.gif)
Mothra (film)
Encyclopedia
is a 1961 Kaiju
film from Toho Studios
, directed by genre regular Ishirō Honda
with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya
. It is the kaiju eiga debut of screenwriter Shinichi Sekizawa
, whose approach to the genre grew to prominence during the 1960s. The film stars Frankie Sakai
, a popular comedian
in Japan
at the time, and Hiroshi Koizumi
, in the first of many academic
roles he would adopt in tokusatsu
. Jerry Ito
(transliterated as "Jelly Ito" in the credits of the U.S.
release) stars in the film, his only contribution to Toho's kaiju eiga genre. Ito also appeared in 1958's Japanese/US co-production "The Manster" (a.k.a. "The Split")
, and in Toho's 1961 end-of-the-world science fiction feature "Sekai Daisensou" ("The Last War")
.
It's basic plot was recycled in King Kong vs. Godzilla
and Mothra vs. Godzilla
(1962 and 1964, both also written by Sekizawa), and the daikaiju Mothra
would become one of Toho's most popular, appearing in seven more Godzilla
films and her own trilogy in the 1990s.
tries to exploit the islanders, their ancient deity
arises in retaliation.
In waters off Infant Island, a presumedly uninhabited site for Rolisican atomic tests, the Daini-Gen'you-Maru is caught and run aground in the turbulence of a typhoon. A rescue party following the storm finds four sailors alive and strangely unafflicted with radiation sickness
, which they attribute to the juice provided them by island natives
. The story is broken by tenacious reporter Zenichiro (also known as "Bulldog" or "Zen-chan") Fukuda (Sakai) and photographer Michi Hanamura (Kagawa), who infiltrate the hospital examining the survivors.
The Rolisican Embassy responds by co-sponsoring a joint Japanese–Rolisican scientific expediction to Infant Island, led by capitalist
Clark Nelson (Ito). Also on the expedition are radiation
specialist Dr. Harada (Ken Uehara), linguist
/anthropologist
Shin'ichi Chūjō (Koizumi), and stowaway
reporter Fukuda. Chūjō has studied the cultures of islands in the area and ascertained that one of the key hieroglyphs
in their written language, a radiant cross-shaped star, translates as Mothra. There the team discover a vast jungle
of mutate
d flora, a fleeting native tribe, and two young women only twelve inches tall (the Peanuts). These "shobijin" (small beauties), as Fukuda dubs them, wish their island to be spared further atomic testing. Acknowledging this message, the team returns and conceals these events from the public.
Nelson, however, returns to the island with a crew of henchmen
and abducts the girls, gunning down several natives who try to save them. While Nelson profits off a "Secret Fairies Show" in Tokyo
featuring the girls singing, both they and the island natives beseech their god Mothra, a giant egg
, for help. Fukuda, Hanamura, and Chūjō communicate with the young women via telepathy
; they express conviction that Mothra will come to their aid and warn that "good people are sure to be hurt". Meanwhile, Fukuda's newspaper has accused Nelson of holding the girls against their will
; Nelson denies the charge and files a libel suit against the paper. Meanwhile, the island egg hatches to reveal a gigantic caterpillar
, which begins swimming the Pacific Ocean
toward Japan. The caterpillar destroys a cruise ship and survives a napalm
attack on a beeline path for Tokyo. The Rolisican Embassy, however, defends Nelson's property rights over the girls, ignoring any connection to the monster.
Mothra finally arrives on the Japanese mainland, impervious to the barrage of weaponry directed at it, ultimately building a cocoon in the ruins of Tokyo Tower
. Public feeling turns against Nelson, and he is ordered to release the girls. He flees incognito to Rolisica, where Mothra, newly hatched in an imago
form, immediately resumes her search. Police scour New Kirk City for Nelson as Mothra lays waste to the metropolis. Ultimately Nelson is killed in a shootout
with police, and the girls are assigned to Chūjō's care. Church bells begin to ring, and sunlight illuminates the cross atop the steeple with radiant beams, reminding Chūjō and Hanamura of Mothra's unique symbol
and of the girls' voices. Chūjō hits upon a novel way to attract Mothra to an airport runway
. The girls are returned amid salutations of "sayōnara", and Mothra flies back to Infant Island.
