Mothra (1961)
"Mosura" (original title)

Shipwreck survivors are found on Beiru, an island previously used for atomic tests. Amazingly free of radiation effects, they believe they were protected by a special juice given to them by... See full summary »

Director:

Ishirô Honda

Writers:

Shinichirô Nakamura (original story), Takehiko Fukunaga (original story),

Stars:

Frankie Sakai, Hiroshi Koizumi, Kyôko Kagawa

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Frankie Sakai	...	Journalist Senichiro 'Sen-chan' Fukuda (AKA: 'Bulldog')
Hiroshi Koizumi	...	Dr. Shin'ichi Chûjô
Kyôko Kagawa	...	Photgrapher Michi Hanamura
Ken Uehara	...	Dr. Harada
Emi Itô	...	Shobijin (Twin Fairy) (as Emi Ito)
Yûmi Itô	...	Shobijin (Twin Fairy) (as Yumi Ito)
Jerry Ito	...	Clark Nelson (as Jelly Ito)
Takashi Shimura	...	News Editor
Tetsu Nakamura	...	Nelson's Henchman
Akihiro Tayama	...	Shinji Chûjô (as Masamitsu Tayma)
Obel Wyatt	...	Dr. Roff
Akihiko Hirata	...	Doctor
Seizaburô Kawazu	...	General (as Seizaburo Kawazu)
Yoshifumi Tajima	...	Military Advisor
Robert Dunham	...	Rolisican Cop

Storyline

Shipwreck survivors are found on Beiru, an island previously used for atomic tests. Amazingly free of radiation effects, they believe they were protected by a special juice given to them by the natives. A joint expedition of Rolithican and Japanese scientists explores Beiru and discovers many curious things, including two women only a foot high. Unscrupulous expedition leader Clark Nelson abducts the women and puts them in a vaudeville show. But their sweet singing contains a telepathic cry for help to Mothra, the gigantic moth worshiped as a goddess by the island people. Mothra seeks the women in Tokyo, wreaking the usual havoc and special effects.

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Plot Keywords:

island | mothra | havoc | weapon | egg | 

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Taglines:

WHAT BIZARRE SPELL DO THE TINIEST WOMEN IN ALL THE WORLD HOLD OVER THE MIGHTIEST MONSTER IN ALL CREATION? (originak USA poster-all caps)

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Drama | Family | Fantasy | Mystery | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese English

Release Date:

10 May 1962 (USA)

Also Known As:

Mothra

Company Credits

Production Co:

Toho Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min 62 min (re-issue) 91 min (re-issue) 86 min (TV)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Jerry Ito's slow stilted delivery of his Japanese dialog fit his character as a foreigner speaking Japanese. This was not an intentional part of his performance. At the time this was made, Jerry Ito had been studying the Japanese language for over six months and was not completely fluent.

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Goofs

When Dr. Shinichi is showing the symbols he discovered in the cave to Senchan, you can see someone in black pants and shoes walking down the stairs behind Senchan's head.

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Crazy Credits

The U.S. version, as released by Columbia Pictures, has an extensive cast listing. However, the names of Frankie Sakai, Hiroshi Koizumi and Kyoko Kagawa are missing. They are the top billed stars of the film.

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Connections

Referenced in Stargate SG-1: Desperate Measures (2001)

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Soundtracks

"MOSURA NO UTA"
(uncredited)
(The Mothra Song)
Music by Yuji Koseki
Lyrics by Susumu Ike
Performed by The Peanuts (Emi Itô and Yûmi Itô)
Published by Toho Music Publishing

User Reviews

A Twin-Engine Monster

A greedy businessman captures two little(and I mean little) fairies from a remote, thought-to-be deserted island, only to showcase them to public much like Carl Denham does with King Kong. Of course Nelson Clark's scale is miniature. The Japanese people represented by some scientists and a chubby newspaper reporter and his sidekick photographer try to rescue the girls and return them to their home before Mothra, a giant caterpillar then moth, comes to Tokyo to retrieve them, leaving devastation in its wake. Inshiro Honda directed this marvelous film, and his directorial touch is very evident. The film has many beautiful color backgrounds, some great music(love the song the Ito sisters sing), solid acting from all, and some pretty nice miniature sets. The "monster" itself really is good, despite its destruction of the Japanese countryside, part of Tokyo, and New Kirk City in Roscilica(Beats me where the names here came from). A film very unlike its Godzilla counterparts in spirit.