Planet Prince
Encyclopedia
is a 1958 tokusatsu
superhero
television series. Created by veteran writer Masaru Igami and produced by Nippon Gendai and Senkosha
, the series aired on NTV
from November 4, 1958 to October 6, 1959, with a total of 49 episodes (divided into several segments). It was created to capitalize on the success of the Super Giant
serials
. In fact, the title hero (whose alter-ego was Waku-san, played by Toshio Mimura) bore a strong resemblance to Super Giant.
Toei
produced two movies that featured the character, but in a completely different, more streamlined costume (and goggled helmet). The hero was this time played by Tatsuo Umemiya. The films were titled:
For release in America, these two movies were compiled into a TV movie titled Prince of Space.
, in that both wear cowled costumes and capes. Each character also has super powers and flies. The movie version (produced by Toei
) is different, as Prince of Space wears a streamlined costume, cape and helmet. He has no superpowers other than the invulnerability of his costume. He uses weapons (a wand-like laser gun) and flies a small spaceship.
In the TV version, just like Moonlight Mask
, the Planet Prince persona was credited as being played by "?" (even though he never wore a mask).
In the film, Prince's enemy is Ambassador Dictator Phantom (まぼろし大使) (who also appeared in one of the series' story arcs), from the planet Krankor who (like his henchmen) wears a prosthetic nose and cowl that gives him a decidedly chicken-like appearance, something that is constantly mocked in the Mystery Science Theater 3000 version. Phantom and his henchmen also appear to eschew undergarments, as is made painfully obvious in several shots.
Phantom claims that Planet Krankor is "half a million Earth miles" from Earth. This seems highly unlikely, given that the Moon is less than 240,000 miles from Earth, which would make Krankor quite visible from Earth. Phantom races back and forth between Earth and Krankor in his spaceships (one of which resembles the Nautilus
, the other resembling a metallic roast chicken). He kidnaps scientists, blows up a rocket and continually threatens Earth and Prince, despite the fact that his weapons, even at close range, have no effect whatsoever on Prince. He reminds Phantom of this fact many times, but still finds it necessary to dodge his foe's "lasers" each time he fires. Phantom also keeps a grotesque giant humanoid creature as a guard for his palace on Krankor who is about as successful at stopping Prince as Phantom is himself.
. On the show, there is a commercial
for the album
Candles, Krankor and You where the Ambassador Dictator Phantom sings various cover songs
to popular music as "Unforgettable
" and "Summer Wind
".
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 ....
superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
television series. Created by veteran writer Masaru Igami and produced by Nippon Gendai and Senkosha
Senkosha Productions
Senkosha Productions was the television production arm of the large Japanese advertising agency the Senkosha Company. The Tokyo-based Senkosha Company still exists, though it has long since closed its television division, now known as Senko Kikaku...
, the series aired on NTV
Nippon Television
is a television network based in the Shiodome area of Minato, Tokyo, Japan and is controlled by the Yomiuri Shimbun publishing company. Broadcasting terrestrially across Japan, the network is commonly known as , contracted to , and abbreviated as "NTV" or "AX".-Offices:*The Headquarters : 6-1,...
from November 4, 1958 to October 6, 1959, with a total of 49 episodes (divided into several segments). It was created to capitalize on the success of the Super Giant
Super Giant
is a fictional Japanese superhero featured in a successful series of serial-like tokusatsu short feature films produced by Shintoho Company, Ltd....
serials
Serial (film)
Serials, more specifically known as Movie serials, Film serials or Chapter plays, were short subjects originally shown in theaters in conjunction with a feature film. They were related to pulp magazine serialized fiction...
. In fact, the title hero (whose alter-ego was Waku-san, played by Toshio Mimura) bore a strong resemblance to Super Giant.
Toei
Toei Company
is a Japanese film, television production, and distribution corporation. Based in Tokyo, Toei owns and operates thirty-four movie theaters across Japan, a modest vertically-integrated studio system by the standards of the 1930s United States; operates studios at Tokyo and Kyoto; and is a...
produced two movies that featured the character, but in a completely different, more streamlined costume (and goggled helmet). The hero was this time played by Tatsuo Umemiya. The films were titled:
- Planet Prince (遊星王子) (Yūsei Ōji) Released: May 19, 1959
- Planet Prince - The Terrifying Spaceship (遊星王子 - 恐怖の宇宙船) (Yūsei Ōji - Kyōfu no Uchūsen) Released: May 25, 1959
For release in America, these two movies were compiled into a TV movie titled Prince of Space.
Television and movie differences
As mentioned before, the TV version looks very similar to Super GiantSuper Giant
is a fictional Japanese superhero featured in a successful series of serial-like tokusatsu short feature films produced by Shintoho Company, Ltd....
, in that both wear cowled costumes and capes. Each character also has super powers and flies. The movie version (produced by Toei
Toei Company
is a Japanese film, television production, and distribution corporation. Based in Tokyo, Toei owns and operates thirty-four movie theaters across Japan, a modest vertically-integrated studio system by the standards of the 1930s United States; operates studios at Tokyo and Kyoto; and is a...
) is different, as Prince of Space wears a streamlined costume, cape and helmet. He has no superpowers other than the invulnerability of his costume. He uses weapons (a wand-like laser gun) and flies a small spaceship.