. Unlike Godzilla
(1954), Godzilla Raids Again
(1955), and Rodan
(1956), thematically and visually darker films full of allegory
and scenes of death, Mothra is vibrant, colorful, and at times jovial. Even the scenes of destruction in Mothra are depicted with an air of fantasy: rather unlike actual automobiles, cars and trucks caught in Mothra's gusts are tossed and bounced about the cityscape
of New Kirk like leaves in a dust devil
.
As a daikaiju Mothra is assigned an unprecedented level of personality, imbued as the shobijin's guardian with loyalty and nobility. The film ends not with Mothra's death or incapacitation but with her success at retrieving the shobijin and returning—-in peace and on good terms with Japan—-to Infant Island. The true antagonist
of the film is instead the greedy sensationalist Clark Nelson, whose role lends itself to broad interpretation. Fukuda describes him as an "art dealer", of the type who raid historic sites for riches. The film was conceived and released at the outset of the Japanese post-war economic miracle
, amid the liberalization of business from government regulation; by placing an (Occidental
) capitalist in such a villainous role, the film propounds a strong critique of the Western model of capitalism
itself.
The ending of the film alludes heavily to Christianity
: Mothra's symbol is revealed to bear a likeness to the Christian cross
—though it more specifically resembles the Celtic cross
—and its image, joined by the sound of ringing church bell
s, is used to summon Mothra and show her where to land. Remarkably, whereas the propagation of Western capitalism is to blame for Mothra's destructive onslaught, it is Western religion which appeases it.
as well as the sickle of the Soviet Union. Roliscan military uniforms, seen in briefly when the Roliscan military lends Japan a weapon to defeat Mothra, resemble those of the Soviet military.
The matte
scenes that show Rolisican civilians looking at Mothra in the sky were filmed in Los Angeles
, California. Toho had done some filming there in early 1961 and the footage added into Mothra.
Mothra was released in the United States in May 1962 on a double-bill with The Three Stooges in Orbit
. Film critic A. H. Weiler in The New York Times
gave the film a generally positive review, singling out the color and special effects for praise. "There's that color, as pretty as can be, that now and then smites the eye with some genuinely artistic panoramas and décor designs."
Some plot points, also, were favorably mentioned: "Fantastic though the plot may be, there are some genuinely penetrating moments, such as the contrast of the approaching terror and those patient, silvery-voiced little 'dolls,' serenely awaiting rescue. Several of the special effects shots are brilliant, such as the sight of a giant cocoon nestling against a large city's power station tower" (in reality, it was Tokyo Tower
, a landmark broadcasting tower). The movie was edited also removing about 10 minutes from the original japanese version for its release in America at 91 minutes.
Kaiju
is a Japanese word that means "strange beast," but often translated in English as "monster". Specifically, it is used to refer to a genre of tokusatsu entertainment....
film from Toho Studios
Toho
is a Japanese film, theater production, and distribution company. It is headquartered in Yūrakuchō, Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group...
, directed by genre regular Ishirō Honda
Ishiro Honda
Ishirō Honda , sometimes miscredited in foreign releases as "Inoshiro Honda", was a Japanese film director...
with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya
Eiji Tsuburaya
was the Japanese special effects director responsible for many Japanese science-fiction movies, including the Godzilla series...
. It is the kaiju eiga debut of screenwriter Shinichi Sekizawa
Shinichi Sekizawa
was a Japanese screenwriter. His very first screenplay was for the Shintoho Studios film Fearful Attack of the Flying Saucers, which is now considered to be lost. He went on to script several films by Ishirō Honda, including several classic Godzilla films...
