ALL SCI-FI

[Bud Brewster]

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The year 1957 (the American release date for this film) produced the largest number of science fiction movies in the entire decade (41 movies, compared to only 28 the year before), and Americans flocked to the theaters to see almost any sci-fi film that came out.

Japanese director Inoshiro Honda set out to top his hit monster movie "Godzilla", and in many ways he succeeded. "Rodan" not only features two giant monsters (the title prehistoric bird and its mate), it also features several scary scenes involving over-sized prehistoric bugs that attack terrified mine workers. When Rodan hatches from its egg inside the mine, it eats the bugs!

After growing to full size, Rodan topples bridges and destroys buildings just by flying over them and creating a devastating shock wave. (Not exactly scientifically accurate, but it looks impressive.)

Rodan lands smack in the middle of Tokyo and takes on the Japanese Army in a rip-roaring battle that thrilled monster-hungry audiences.

"Rodan" was a big hit, even bigger than "Godzilla" from the year before, although the monster itself didn't have the kind of public appeal that inspired the long chain of sequels which Godzilla has spawned.

"Rodan" is handsomely filmed in color, and it played in classy downtown theaters (no mall cinemas in those days). For several weeks there was no escaping the barrage of TV trailers that filled the airwaves. Kids loved the movie, and back in 1957 responsible parents didn't let their young kids go to downtown theaters alone — so absolutely everybody saw "Rodan".
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Miscellaneous note: Consider these two facts:

(1) Japanese artwork indicates a culture that produces amazingly patient and detail-conscious people.

(2) Japanese cinema indicates a public that loves monster movies.

So, why haven't Japanese filmmakers ever produced a stop-motion animated monster movie?
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Bud Brewster]

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I nominate the Rodan trailer for the Most Enthusiastic Promotion Pitch of the 1950s Award. You'll recognize the voice of the narrator from a hundred other previews you've seen, and you'll marvel at the bodacious claims he makes about this famous Japanese monster.

And how 'bout those countless scenes of Rodan cruising slowly over cities and bridges, somehow causing a blast of air to crash down and destroy the structures.

A clear case of too much saki being consumed by the special effects guys.

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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[alltare]

Rodan was on Svengoolie (or was it COMET TV?) a month ago or so, and I watched it for the first time in ~30 years. I thought it was a much better movie than Godzilla- better production, better miniatures and effects, better animation, and great color.

I liked it enough that I might even buy the DVD, and that would make it the only Japanese movie I own.

[Bud Brewster]

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Here's a few fun IMDB facts about this famous Japanese sci-fi film.
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In his autobiography, George Takei says that this was his first professional acting job, and all dialogue voices were provided by himself, Keye Luke, "another man" (Paul Frees) and one woman.

Note from me: I feel confident that the next time I watch this movie I can identify the voices done by Keye Luke ("Excellent, Grasshopper . . . "), Paul Frees ("People of Earth! Attention!"), and George Takei ("Oooh myyy . . . ").

Toho floated the idea of making a sequel of sorts to this movie, but featuring giant insects. However, the idea died in the planning stages because American audiences were in the midst of a wave of giant insect movies (i.e., Them! (1954), Tarantula (1955), The Deadly Mantis (1957), The Black Scorpion (1957), The Spider (1958)).

Note from me: This was probably for the best. Our bug movies would have been much better than their bug movies, and we have stars like John Agar, Richard Denning, and Mara Corday (twice).

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The cable supporting Rodan over Sasebo Bridge snapped, causing the stuntman in the suit to fall 25 feet into the water. The incident is left in the movie as the scene where Rodan dives into the water near the bridge and submerges. The cables were reattached for the scene where Rodan lifts off out of the water, but they almost broke again because the suit became waterlogged and doubled in weight.

— And also this item on the same subject —

While shooting the scene in which Rodan flies over the bridge in Saikai Village in Kyushu, the pulley from which Haruo Nakajima was suspended broke. He fell from a height of 25 feet, but the wings and the water, which was about one and a half feet deep, absorbed much of the impact.

