a missile barrage which triggers a volcanic eruption. The Rodans attempt to escape, but one succumbs to the forces of the eruption and plummets to earth. The other, refusing to abandon its mate, joins it in the fiery lava.
U.S. release
The King Brothers' theatrical release of Rodan was quite successful in its first run in the United States. It was the first Japanese movie to receive general release on the West Coast to make a strong showing at the box-office. It later received the biggest TV advertising campaign given to a film to that date on New York's NBCNBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
flagship station WRCA-TV
WNBC
WNBC, virtual channel 4 , is the flagship station of the NBC television network, located in New York City. WNBC's studios are co-located with NBC corporate headquarters at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in midtown Manhattan...
, where a series of commercials running 10 to 60 seconds were shown for a week before the film's opening.
It grossed an estimated $450,000 to $500,000 during its opening weekend at 79 theaters in the New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
metropolitan area. Several theatrical circuits, including RKO, announced that Rodan broke the records for a science-fiction film.
George Takei
George Takei
George Hosato Takei Altman is an American actor, author, social activist and former civil politician. He is best known for his role in the television series Star Trek and its film spinoffs, in which he played Hikaru Sulu, helmsman of the...
, better known as Lt. Hikaru Sulu
Hikaru Sulu
Hikaru Sulu is a character in the Star Trek media franchise. First portrayed by George Takei in the original Star Trek series, Sulu also appears in the animated Star Trek series, the first six Star Trek movies, one episode of Star Trek: Voyager, and in numerous books, comics, and video games...
in the original Star Trek
Star Trek: The Original Series
Star Trek is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry, produced by Desilu Productions . Star Trek was telecast on NBC from September 8, 1966, through June 3, 1969...
series, was one of the many voice actors employed for this film. The only other Kaiju
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 for which he performed voice work was Godzilla Raids Again
Godzilla Raids Again
, also known in the United States as Gigantis, the Fire Monster, is a 1955 Japanese black-and-white kaiju film directed by Motoyoshi Oda, written by Shigeru Koyama, Shigeaki Hidaka and Takeo Murata, and produced by Toho....
. The main narration provided by the character of Shigeru was voiced by actor Keye Luke
Keye Luke
Keye Luke was a Chinese-born American actor. He was the first Chinese-American contract player signed with RKO, Universal and, later, MGM and is generally acknowledged as the leading Asian-American actor of this era of American cinema.-Background:...
with additional voices provided by 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...
.
Changes to the Japanese version :
- Some of Akira IfukubeAkira Ifukubewas a Japanese composer of classical music and film scores, perhaps best known for his work on the soundtracks of the Godzilla movies by Toho.-Biography:...
's music was replaced with stock music. - A prologue showing footage of American nuclear tests was added.
- Extensive narration by Shigeru was added throughout the film.
- A brief shot showing mine cars traveling up a mine shaft was taken out.
- A scene of miners names being called was cut short.
- The scene leading up to when Meganulon kills a cop and two miners is shortened.
- The scene where the Meganulon attacks the village is cut short. A brief shot showing a Meganulon walking through people's backyards was taken out for the American version. When Shigeru and the soldiers walk up the incline, it shows the setting through Shigeru's eyes. He looks up the incline, and then the camera moves to the left showing the mountain, and then sees the Meganulon. A shot of Meganulon escaping afterwards is also cut.
- The scene where Professor Kashiwagi analyzes a photo of the yet-unnamed monster's wing was cut short. Kashiwagi matches the wing in the photo to that of a picture of a PteranodonPteranodonPteranodon , from the Late Cretaceous geological period of North America in present day Kansas, Alabama, Nebraska, Wyoming, and South Dakota, was one of the largest pterosaur genera and had a maximum wingspan of over...
, which he truncates to "Radon" to name the monster. - A brief scene showing doctors walking Shigeru into the hospital after he is recovered was taken out.
- The scene where the honeymooners are eaten is much shorter, with about 30 seconds of footage removed, including a shot of Rodan's shadow passing overhead.
- The American version makes the second Rodan appear more throughout the movie. In the original Japanese version, the second Rodan does not show up until late during the attack on Fukuoka.
- A scene of fighter jets taking off was added.
- The scene where a helicopter investigates the Rodans' lair was re-arranged. In the Japanese version, the scene appears after the assault on Fukuoka by the Rodans and just before they are killed by the volcanic eruption caused by the JSDF. In the US version, the scene is shown shortly before Rodan first emerges from Mount AsoMount Asois the largest active volcano in Japan, and is among the largest in the world. It stands in Aso Kujū National Park in Kumamoto Prefecture, on the island of Kyūshū. Its peak is 1592 m above sea level. Aso has one of the largest caldera in the world...
. - The King Brothers changed the name of the city destroyed by Rodan from FukuokaFukuoka, Fukuokais the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture and is situated on the northern shore of the island of Kyushu in Japan.Voted number 14 in a 2010 poll of the World's Most Livable Cities, Fukuoka is praised for its green spaces in a metropolitan setting. It is the most populous city in Kyushu, followed by...
to SaseboSaseboSasebo or may refer to:* Sasebo, Nagasaki, a city in Japan and a base of the Imperial Japanese Navy in the city, later of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force* United States Fleet Activities Sasebo, a post-WWII United States Navy Base in the city...
because the U.S.A. had a lot of diplomatic facilities there. - The scene of Rodan emerging from his volcanic lair was altered in the American version to make it look as if he was provoked to emerge by the air force. In the original version, he emerged without any sort of provocation.
In popular culture
- The giant insects featured in this film, the Meganula, would later go on to appear in the 2000 film Godzilla vs. MegaguirusGodzilla vs. MegaguirusGodzilla vs. Megaguirus, released in Japan as is a 2000 science fiction kaiju film directed by Masaaki Tezuka and written by Hiroshi Kashiwabara and Wataru Mimura...
. - In ItIt (novel)It is a 1986 horror novel by American author Stephen King. The story follows the exploits of seven children as they are terrorized by the eponymous inter-dimensional predatory life-form that exploits the fears and phobias of its victims in order to disguise itself while hunting its prey. "It"...
by Stephen King, the boy Mike is haunted by the image of Rodan. Mike sees a giant bird (the clown Pennywise) in the ruins of a steel mill and thinks of Rodan.
DVD release
Classic Media- Released: September 9, 2008
- Note: A double feature with War of the GargantuasWar of the GargantuasThe War of the Gargantuas, released in Japan as , is a 1966 Kaiju film, sequel to Frankenstein vs. Baragon.It introduces two giant, hairy humanoids called Gargantuas, which spawned from the discarded cells of Frankenstein's monster from the previous film and are described as brothers...
. Features both Japanese and English versions of both films. Special Features: "Bringing Godzilla Down to Size" documentary (69 minutes).