, whose approach to the genre grew to prominence during the 1960s. The film stars Frankie Sakai
Frankie Sakai
was a Japanese comedian, actor, and musician.-Career:From his days at Keio University, Sakai worked as a jazz drummer at American Army camps during the Occupation of Japan, often doing comic routines with his music...
, a popular comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
at the time, and Hiroshi Koizumi
Hiroshi Koizumi
is a Japanese actor. He was born in Japan. In a 1999 interview with Steve Ryfle, Koizumi laments that while he stated he has easy parts to play, he felt he could have done more in his performances...
, in the first of many academic
Academia
Academia is the community of students and scholars engaged in higher education and research.-Etymology:The word comes from the akademeia in ancient Greece. Outside the city walls of Athens, the gymnasium was made famous by Plato as a center of learning...
roles he would adopt in tokusatsu
Tokusatsu
is a Japanese term that applies to any live-action film or television drama that usually features superheroes and makes considerable use of special effects ....
. Jerry Ito
Jerry Ito
was a Japanese-American film and television actor, specializing in Japanese films throughout the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s.Born as Gerald Tamekichi Itō, he was bilingual and spoke both Japanese and English fluently....
(transliterated as "Jelly Ito" in the credits of the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
release) stars in the film, his only contribution to Toho's kaiju eiga genre. Ito also appeared in 1958's Japanese/US co-production "The Manster" (a.k.a. "The Split")
The Manster
is a tokusatsu 1959 horror film, a co-production between the US and Japan, starring Peter Dyneley. The film was notable for its creative use of special effects...
, and in Toho's 1961 end-of-the-world science fiction feature "Sekai Daisensou" ("The Last War")
The Last War
The Last War may refer to one of the following:* The Last War , a 1961 film, known in Japan as Sekai Daisenso directed by Shūe Matsubayashi from a script by Toshio Yasumi and Takeshi Kimura....
.
It's basic plot was recycled in King Kong vs. Godzilla
King Kong vs. Godzilla
is a 1962 Japanese science fiction kaiju film produced by Toho Studios. Directed by Ishirō Honda with visual effects by Eiji Tsuburaya, the film starred Tadao Takashima, Kenji Sahara, and Mie Hama. It was the third installment in the Japanese series of films featuring the monster Godzilla...
and Mothra vs. Godzilla
Mothra vs. Godzilla
is a 1964 science fiction kaiju film directed by Ishirō Honda. It was the fourth film to be released in the Godzilla series, produced by Toho Company Ltd...
(1962 and 1964, both also written by Sekizawa), and the daikaiju Mothra
Mothra
is a kaiju, a type of fictional monster who first appeared in the serialized novel The Luminous Fairies and Mothra by Takehiko Fukunaga, Shinichiro Nakamura, and Yoshie Hotta...
would become one of Toho's most popular, appearing in seven more Godzilla
Godzilla
is a daikaijū, a Japanese movie monster, first appearing in Ishirō Honda's 1954 film Godzilla. Since then, Godzilla has gone on to become a worldwide pop culture icon starring in 28 films produced by Toho Co., Ltd. The monster has appeared in numerous other media incarnations including video games,...
films and her own trilogy in the 1990s.
Plot
An expedition to an irradiated island brings civilization in contact with a primitive native culture. When one sensationalist entrepreneurEntrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
tries to exploit the islanders, their ancient deity
Deity
A deity is a recognized preternatural or supernatural immortal being, who may be thought of as holy, divine, or sacred, held in high regard, and respected by believers....
arises in retaliation.
In waters off Infant Island, a presumedly uninhabited site for Rolisican atomic tests, the Daini-Gen'you-Maru is caught and run aground in the turbulence of a typhoon. A rescue party following the storm finds four sailors alive and strangely unafflicted with radiation sickness
Radiation Sickness
Radiation Sickness is a VHS by the thrash metal band Nuclear Assault. The video is a recording of a concert at the Hammersmith Odeon, London in 1988. It was released in 1991...
, which they attribute to the juice provided them by island natives
Indigenous peoples
Indigenous peoples are ethnic groups that are defined as indigenous according to one of the various definitions of the term, there is no universally accepted definition but most of which carry connotations of being the "original inhabitants" of a territory....
