Godzilla King of the Monsters 1954 Directed by

Godzilla: King of the Monsters (1954) Directed by Ishiro Honda

Gojira Originally titled Gojira, but American “translation” turned it into Godzilla u Gojira is a combination of two Japanese words: gorira ("gorilla"), and kujira ("whale“) u Produced by Toho Company u

Godzilla: King of the Monsters u Two versions exist: a. the original Japanese b. the American with Raymond Burr -Released in 1956

Godzilla…American style u It was Edmund Goldman who found the original Godzilla in a California Chinatown theater. He bought the international rights for $25, 000, then sold them to a small production company, with financial backing and successfully adapted it for American audiences.

Perry Mason… The adaptation process consisted of filming numerous new scenes featuring Raymond Burr and others, and inserting them into an edited version of the Japanese original to create a new film. u Careful attention was paid to the visual tone of the film. u

Keeping it “Real” u A documentary style was imposed on the original dramatic material through Burr's dialogue and stentorian narration; he plays a reporter, replacing a comical reporter character in the Japanese original.

Sequelmania Due to its international success, numerous sequels, stories, toys, cartoons, etc. were produced—and still continue to this day. u One sign of its initial success was the crossover between Japan’s Godzilla and America’s King Kong u

Winner? ? ? Urban myths: u In Japan’s version, Godzilla arises as the victor u In America’s, Kong is victorious u