Note from me: The next time I watch this movie I won't be thinking, "They just dropped the prop monster into the water for this special effects," I'll be thinking, "Oh Lord, that poor guy in the suit nearly drowned!"
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Bud Brewster]

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Rodan was on TCM less than a week ago, and I considered watching it, but I've seen it several times over the years, so I passed on it.

But I have some fond memories of it from my childhood. It was one of a several sci-fi movies my mother took me to see in downtown theaters in Atlanta in the 1950s. She was less impressed with this one than the other young people in the audience, and as we were leaving the theater, she overheard a few boys my age discussing it.

One of the boys asked an interesting question about the scene in which Rodan stood in the middle of Tokyo with his giant wings spread wide, while countless artillery shells soared passed it on all sides . . . but never seemed to hit the mark.

"I wonder why they couldn't hit Rodan in the city when they shot at it?" the boy asked his friend.

In a sarcastic tone my mother turned to the boys and said, "Because the obviously couldn't shoot straight."

Good old Mom. Here are the pictures of her and Doris Lloyd I posted in The Time Machine thread to show how much my mother resembled Mrs. Watchett in that movie — which Mom also took me to see!

Pretty cool, eh?


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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Rick3]

Like GODZILLA, KING OF MONSTERS, I first encountered RODAN on Million Dollar Movie, WOR-TV, New York. At the time there was exactly one color television in the neighborhood, fortunately owned by a family I knew. I pretty much invited myself to see RODAN on their set. I believe (correct me if I am mistaken), this was the first color movie broadcast on MDM (probably 1964 or so).

I loved this film and watched it again and again that week, albeit on our own small black and white set. Million Dollar Movie at the time ran the same film all week...16 showings! (7:30 and 9 p.m. on weeknights, 1:30, 3:00 and 4:30 on Saturdays and Sundays). I must have seen it 6-7 times, and memorized the music, the (dubbed) dialog, even the exact moment when each commercial break occurred.

The early sequences with the giant bugs terrified me, but I couldn't turn away.

Who owns the domestic video rights to RODAN right now? I was under the impression that it and MATANGO and others are within the slow-moving lava of Criterion, who sit on a tremendous number of great films but keep re-releasing many already on DVD (or even Blu-ray) so they can kowtow to the 4K crowd.

[Bud Brewster]

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Rick3, your wonderful tale from your Monsterkid days when Rodan was first released actually surpassed my own childhood memories from 1956 when my mother took me to a downtown Atlanta theater to see it when it first came out!

Your great post reminded me that a few weeks later my whole family went to the Roosevelt Drive-In and saw it again as a second feature!





Please share more of your unique memories from your childhood — when we were all inspired by movies from the Golden Age of Science Fiction!
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Pow]

Well, they say that everyone has a twin, Bud. And your mom & Doris certainly prove it. Both lovely looking ladies.

[Maurice]

Rodan is entertaining enough, and certainly has some higher production values than 1954's Gojira (not the Raymond Burr Americanized recut), but it's nowhere as good a story because the earlier film is an allegory about nuclear weapons and the danger with using them even once, whereas Rodan is about nothing much other than the monsters and natural disaster.
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"The absence of limitations is the enemy of art."
― Orson Welles

[WadeVC]

It has been many years since I have watched Rodan, but I remember well as a child when I first saw it.

The result was a young kid zooming around outside, with outstretched arms, screeching and attacking imaginary soldiers and cities.
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"You look like a pooped out pinwheel."
-Robot Monster

[WadeVC]

After making my last post, I thought I'd search Amazon for Rodan. I am happy to say it is available on FreeVee, and I am watching it now.

I always loved the opening musical scores of most TOHO films. They always seem so foreboding.
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"You look like a pooped out pinwheel."
-Robot Monster