. The story is broken by tenacious reporter Zenichiro (also known as "Bulldog" or "Zen-chan") Fukuda (Sakai) and photographer Michi Hanamura (Kagawa), who infiltrate the hospital examining the survivors.
The Rolisican Embassy responds by co-sponsoring a joint Japanese–Rolisican scientific expediction to Infant Island, led by capitalist
Capitalism
Capitalism is an economic system that became dominant in the Western world following the demise of feudalism. There is no consensus on the precise definition nor on how the term should be used as a historical category...
Clark Nelson (Ito). Also on the expedition are radiation
Radiation
In physics, radiation is a process in which energetic particles or energetic waves travel through a medium or space. There are two distinct types of radiation; ionizing and non-ionizing...
specialist Dr. Harada (Ken Uehara), linguist
Linguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. Linguistics can be broadly broken into three categories or subfields of study: language form, language meaning, and language in context....
/anthropologist
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
Shin'ichi Chūjō (Koizumi), and stowaway
Stowaway
A stowaway is a person who secretly boards a vehicle, such as an aircraft, bus, ship, cargo truck or train, to travel without paying and without being detected....
reporter Fukuda. Chūjō has studied the cultures of islands in the area and ascertained that one of the key hieroglyphs
Hieroglyphs
Hieroglyph or hieroglyphics may refer to:*Anatolian hieroglyphs*Chinese character*Cretan hieroglyphs*Cursive hieroglyphs*Dongba script*Egyptian hieroglyphs*Hieroglyphic Luwian*Mayan hieroglyphs...
in their written language, a radiant cross-shaped star, translates as Mothra. There the team discover a vast jungle
Jungle
A Jungle is an area of land in the tropics overgrown with dense vegetation.The word jungle originates from the Sanskrit word jangala which referred to uncultivated land. Although the Sanskrit word refers to "dry land", it has been suggested that an Anglo-Indian interpretation led to its...
of mutate
Mutation
In molecular biology and genetics, mutations are changes in a genomic sequence: the DNA sequence of a cell's genome or the DNA or RNA sequence of a virus. They can be defined as sudden and spontaneous changes in the cell. Mutations are caused by radiation, viruses, transposons and mutagenic...
d flora, a fleeting native tribe, and two young women only twelve inches tall (the Peanuts). These "shobijin" (small beauties), as Fukuda dubs them, wish their island to be spared further atomic testing. Acknowledging this message, the team returns and conceals these events from the public.
Nelson, however, returns to the island with a crew of henchmen
Henchman
Henchman referred originally to one who attended on a horse for his employer, that is, a horse groom. Hence, like constable and marshal, also originally stable staff, henchman became the title of a subordinate official in a royal court or noble household...
and abducts the girls, gunning down several natives who try to save them. While Nelson profits off a "Secret Fairies Show" in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
featuring the girls singing, both they and the island natives beseech their god Mothra, a giant egg
Egg (biology)
An egg is an organic vessel in which an embryo first begins to develop. In most birds, reptiles, insects, molluscs, fish, and monotremes, an egg is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum, which is expelled from the body and permitted to develop outside the body until the developing...
, for help. Fukuda, Hanamura, and Chūjō communicate with the young women via telepathy
Telepathy
Telepathy , is the induction of mental states from one mind to another. The term was coined in 1882 by the classical scholar Fredric W. H. Myers, a founder of the Society for Psychical Research, and has remained more popular than the more-correct expression thought-transference...
; they express conviction that Mothra will come to their aid and warn that "good people are sure to be hurt". Meanwhile, Fukuda's newspaper has accused Nelson of holding the girls against their will
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
; Nelson denies the charge and files a libel suit against the paper. Meanwhile, the island egg hatches to reveal a gigantic caterpillar
Caterpillar
Caterpillars are the larval form of members of the order Lepidoptera . They are mostly herbivorous in food habit, although some species are insectivorous. Caterpillars are voracious feeders and many of them are considered to be pests in agriculture...
