King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)

A pharmaceutical company captures King Kong and brings him to Japan, where he escapes from captivity and battles a recently released Godzilla.

Director:

Ishirô Honda

Writers:

Shin'ichi Sekizawa, Paul Mason

Stars:

Tadao Takashima, Kenji Sahara, Yû Fujiki

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tadao Takashima	...	Osamu Sakurai
Kenji Sahara	...	Kazuo Fujita
Yû Fujiki	...	Kinsaburo Furue
Ichirô Arishima	...	Mr. Tako
Jun Tazaki	...	General Masami Shinzo
Akihiko Hirata	...	Dr. Shigezawa
Mie Hama	...	Fumiko Sakurai
Akiko Wakabayashi	...	Tamiye
Akemi Negishi	...	Chikiro's Mother (Dancing Girl)
Yoshio Kosugi	...	Farou Island Chief
Yoshifumi Tajima	...	Captain of Fujita's Ship - Japanese version only
Ikio Sawamura	...	Witch Doctor
Someshô Matsumoto	...	Dr. Onuki
Kô Mishima	...	Official
Sachio Sakai	...	Obayashi (Mr. Tako's assistant)

Storyline

Mr. Tako, the chairman of a pharmaceutical company, learns the roma tomato-sized berries that grow on Farou Island are a miracle cure, and that the natives worship a god called King Kong who has allegedly grown to giant size from eating the berries. What better way to promote the product, Tako figures, than to bring the creature back to Japan? He leads an expedition with Sakurai and Furue to get the berries and the monster. Meanwhile, some American pilots discover the chunk of the glacier Godzilla was sealed in back in 1955. Sakurai's sister's boyfriend Kazuo is busy trying to sell an invisible but super-strong wire, which of course no one wants until Kong escapes...

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Plot Keywords:

1960s | tokyo | japan | godzilla | giant ape | 

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Taglines:

The most colossal conflict the screen has ever known!

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Fantasy | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

Japan USA

Language:

Japanese English

Release Date:

26 June 1963 (USA)

Also Known As:

King Kong vs. Godzilla

Filming Locations:

Tokyo, Japan

Box Office

Budget:

$200,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$2,725,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Toho Company,John Beck,RKO General Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min 74 min (1970 Toho Champion Festival)

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (Japan theatrical release) Mono (Westrex Sound) (US version)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

There were four live octopuses used in the fight sequence with Kong and the natives, as well as a plastic model. Hot air was blown on them to get them to move and after the filming of the scene was finished, most of them were released except for one, which Eiji Tsuburaya had for dinner.

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Goofs

During the climactic battle the extensions are taken off the arms of the Kong costume, making them almost a third shorter than in the rest of the movie.

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Quotes

[Japanese version]
Mr.Tako: We scored a full-page display in the newspapers. Why don't we take a photo of him smiling to put in our ads?
Osamu Sakurai: Do you think King Kong smiles?
Mr.Tako: We get him to smile.

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Crazy Credits

In the credits for the U.S. version, actor Kenji Sahara is listed as "Keji Sahaka."

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Alternate Versions

Most of the scene in Fujita's apartment is deleted from the American version. It opens with Sakurai finding Fumiko's shoes outside of Fujita's apartment and he walks in to find Fujita and Fumiko cooking dinner as well as Sakurai wiping Fumiko's lipstick off of Fujita's lips.

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Connections

Featured in 100 Years of Horror: Dinosaurs (1996)

User Reviews

My Most Watched Godzilla Movie

I have the American Version and I really like it. The basic premise of the movie is given away in the title. King Kong versus Godzilla is truly the battle of the ages, between the two most famous monsters. They make the 'Alien' look like a wimp. Akihiko Hirata as Dr. Shigezawa is great in his role even though quite limited. He, as usual, is intelligent and cerebral and his statement, " or the monster will kill us all" pretty much sums up the problem they are facing. His presence adds continuity to the film since he was the real hero of the original Godzilla, King of the Monsters. The main female actress is unbearably helpless and is by no means a 'Fay Wray'. The Kong suit is ridiculously poor but who cares. I guess Kong is supposed to be the good guy in this flick if either can be considered good. I loved the scene where Dr. Johnson, paleontologist(?), holds up the text book to compare Godzilla to a T-Rex and a stegosaurus. The book just has to be a part of the kids Golden Book series and I loved the when he likened Godzilla's brain to a marble. With 'K'and'G' stepping on everything in sight, I always wonder why it never seems to hurt their feet. The native girl that does the lead dancing on the island is the prettiest Japanese woman I have ever seen and in my view should have been the key actress. I watch this film more than any Godzilla movie in my vast collection. Sit back with a big bowl of popcorn and enjoy.