Gamera tai Shinkai kaijû Jigura (1971)

Director:

Noriaki Yuasa

Writer:

Nisan Takahashi

Release Date:

17 July 1971 (Japan)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi

Plot:

Space aliens arrive on Earth with their giant shark and intend to take over the planet but they must first destroy Gamera.

Plot Keywords:

Gamera | Coca Cola | Alien | Spaceship | Hypnotism

Cast

Kôji Fujiyama	...	Dr. Tom Wallace
Daigo Inoue
Reiko Kasahara	...	Kiyoko Ishikawa
Daihachi Kita
Goro Kumon
Shin Minatsu
Akira Natsuki	...	Doctor
Kei'ichi Noda	...	Jigura (Japanese version) (voice)
Isamu Saeki	...	Dr. Yosuke Ishikawa
Yasushi Sakagami	...	Kenichi Ishikawa
Mikiko Tsubouchi	...	Mrs. Ishikawa
Eiko Yanami	...	Woman X / Chikako Sugawara
Yoshio Yoshida
Arlene Zoellner	...	Margie Wallace
Gloria Zoellner	...	Helen Wallace

Directed by
Noriaki Yuasa

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Nisan Takahashi		(as Fumi Takahashi)

Produced by
Sandy Frank	....	producer (US version)
Yoshihiko Manabe	....	producer
Hidemasa Nagata	....	producer

Original Music by
Shunsuke Kikuchi

Cinematography by
Akira Uehara

Film Editing by
Yoshiyuki Miyazaki

Production Design by
Akira Inoue

Art Direction by
Tomohisa Yano

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Masami Akise	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Hideo Okuyama	....	sound

Special Effects by
Kazufumi Fujii	....	special effects director
Ryosaku Takayama	....	monster design

Camera and Electrical Department
Heihachi Kuboe	....	lighting technician

Production Companies

• Daiei Studios

Distributors

• Dainichi-Eihai (1971) (Japan) (theatrical)
• King Features Entertainment (1987) (USA) (TV) (dubbed) (syndication)
• Celebrity Video Presentations (1996) (USA) (VHS)
• Filmax Home Video (video)
• Image Entertainment (laserdisc)
• Shout! Factory (2010) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

"Gamera vs. Zigra" - USA (dubbed version)

Runtime:

USA:87 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Color (Daieicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

Kamogawa, Chiba, Japan

Company:

Daiei Studios

Trivia:

Gamera vs. Zigra was the only classic Gamera film not released in the U.S. until the advent of home video. All the previous films had been picked up for theatrical distribution or for television. Gamera vs. Zigra first appeared in the U.S. in 1987 via video tape, long after it's Japanese release.

Quotes:

Kenny:Ah, Gamera!
Helen:I don't like monsters.
Kenny:Gamera is the friend of all children!
Helen:Is he really?

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Gamera vs. Zigra (#4.16)" (1991)

Fun ending of original Gamera series

After Gamera vs. Jiger this one is a definite upgrade to the level of previous Gamera movies. A real charmer, Gamera vs. Zigra features an alien who controls humans with hypnosis to get what it really wants. The plot runs into two children, the girl, Helen, who, with her older sister Maggie, appears to be bi-racial, and Kennie, who have a psychic link to Gamera. Avoid the non-Japanese print, this one is beautifully shot in wide-screen that is completely lost in the t.v. cut version. Also, the acting is much more restrained than the horrible dubbing would have you believe. It's sort of the ultimate expression of the Gamera idea. Gamera: it can never be said that he fails to get the job done when he racks up another impressive victory over a monster, here Zigra, who is creepy on the space ship (including cobwebs) but out of the ship (and full size) is more attractive than Gamera's other adversaries.