, which begins swimming the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
toward Japan. The caterpillar destroys a cruise ship and survives a napalm
Napalm
Napalm is a thickening/gelling agent generally mixed with gasoline or a similar fuel for use in an incendiary device, primarily as an anti-personnel weapon...
attack on a beeline path for Tokyo. The Rolisican Embassy, however, defends Nelson's property rights over the girls, ignoring any connection to the monster.
Mothra finally arrives on the Japanese mainland, impervious to the barrage of weaponry directed at it, ultimately building a cocoon in the ruins of Tokyo Tower
Tokyo Tower
is a communications and observation tower located in Shiba Park, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. At , it is the second tallest artificial structure in Japan. The structure is an Eiffel Tower-inspired lattice tower that is painted white and international orange to comply with air safety regulations.Built in...
. Public feeling turns against Nelson, and he is ordered to release the girls. He flees incognito to Rolisica, where Mothra, newly hatched in an imago
Imago
In biology, the imago is the last stage of development of an insect, after the last ecdysis of an incomplete metamorphosis, or after emergence from the pupa where the metamorphosis is complete...
form, immediately resumes her search. Police scour New Kirk City for Nelson as Mothra lays waste to the metropolis. Ultimately Nelson is killed in a shootout
Shootout
A shootout is a gun battle between armed groups. A shootout often, but not necessarily, pits law enforcement against criminal elements; it could also involve two groups outside of law enforcement, such as rival gangs. A shootout in a military context A shootout is a gun battle between armed groups....
with police, and the girls are assigned to Chūjō's care. Church bells begin to ring, and sunlight illuminates the cross atop the steeple with radiant beams, reminding Chūjō and Hanamura of Mothra's unique symbol
Symbol
A symbol is something which represents an idea, a physical entity or a process but is distinct from it. The purpose of a symbol is to communicate meaning. For example, a red octagon may be a symbol for "STOP". On a map, a picture of a tent might represent a campsite. Numerals are symbols for...
and of the girls' voices. Chūjō hits upon a novel way to attract Mothra to an airport runway
Runway
According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...
. The girls are returned amid salutations of "sayōnara", and Mothra flies back to Infant Island.
Themes
Mothra was the first of the kaiju eiga to distance itself from the genre of horrorHorror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
. Unlike Godzilla
Godzilla (1954 film)
is a 1954 Japanese science fiction film directed by Ishirō Honda and produced by Tomoyuki Tanaka. The film stars Akira Takarada, Momoko Kōchi, Akihiko Hirata and Takashi Shimura. The film tells the story of Godzilla, a giant monster mutated by nuclear radiation, who ravages Japan, bringing back the...
(1954), Godzilla Raids Again
Godzilla Raids Again
, also known in the United States as Gigantis, the Fire Monster, is a 1955 Japanese black-and-white kaiju film directed by Motoyoshi Oda, written by Shigeru Koyama, Shigeaki Hidaka and Takeo Murata, and produced by Toho....
(1955), and Rodan
Rodan (film)
Rodan, released in Japan as , is a 1956 Kaiju film produced by Toho Studios. It was the studio's first Kaiju movie filmed in color...
(1956), thematically and visually darker films full of allegory
Allegory
Allegory is a demonstrative form of representation explaining meaning other than the words that are spoken. Allegory communicates its message by means of symbolic figures, actions or symbolic representation...
and scenes of death, Mothra is vibrant, colorful, and at times jovial. Even the scenes of destruction in Mothra are depicted with an air of fantasy: rather unlike actual automobiles, cars and trucks caught in Mothra's gusts are tossed and bounced about the cityscape
Cityscape
A cityscape is the urban equivalent of a landscape. Townscape is roughly synonymous with cityscape, though it implies the same difference in urban size and density implicit in the difference between the words city and town. In urban design the terms refer to the configuration of built forms and...
of New Kirk like leaves in a dust devil
Dust devil
A dust devil is a strong, well-formed, and relatively long-lived whirlwind, ranging from small to large . The primary vertical motion is upward...
