Yoshifumi Tajima, born August 4, 1918 in Kobe, Japan, appeared in many Godzilla and Toho Company films. His first kaiju film was Rodan in 1956. He went on to star in Mothra (1961), King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962), Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964), Ghidora, the Three-headed Monster (1964), Invasion of Astro-Monster (1965), Destroy All Monsters (1968), and The Return of Godzilla (1984).
George Takei, born April 20, 1937 in Los Angeles, California, is one of the most beloved actors in all of moviedom. He has played Hikaru Sulu in the Star Trek universe since 1966. He appeared in 52 episodes of the original series, provided the voice for Sulu in the animated series, starred in Star Trek: Voyager, and all six Star Trek movies with the original cast.
He provided voices for the English versions of Godzilla Raids Again and Rodan. He appeared in the original series of TheTwilight Zone, The Six Million Dollar Man, Hawaii Five-O (both series), and Murder, She Wrote with Angela Lansbury.
He got a star on Hollywood Walk of Fame in October 1989.
Nick Adams, born July 10 1931 in Nanticoke, Pennsylvania, was best known for his role in the television series The Rebel and was nominated for an Oscar for Twilight of Honor. But he starred in Godzilla vs. Monster Zero (King Ghidorah) in 1965. He starred in three Japanese monster movies during his time in the country.
He played a cocky, smug astronaut alongside Akira Takarada, who must deal with aliens from Planet X.
Ghidrah, the Three-Headed Monster, released the previous December in Japan, made its way to big screens in the U.S. September 13, 1965.
In one of the better movies with King Ghidrah or King Ghidorah, this one did NOT have aliens promising to rid Earth of Godzilla and then replacing him with the three-headed monster. In this movie, an alien has taken over the mind of a princess and prophesies about the coming of Godzilla, Rodan and King Ghidorah.
Japan is helpless against the monsters so they contact the Cosmos and ask them to have Mothra intercede. Mothra manages to unite Godzilla and Rodan and the three of them defeat King Ghidorah.
The ninth picture in the Godzilla series, Destroy All Monsters, was unleashed on Japaneses audiences August 1, 1968. U.S. audiences had to wait until May the next year to see it.
In one big departure from other Godzilla movies, in Destroy All Monsters, mankind has actually managed to contain all Earth's monsters, including Rodan, Mothra and the G-Man himself on an island, Monsterland. Why didn't they deploy the same measures earlier? Or after? But it quickly becomes a plot that Toho Company will use over and over again.
And then again.
Aliens arrive and unleash the monsters from Monsterland and set them attacking the world. Godzilla attacks the UN building in New York City. Rodan destroys Moscow and Mothra goes after Beijing.
With Earth's forces dealing with the monsters, the aliens establish an underground fort near Mount Fuji. A brave force destroys the aliens' outpost on the moon and free the monsters from the alien influence.
But then the aliens unleash...wait for it...King Ghidorah. And the plot is complete.
The movie features 11 monsters featured in previous Godzilla and other Japanese movies that aren't connected with the G-Man films, such as Baragon (Frankenstein Conquers the World), Gorosaurus (King Kong Escapes), Manda (Atragon) and Varan (Daikaiju Baran [Don't ask. I don't know what it means, either.]).
Kenji Sahara, born May 14, 1932 in Kanagawa, Japan, is an Japanese actor, but his real name is Masayoshi Kato. He initially used the name Tadashi Ishihara before changing it to Kenji Sahara, when he got the lead role in Rodan in 1956.
He starred in the original Godzilla in 1954 and has starred in more Godzilla series than any other actor.
With actor Akihiko Hirata, Sahara starred in the debuts of Godzilla, Rodan, Mothra and King Ghidorah!
Akihiko Hirata, born December 26, 1927 in Kyogo, South Korea, has been in more Godzilla movies than anyone! He played Dr. Serizawa in the original movie Godzilla in 1954. He went on to star in Rodan (1956), Mothra (1961), Ghidorah, the Three-headed Monster (1964), Godzilla vs the Sea Monster (1966), Son of Godzilla (1967), Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla (1974) and The Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975).
He is the only actor to appear in the debuts of monsters Godzilla, Rodan, Mothra, King Ghidorah and Mechagodzilla!
Only 6 months after the original Godzilla aired, Toho Company released its sequel Godzilla Raids Again April 24, 1955. Riding on the wave of success of the first, Toho rushed the production of the second movie to capitalize on the popularity.
It was originally released in the U.S. as Gigantis: The Fire Monster to give American audiences the illusion they were seeing another monster, but that antic failed. Still, Godzilla Raids Again was another success. It pitted the G-Man against Anguirus and destroyed Osaka.
It was also George Takei's first film as he provided voice-over work for the American release. He also did work for Toho's Rodan.
Following its success with Godzilla, Toho went with using prehistoric monsters as a winning formula and released Rodan in Japan, December 26, 1956. The original name of the monster was Radon, an abbreviated word from 'pteranodon' but was changed to Rodan for American audiences.
He was meant to be a stand-alone monster with his own franchise but was incorporated in the Godzilla franchise.
Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster was released in Japan December 20, 1964, coming off the success of King Kong vs Godzilla. It's the first movie to feature King Ghidorah, the first where Godzilla isn't destroyed or defeated and the first to portray Godzilla as a 'hero.'
It is the last movie to feature the Ito Sisters as the Cosmos and the final appearance of Takashi Shimura in a Godzilla film.
Invasion of Astro-Monster (Godzilla vs Monster Zero, Invasion of Planet X or The Great Monster War, among many others) was released December 19, 1965 in Japan. U.S. audiences had to wait another 5 years before they could see it in American theatres.
Aliens from Planet X, from the dark side of Jupiter, come to Earth to ask if they can borrow Godzilla and Rodan to rid their planet of the hideous Monster Zero (Astro-Monster, etc.) Of course, the humans, being glad to get rid of the G-Man and Rodan, agree. Then they find out the aliens have an ulterior motive. Chaos ensues.
We've seen this before but the one that sets this movie above the others is the Godzilla Dance!!
Toho Company released "Rodan" December 26, 1956 in Japan but American audiences would have to wait almost 8 months to see it in theatres. In Japan, the monster's name was Radon, short for Pteranodon but changed to Rodan for U.S. audiences since there was a soap by the same name (not because of a deadly gas). George Takei was the first Japanese-American actor to do voice-overs for Toho, claiming in his autobiography this was his first professional gig.
For an early movie, this one had a surprisingly good (i.e. not nearly as super-campy) plot. A princess from a small country leaps from a plane just before it is blown up by assassins. She re-appears in Japan possessed by a Martian, showing up at sites where Godzilla and Rodan are hibernating. A strange meteorite falls to Earth. As it happens, the meteorite contains King Ghidorah, the monster that destroyed the Martian's planet.
To save the Earth, the Cosmos and Mothra have to convince Godzilla and Rodan to stop attacking each other and join forces to defeat King Ghidorah.
