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IMDbPro

Rodan

Original title: Sora no daikaijû Radon
  • 19561956
  • ApprovedApproved
  • 1h 14m
IMDb RATING
6.2/10
5.3K
YOUR RATING
Rodan (1956)
A mining engineer investigates the death of his fellow coworkers and discovers prehistoric nymphs emerging from the mines. As he heads deeper into the mines, he makes a more horrifying discovery in the form a prehistoric flying creature.
Play trailer2:09
1 Video
92 Photos
  • Horror
  • Sci-Fi
A mining engineer investigates the death of his fellow coworkers and discovers prehistoric nymphs emerging from the mines. As he heads deeper into the mines, he makes a more horrifying disco... Read allA mining engineer investigates the death of his fellow coworkers and discovers prehistoric nymphs emerging from the mines. As he heads deeper into the mines, he makes a more horrifying discovery in the form a prehistoric flying creature.A mining engineer investigates the death of his fellow coworkers and discovers prehistoric nymphs emerging from the mines. As he heads deeper into the mines, he makes a more horrifying discovery in the form a prehistoric flying creature.
IMDb RATING
6.2/10
5.3K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Ishirô Honda
  • Writers
    • David Duncan(english version)
    • Takeshi Kimura
    • Ken Kuronuma(story)
  • Stars
    • Kenji Sahara
    • Yumi Shirakawa
    • Akihiko Hirata
Top credits
  • Director
    • Ishirô Honda
  • Writers
    • David Duncan(english version)
    • Takeshi Kimura
    • Ken Kuronuma(story)
  • Stars
    • Kenji Sahara
    • Yumi Shirakawa
    • Akihiko Hirata
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 78User reviews
    • 58Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Videos1

    Trailer
    Trailer 2:09
    Trailer

    Photos92

    Rodan (1956)
    Rodan (1956)
    Rodan (1956)
    Kenji Sahara in Rodan (1956)
    Kenji Sahara in Rodan (1956)
    Kenji Sahara and Yumi Shirakawa in Rodan (1956)
    Kenji Sahara and Yumi Shirakawa in Rodan (1956)
    Kenji Sahara in Rodan (1956)
    Rodan (1956)
    Rodan (1956)
    Rodan (1956)
    Rodan (1956)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Kenji Sahara
    Kenji Sahara
    • Shigeru Kawamura, colliery engineeras Shigeru Kawamura, colliery engineer
    • (as Kenji Sawara)
    Yumi Shirakawa
    • Kiyo, Shigeru's loveras Kiyo, Shigeru's lover
    Akihiko Hirata
    Akihiko Hirata
    • Professor Kyuichiro Kashiwagi (biology)as Professor Kyuichiro Kashiwagi (biology)
    Akio Kobori
    • Police Chief Nishimuraas Police Chief Nishimura
    Yasuko Nakada
    • Female Honeymooneras Female Honeymooner
    Minosuke Yamada
    • Colliery Chief Osakias Colliery Chief Osaki
    Yoshifumi Tajima
    Yoshifumi Tajima
    • Izeki, reporter of Seibu Nippouas Izeki, reporter of Seibu Nippou
    Kiyoharu Onaka
    • Male Honeymooner, Sunagawa's friendas Male Honeymooner, Sunagawa's friend
    • (as Kiyoharu Ohnaka)
    Ichirô Chiba
    • Chief of police stationas Chief of police station
    Mike Danning
    • American Soldier Typingas American Soldier Typing
    • (as Mike Daneen)
    Tsurue Ichimanji
    • Haru, Kiyo's neighboras Haru, Kiyo's neighbor
    • (as Tazue Ichimanji)
    Saburô Iketani
    Saburô Iketani
    • News Readeras News Reader
    Saburô Kadowaki
    • Sunagawa's colleagueas Sunagawa's colleague
    Tateo Kawasaki
    • Tsunesan, mineras Tsunesan, miner
    Kanta Kisaragi
    • Suteyan, mineras Suteyan, miner
    Takuzô Kumagai
    • Policeman Tashiroas Policeman Tashiro
    • (as Jirô Kumagai)
    Saeko Kuroiwa
    • Nurseas Nurse
    Akio Kusama
    • Sudaas Suda
    • Director
      • Ishirô Honda
    • Writers
      • David Duncan(english version)
      • Takeshi Kimura
      • Ken Kuronuma(story)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Rodan's original Japanese name, Radon, is actually short for the Japanese word for Pteranodon ("Puteranodon").
    • Goofs
      The opening title says "Rodan © COPYRIGHT MCMXXX1V TOHO CO. LTD." This 1956 film was not copyrighted in 1934.
    • Quotes

      Professor Kyuichiro Kashiwagi (biology): Judging from a piece of its eggshell that we discovered, this one, which we've named Rodan, has a wingspan of 270 feet and weights over 100 tons.

    • Crazy credits
      In the U.S. version, special effects director Eiji Tsuburaya's name is misspelled "Eiji Tsuburya."
    • Alternate versions
      In the original Japanese version, there is no dialogue prior to Rodan's attack on the two honeymooners. The American version later added dialogue in which the young woman was joking about her husband taking pictures of the volcano rather than her. Also, in the original version the scene plays a little longer with Rodan making a pass above the couple, with his shadow passing over them, before he swoops in to carry the couple off.
    • Connections
      Edited into Valley of the Dragons (1961)

    User reviews78

    Review
    Top review
    7/10
    A Kiddie Favorite
    So the other night I watched a film that I had not seen more than once since I was a kid, the 1956 Japanese classic "Rodan." I had seen this movie at NYC's Film Forum around 25+ years back but had very little recollection of it still. And what a fun film it is, as I was reminded again just recently. In it, miners in a small Japanese village are being killed off by a mysterious something, and that something turns out to be giant bugs that have hatched deep underground. But the community's problems grow even worse when two prehistoric eggs in the mine shaft suddenly burst open, to reveal two monstrous flying reptile creatures, which promptly do what all self-respecting Japanese kaiju do in situations like this: lay waste to the countryside and a neighboring city! This film was helmed by "Gojira" director Ishiro Honda, of course, and like that earlier film, features awesome FX by the great Eija Tsuburaya and music by Akira Ifukube. The FX range from cheesy (the two rodans look pretty silly) to spectacular (one of the bridges that gets destroyed looks so lifelike that I would swear the producers knocked down an actual bridge in the making of this film). The film's final image, of the two rodans going up in flame near an erupting volcano, choosing death together rather than fighting separately, is actually kind of sweet and lovely. Adding to the fun: the presence of "Gojira"'s Dr. Serizawa himself, actor Akihiko Hirata, minus the eyepatch here. In all, very entertaining stuff, and very nice to reacquaint myself with this childhood favorite again....
    helpful•5
    0
    • ferbs54
    • Apr 26, 2017

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • August 6, 1957 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • Japan
    • Languages
      • Japanese
      • Mandarin
      • Tagalog
    • Also known as
      • Rodan! The Flying Monster
    • Filming locations
      • Fukuoka City, Fukuoka, Japan
    • Production company
      • Toho Film (Eiga) Co. Ltd.
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $500,000
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $500,000
      • Aug 6, 1957
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 14 minutes
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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