.
As a daikaiju Mothra is assigned an unprecedented level of personality, imbued as the shobijin's guardian with loyalty and nobility. The film ends not with Mothra's death or incapacitation but with her success at retrieving the shobijin and returning—-in peace and on good terms with Japan—-to Infant Island. The true antagonist
Antagonist
An antagonist is a character, group of characters, or institution, that represents the opposition against which the protagonist must contend...
of the film is instead the greedy sensationalist Clark Nelson, whose role lends itself to broad interpretation. Fukuda describes him as an "art dealer", of the type who raid historic sites for riches. The film was conceived and released at the outset of the Japanese post-war economic miracle
Japanese post-war economic miracle
The Japanese post-war economic miracle is the name given to the historical phenomenon of Japan's record period of economic growth following World War II, spurred mainly by Japanese economic policy, in particular through the Ministry of International Trade and Industry...
, amid the liberalization of business from government regulation; by placing an (Occidental
Occidental
Occidental may refer to:* Occidental, California, a town in Sonoma County, California* Occidental Mindoro, a province of the Philippines located in the MIMAROPA region in Luzon...
) capitalist in such a villainous role, the film propounds a strong critique of the Western model of capitalism
Capitalism
Capitalism is an economic system that became dominant in the Western world following the demise of feudalism. There is no consensus on the precise definition nor on how the term should be used as a historical category...
itself.
The ending of the film alludes heavily to Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
: Mothra's symbol is revealed to bear a likeness to the Christian cross
Christian cross
The Christian cross, seen as a representation of the instrument of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, is the best-known religious symbol of Christianity...
—though it more specifically resembles the Celtic cross
Celtic cross
A Celtic cross is a symbol that combines a cross with a ring surrounding the intersection. In the Celtic Christian world it was combined with the Christian cross and this design was often used for high crosses – a free-standing cross made of stone and often richly decorated...
—and its image, joined by the sound of ringing church bell
Church bell
A church bell is a bell which is rung in a church either to signify the hour or the time for worshippers to go to church, perhaps to attend a wedding, funeral, or other service...
s, is used to summon Mothra and show her where to land. Remarkably, whereas the propagation of Western capitalism is to blame for Mothra's destructive onslaught, it is Western religion which appeases it.
Rolisica
The fictional nation in the movie is clearly a substitute for America. Rolisica is an amalgam of both America and Russia (USSR at the time). The capital, New Kirk City, which Mothra attacks, shares an uncanny resemblance to that of New York City, specifically in its Manhattan-like skyline. The people of Rolisica are clearly coded as Americans; some were played by Turkish actors. The neighborhood where Nelson is killed seems to have an Eastern Orthodox ambiance, similar to that of Russia; in the uncut version, two priests, one clearly Orthodox, comment that the people can only pray that Mothra will not destroy them. The church bells begin ringing immediately following this speech. The Rolisican flag displays a large crescent moon and small star, reflecting the flag of the Islamic RepublicIslamic republic
Islamic republic is the name given to several states in the Muslim world including the Islamic Republics of Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan, and Mauritania. Pakistan adopted the title under the constitution of 1956. Mauritania adopted it on 28 November 1958. Iran adopted it after the 1979 Iranian...
as well as the sickle of the Soviet Union. Roliscan military uniforms, seen in briefly when the Roliscan military lends Japan a weapon to defeat Mothra, resemble those of the Soviet military.
The matte
Matte (filmmaking)
Mattes are used in photography and special effects filmmaking to combine two or more image elements into a single, final image. Usually, mattes are used to combine a foreground image with a background image . In this case, the matte is the background painting...
scenes that show Rolisican civilians looking at Mothra in the sky were filmed in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California. Toho had done some filming there in early 1961 and the footage added into Mothra.