In the TV version, just like Moonlight Mask
Moonlight Mask
is a fictional superhero that has appeared in Japanese tokusatsu and anime television shows and movies since his TV debut in 1958. Created by writer Kōhan Kawauchi, Moonlight Mask is best described as Japan's answer to The Lone Ranger and Batman....
, the Planet Prince persona was credited as being played by "?" (even though he never wore a mask).
In the film, Prince's enemy is Ambassador Dictator Phantom (まぼろし大使) (who also appeared in one of the series' story arcs), from the planet Krankor who (like his henchmen) wears a prosthetic nose and cowl that gives him a decidedly chicken-like appearance, something that is constantly mocked in the Mystery Science Theater 3000 version. Phantom and his henchmen also appear to eschew undergarments, as is made painfully obvious in several shots.
Phantom claims that Planet Krankor is "half a million Earth miles" from Earth. This seems highly unlikely, given that the Moon is less than 240,000 miles from Earth, which would make Krankor quite visible from Earth. Phantom races back and forth between Earth and Krankor in his spaceships (one of which resembles the Nautilus
Nautilus (Verne)
The Nautilus is the fictional submarine featured in Jules Verne's novels Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and The Mysterious Island . Verne named the Nautilus after Robert Fulton's real-life submarine Nautilus...
, the other resembling a metallic roast chicken). He kidnaps scientists, blows up a rocket and continually threatens Earth and Prince, despite the fact that his weapons, even at close range, have no effect whatsoever on Prince. He reminds Phantom of this fact many times, but still finds it necessary to dodge his foe's "lasers" each time he fires. Phantom also keeps a grotesque giant humanoid creature as a guard for his palace on Krankor who is about as successful at stopping Prince as Phantom is himself.
Cinema Insomnia
Prince of Space was also featured on the nationally syndicated television series Cinema InsomniaCinema Insomnia
Cinema Insomnia is a nationally syndicated American television series presented by horror host Mr. Lobo.- Format :Typically, Mr. Lobo opens each episode by promising to screen a well-known horror or science fiction classic ; however budgetary limitations, acts of God or other circumstances...
. On the show, there is a commercial
Television advertisement
A television advertisement or television commercial, often just commercial, advert, ad, or ad-film – is a span of television programming produced and paid for by an organization that conveys a message, typically one intended to market a product...
for the album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
Candles, Krankor and You where the Ambassador Dictator Phantom sings various cover songs
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
to popular music as "Unforgettable
Unforgettable (song)
"Unforgettable" is a popular song written by Irving Gordon. The song's original working title was "Uncomparable". The music publishing company asked Irving to change it to "Unforgettable". The song was published in 1951....
" and "Summer Wind
Summer Wind
"Summer Wind" is a 1965 song, with music by Heinz Meier and lyrics by Johnny Mercer, Original german lyrics by Hans Bradtke. The song is a nostalgic tale of a fleeting romance, first recorded by Wayne Newton who had the first national chart hit with the song in 1965, peaking at number 78."Summer...
".
Cast
- Planet Prince/Waku-san - Tatsuo Umemiya
- Ambassador Dictator Phantom - Joji Oka
- Sachiko - Hiroko Mine
- Dr. Maki - Ushio Akashi
- Ichiro - Akira Asami
- Makoto - Koji Komori
- Kimiko - Midori Tsuzuki
- Takeda - Takashi Kanda
- Sawamoto - Akira Tatematsu
- Shibasaki - Masahiko Naruse
- Mukai - Ken Sudo
- Tabei - Ken Hasebe
- Higashino - Giichi Sugi
- Sakai - Koji Sahara
- Tsunoda - Tokio Kozuka
- Keichi Kawajima - Rin'ichi Yamamoto
- Dr. Naito - Hiroshi Katayama
- Newspaper reporter - Yuji Kitamine
- Newspaper reporter - Hajime Kubo
- Phantom's follower - Tsutomu Iwaki
- Phantom's follower - Kenji Todoroki
- Phantom's follower - Hiroshi Mihara
- Phantom's follower - Nobuo Yana
- Dr. Tateishi - Shusuke Sone
- Mrs. Tateishi - Kaoru Nakano
- Commander Koda - Akikane Sawa
- Secretary of Defense Fukuhara - Shiko Saito
- Major Munakata - Tadashi Minamikawa
- Colonel Matsuda - Junkichi Orimoto
- Colonel Watanabe - Junji Masuda
Production credits
- Writer - Masaru Igami
- Director - Eijiro Wakabayashi
- Screenplay - Shin Morita
- Cinematography - Masahiko Imura
- Special Effects - Shozo Horai
- Music - Katsuhisa Hattori
External links
- Prince of Space Trailer (2006)
- Prince of Space Movie Poster by Alexander Leon of Alxlen.com
- Candles, Krankor and You on Cinema InsomniaCinema InsomniaCinema Insomnia is a nationally syndicated American television series presented by horror host Mr. Lobo.- Format :Typically, Mr. Lobo opens each episode by promising to screen a well-known horror or science fiction classic ; however budgetary limitations, acts of God or other circumstances...
- Prince of Space on YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....