Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964) Mosura tai Gojira (original title)

Director:

Ishirô Honda

Writer:

Shin'ichi Sekizawa

Release Date:

17 September 1964 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Drama | Fantasy | Horror | Romance | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Nothing Like This Ever On the Screen!

Plot:

A greedy developer unwittingly hatches a gigantic baby moth upon Tokyo, while Godzilla strikes once again.

Plot Keywords:

Mothra | Egg | Japan | Godzilla | Moth

Cast

Akira Takarada	...	News Reporter Ichiro Sakai
Yuriko Hoshi	...	News Photographer Junko 'Yoka' Nakanishi
Hiroshi Koizumi	...	Professor Miura
Yû Fujiki	...	Reporter Jiro Nakamura (with egg and frying pan)
Emi Itô	...	Shobijin (Twin Fairy)
Yûmi Itô	...	Shobijin (Twin Fairy)
Yoshifumi Tajima	...	Kumayama
Kenji Sahara	...	Banzo Torahata
Jun Tazaki	...	Editor Arota
Kenzô Tabu	...	Mayor
Yutaka Sada	...	Old Man
Akira Tani	...	Village Headman
Susumu Fujita	...	General
Ikio Sawamura	...	Priest
Ren Yamamoto	...	Sailor
Yoshio Kosugi	...	Chief of Infant Island
Toshihiko Furuta	...	Soldier
Katsumi Tezuka	...	Soldier
Yasuhisa Tsutsumi	...	Longshoreman
Kôzô Nomura	...	Soldier
Seishirô Kuno	...	Aide
Shin Ôtomo	...	Police Officer
Senkichi Ômura	...	Villager
Hironobu Wakamoto	...	Villager
Wataru Ômae	...	Islander
Kôji Uno	...	Journalist
Yutaka Nakayama	...	Islander
Tadashi Okabe	...	Soldier
Miki Yashiro	...	Schoolteacher
Haruo Nakajima	...	Gojira
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Kôji Uruki
Harold Conway	...	Weapon's Expert on US Ship (uncredited)
Osman Yusuf	...	Missile Surveyor on US Ship (uncredited)

Directed by
Ishirô Honda

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Shin'ichi Sekizawa

Produced by
Sanezumi Fujimoto	....	executive producer
Tomoyuki Tanaka	....	producer

Original Music by
Akira Ifukube

Cinematography by
Hajime Koizumi

Film Editing by
Ryôhei Fujii

Production Design by
Takeo Kita

Production Management
Boku Morimoto	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Kôji Kajita	....	chief assistant director

Sound Department
Hiroshi Mukoyama	....	sound mixer
Sadamasa Nishimoto	....	sound effects editor
Hisashi Shimonaga	....	sound effects
Hisashi Shimonaga	....	sound technician
Fumio Yanoguchi	....	recording director

Special Effects by
Hiroshi Mukoyama	....	special effects opticals
Teruyoshi Nakano	....	assistant director of special effects
Teizô Toshimitsu	....	special effects suit designer
Eiji Tsuburaya	....	director of special effects
Akira Watanabe	....	art director of special effects

Visual Effects by
Sadamasa Arikawa	....	director of special effects photography
Kuichirô Kishida	....	special effects lighting
Yukio Manoda	....	optical photographer
Minoru Nakano	....	optical effects animation
Yoshiyuki Tokumasa	....	optical photography
Sokei Tomioka	....	special effects cameraman

Stunts
Haruo Nakajima	....	stunt choreographer

Camera and Electrical Department
Shoshichi Kojima	....	lighting technician

Production Companies

• Toho Company

Distributors

• Toho Company (1964) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Anderson Digital (2013) (USA) (video) (Digital)
• American International Pictures (AIP) (1964) (USA) (theatrical) (dubbed)
• Simitar Video (1998) (USA) (DVD) (widescreen)
• Simitar Video (1999) (USA) (DVD) (widescreen)
• Sony Music (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Astro Distribution (2004) (Germany) (DVD)
• Madman Entertainment (2005) (Australia) (DVD)
• Classic Media (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Genius Products (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Sony BMG Music Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Nihon Eiga Satellite Broadcasting (2008) (Japan) (TV)
• Kuk Dong
• Paramount Home Video (????) (USA) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Gekidan Asunaro  extras
• Toho Studios  sound stages

Also Known As:

"Mosura tai Gojira" - Japan (original title)
"Godzilla Against Mothra" - Japan (English title)
"Godzilla vs. the Thing" - USA (alternative title)

Runtime:

Germany:87 min | USA:89 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:Unrated | West Germany:12 (nf) | Australia:M | Australia:PG (DVD rating)

Company:

Toho Company

Trivia:

When the sequence of Godzilla being firebombed was being shot, during one of the takes the flaming liquid splashed up onto Godzilla's head. The fuel quickly burned away and the flames went out. Inside the suit, performer Haruo Nakajima was unaware of the accident, since the head of the suit is well above Nakajima's own head. Godzilla's head aflame became an unplanned bonus to the effects shot and it was included in the final cut.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In the days before digital compositing, it was common practice to print matted elements with a degree of transparency, to minimize matte lines. It was an additional step of complexity to the process, which was deliberate and not an error. Many movies are notable for partially transparent mattes, including Robinson Crusoe on Mars (1964) and Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980).

Quotes:

[the reporters and the scientist are trying to persuade the executives of Happy Enterprises to give up the giant egg]
News Photographer Junko 'Yoka' Nakanishi:You should return the egg to its rightful owner.
Kumayama:You keep saying about the 'rightful owner.' Is the rightful owner's name written on that egg?
Reporter Jiro Nakamura:No, but it's pretty clear it's Mothra's egg.
Kumayama:[shocked; looks at his partner] Mothra?
Banzo Torahata - U.S.:Shiro Torahata:[scoffs at this] Hmmph. Are you saying you have power of attorney from Mothra? Kumayama, it's no use talking with them. Ask them to leave.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Cinemassacre's Monster Madness: Godzilla Vs. Mothra (#2.4)" (2008)

Soundtrack:

Godzilla

Greatest Showa Godzilla Movie Of All Time!

Godzilla Vs Mothra has to be the GREATEST movie of the 60s era. The Special Effects are amazing, dubbing is excellent, and the acting is very good. Mothra is one my favorite monsters. Roland Emmreich better not get his hands on this movie. Thats all I have to say. **** out of ****.