U.S. release
The Three Stooges in Orbit
The Three Stooges In Orbit was the fourth feature film to star the Three Stooges after their 1959 resurgence in popularity. By this time, the trio consisted of Moe Howard, Larry Fine, and Joe DeRita . Released by Columbia Pictures, The Three Stooges In Orbit was directed by long-time Stooge...
. Film critic A. H. Weiler in The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
gave the film a generally positive review, singling out the color and special effects for praise. "There's that color, as pretty as can be, that now and then smites the eye with some genuinely artistic panoramas and décor designs."
Some plot points, also, were favorably mentioned: "Fantastic though the plot may be, there are some genuinely penetrating moments, such as the contrast of the approaching terror and those patient, silvery-voiced little 'dolls,' serenely awaiting rescue. Several of the special effects shots are brilliant, such as the sight of a giant cocoon nestling against a large city's power station tower" (in reality, it was Tokyo Tower
Tokyo Tower
is a communications and observation tower located in Shiba Park, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. At , it is the second tallest artificial structure in Japan. The structure is an Eiffel Tower-inspired lattice tower that is painted white and international orange to comply with air safety regulations.Built in...
, a landmark broadcasting tower). The movie was edited also removing about 10 minutes from the original japanese version for its release in America at 91 minutes.
Cast
- Zen'ichirou 'Zen-Chan' Fukuda, Nittou Journalist - Frankie SakaiFrankie Sakaiwas a Japanese comedian, actor, and musician.-Career:From his days at Keio University, Sakai worked as a jazz drummer at American Army camps during the Occupation of Japan, often doing comic routines with his music...
- Michi Hanamura, Nittou Photographer - Kyoko KagawaKyôko Kagawais a Japanese actress. She has appeared in leading and supporting roles in such films as Akira Kurosawa's The Bad Sleep Well and High and Low, Yasujiro Ozu's Tokyo Story, and Kenji Mizoguchi's Sansho the Bailiff.- Filmography :...
- Dr. Shin'ichi Tyuujou - Hiroshi KoizumiHiroshi Koizumiis a Japanese actor. He was born in Japan. In a 1999 interview with Steve Ryfle, Koizumi laments that while he stated he has easy parts to play, he felt he could have done more in his performances...
- Dr. Harada - Ken UeharaKen Ueharawas a Japanese film actor. He appeared in over 200 films between 1935 and 1990. He starred in Entotsu no mieru basho, which was entered into the 3rd Berlin International Film Festival.His son is the singer and actor Yūzō Kayama.-Selected filmography:...
- Clark Nelson - Jerry Itou
- The Shoubijin - The PeanutsThe Peanutsis a Japanese vocal group consisting of twin sisters Emi Itō and Yumi Itō . They were born in Tokoname, Aichi, on April 1, 1941; soon after their birth, the family moved to Nagoya....
, Yumi Itou, Emi Itou - Sadakatsu Amano, Nittou Editor - Takashi ShimuraTakashi Shimurawas a Japanese actor.He was born in Ikuno, Hyogo, Japan.His debut as actor was the film Akanishi Kakita and cast in the Kenji Mizoguchi's film Osaka Elegy ....
- Shinji Tyuujou - Masamitsu Tayama
- Nelson's Henchman - Tetsu Nakamura
- Danny, Nelson's Henchman - Ousmane Yusef
- Nelson's Henchman - Akira Wakamatsu
- Nelson's Henchman - Hiroshi Takagi
- Nelson's Henchman - Toshio Miura
- Dr. Raaff, Captain of Infant Island investigating group- Audie Wyatt
- Director General of National Nucleus Center - Akihiko HirataAkihiko Hiratawas a Japanese film actor. While Hirata starred in many movies , he is most well known for his work in the kaiju genre, including such films as King Kong vs. Godzilla, The Mysterians, and his most famous role of Dr...
- Commander of Defence Force A - Hisaya Itou
- Commander of Defence Force B - Yoshihumi Tajima
- Helicopter pilot A - Kenji SaharaKenji SaharaKenji Sahara is a Japanese actor. He was born in Kawasaki City, Kanagawa. His real name is Masayoshi Kato...
- Helicopter pilot B - Kenzou Echigo
- Secretary of Defense - Seizaburou Kawazu
- Captain of Daini Genyo Maru - Yoshio Kosugi
- Namiki, Shipmate - Ren Yamamoto
- Murata, Sailor - Haruya Katou
- Honma, Radio Communicator - Yutaka Nakamura
- Quartermaster - Kouji Iwamoto
- Member of task force - Hiroo Sakurai
- Officer Maritime Safety Agency - Sachiyuki Uemura
- Villager - Junnosuke Suda
- Villager - Akira Kittyouji
- Villager - Toshiko Nakano
- Detective of Rolisica - Dan Yuma (Robert DunhamRobert DunhamRobert Dunham was an American actor, entrepreneur, writer, racecar driver, and a US Marine. He is probably best known for his role as Antonio, Emperor of Seatopia in Godzilla vs. Megalon ; Dunham's biggest role would be that of Mark Jackson in the Japanese film, Dogora and Captain Martin in The...
) - Ambassador Rolisica - Harold Conway
- Father of New Kirk City - Henrico Rossie
- Oldman of New Kirk City - E.P. Mcdermott
- Captain of Hayakaze - Kou Misima
- Medical officer - Tadashi Okabe
- Geiger counter Crew - Kouhei Furukawa
- Journalist A - Shinpei Mitsui
- Journalist B - Masaaki Tachibana
- Nittou Journalist - Toshio Miura
- Owner of a rest house - Junpei Natsuki
- Owner’s Wife - Teruko Mita
- Dam watchman A - Syouichi Hirose
- Dam watchman B - Shigeo Katou
- Dam watchman C - Jun Kuroki
- Nanny of the Tyuujous - Tsurue Ichimanji
- Theater guide girl - Terumi Oka
- Captain of deluxe liner Orion-Maru - Mitsuo Tsuda
- Shipmate - Keisuke Matsuyama
- Quartermaster - Yū Sekida
- Captain of big transport - Yutaka Oka
- Aims person - Akira YamadaAkira Yamadais a Japanese scholar and philosopher of the West European Medieval philosophy. Member of the Japan Academy since 1998.Yamada graduated from the Kyoto Imperial University, Philosophy section of the Department of Literature in 1944....
- Crew of Infant Island investigating group - Mitsuo Matsumoto
- Crew of Infant Island investigating group - Yoshio Katsube
- Crew of Infant Island investigating group - Hiroyuki Satake
- Crew of Infant Island investigating group - Akira Hayami
- Crew of Infant Island investigating group - Kazuo ImaiKazuo Imaiis a Tokyo-based guitarist who plays in a rigorous and original free improvisation idiom. His music joins the rigour and texture of contemporary classical with the passion of free jazz. He has played with many Western and Japanese improvisers, including Lee Konitz, Barre Phillips, Arthur Doyle, Han...
- Policeman of tunnel A - Kouji Uno
- Policeman of tunnel B - Yukihiko Gondou
- Woodcutter - Yasuhisa Tsutsumi
- Infant islander - Keiji Sakakida
- Infant islander - Nichigeki dancing team
- Mothra Larva (Head) - Haruo NakajimaHaruo Nakajimais a famous Japanese actor. He is best known for playing Godzilla and is considered by many to be the best suit actor in the long history of the franchise...
- Mothra Larva (Body) - Katsumi TezukaKatsumi Tezukais a Japanese actor. He is best known for playing monsters in several Toho science fiction and horror films directed by Ishirō Honda.-Films:* 1954 - Godzilla * 1955 - Godzilla Raids Again * 1956 - Rodan...
/Other
Additional credits
- Eiji Tsuburaya- special effects
- Teruyoshi Nakano- assistant special effects director
- Akira Watanabe- Special effects art director
- Yukio Manoda- special optical photography
- Teisho Arikawa- effects photography
- Hiroshi Mukoyama- matte shots
- Samaji Nonagase- chief assistant director