Tag: Ishiro Honda

Another “Kong Quest” (ba-dum-tish) episode has come and gone, and I find myself feeling the weight of my contractual obligations as Nathan dumps asteroid-sized notes on me. I’m a busy man, and as much as I like my blog, I have other things to do with my time (like finish rebuilding Mechani-Kong).

Regardless, here are my notes on episode six, wherein Nick Hayden and Nathan discussed King Kong Escapes.

• Something they didn’t bring up that I thought was funny was while they watched the film, Nick theorized the old hermit was exiled from his tribe because he spoke in bizarre poetry.
• John Pertwee played the Third Doctor on Doctor Who from 1970-1974. His archnemesis, the Master, first appeared in 1971 played by Roger Delgado. So yes, the Dr. Who of King Kong Escapes predates both of them by several years. (He also looks like William Hartnell, the first actor to play the Doctor, as you can see by the image below). Too bad Nathan’s affinity for their capes ate up most of his paycheck this week. (Gotta read that contract, man!)

• Did these two forget Peter Cushing is British? At this time he was acting in British films exclusively and only has a few American films (most notably Star Wars: A New Hope) to his credit. I mean, come on? Does his posh accent not give it away?
• As I was instructed, here’s a link to the “Diggy Diggy Hole” video.
• The Burj Khalifa (or “the tower in Dubai,” as Nick called it) is the tallest building in the world currently at 2,717 feet (or 828 meters). The Empire State Building is number 49 at 1,250 feet (or 381 meters). It was the tallest building in the world from 1931-1972.
• Linda Jo Miller was dubbed over by Julie Bennett, who is best known for voicing Cindy Bear on The Yogi Bear Show. She was also a voice on Fractured Fairy Tales, a segment of The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show.
• The “Warren” caveman story from Latitude Zero was named after Warren Lewis, and it was an acid pool he was dropped into.
• Nick says I’m jealous of Disney Star Wars. Me, jealous of a space war franchise being given lots of money by the biggest movie studio in the world while my space war film fades into obscurity? Not at all! Nope, I’m not crying.
• How could I forget to pipe in to mention that Nick Adams is my spirit animal and astronaut Glen trained me?! I need to be more intrusive!
• There were a lot of kaiju films released in 1967. Toho released two (Son of Godzilla and King Kong Escapes) and every other studio in Japan released one. These were: Gamera vs. Gyaos (Daiei Film), The X from Outer Space (Shochiku), and Gappa: The Triphibian Monster (Nikkatsu). Meanwhile, Keukdong Entertainment Company and Toei Company made Yongary, Monster from the Deep in South Korea that year. (And you thought there were too many superhero movies this year).
• Well, RKO isn’t quite the true “parent” of Kong. His copyright is more convoluted than Commander Hell’s world conquest plan. But that’s a discussion for a future episode.
• Nathan does contradict John LeMay a bit from the previous episode about the genesis of Ebirah: Horror of the Deep, but I think it’s because that was the first theory he read. He’s forgiven…this time. 😛

My corrections/additions/riffs are done, so here are Nathan’s leftover notes.

The Film:

• Carl Nelson: not to be confused with Clark Nelson [from 1961’s Mothra]. (Nathan has to remind himself of this when he watches this film).
• I retract my statement on KVR about there being no snow in kaiju films.
• “IU data”? Indiana University is in league with Dr. Who?! I’d think it’d be Purdue the engineering school.
• Kong’s grunts were later used for Godzilla.
• “It can’t get any worse,” [says Nelson]. Famous last words. Star Wars, anyone?
• Except in the Japanese films, Kong didn’t survive a movie until Kong: Skull Island.
• Kong uses a rudder as a weapon to destroy a ship before he uses in in Kong: Skull Island!
• Mechani-Kong came from the Japanese fascination with giant robots that started with Tetsujin 28 in 1956 and the anime series in 1963. He paved the way for Mechagodzilla later.
• Seiji Tani resented having to work with the narrowing constraints of the genre. “Toward the later years, the human drama aspect got thinner and thinner. We had this discussion. [Producer Tomoyuki] Tanaka was there with us, and I asked him directly, ‘Why can’t we make the same sort of films, but geared toward adults?’ Honda-san didn’t say anything; maybe he couldn’t say anything. [Tanaka] looked at me with a troubled face. He replied, ‘The company keeps telling us to target the kids’ market, and if we don’t attract the kids, we can’t get enough box office.’ …Honda-san had a very bitter smile on his face.”
• Tsuburaya’s TV shows often depicted superheroes slicing and dicing monster foes, but he shied away from it in films, thinking it was inappropriate. He put his foot down when making this film, compromising that Gorosaurus would vomit a white foam.
• Kinema Junpo writer Chieo Yoshida was positive about the film. “I see this as the filmmaker’s [satirical] view of the modern world, where everything must be mechanized. But if they are aiming for kids, what’s Mie Hama’s irrepressible sex appeal doing here? Perhaps that’s a little present for the dads who have to bring kids to the theatre?”
• Tsuburaya emphasized the rare moments of Kong’s cuteness and not the innate dread. Comes from telling stories about Kong to youngsters during WWII bombing raids. Perhaps saw him as an inspiration to kids. Or he wanted to create a positive hero to counter Godzilla’s destruction. Didn’t want to frighten the kids. More like a chimp than a stereotypical gorilla.
• “Tanaka and Beck made their money and got their fame, and all it cost was O’Brien’s spirit, Honda’s principles, and Tsuburaya’s reputation” (“The Kongs of Tsuburaya: Obie and Smoke” by Peter H. Brothers). That seems harsh. I think the film has garnered more credibility since he wrote this.
• [Brothers] argues that the original image of Kong can’t be improved or updated.
• “…while O’Brien worked with Kong, Tsuburaya played with him” (Peter H. Brothers).
• [Brothers] says these different approaches come about because O’Brien was a hard-drinking Irishman besets by tragedy and setbacks while Tsuburaya didn’t face any major trauma as an adult.
• Dr. Who and [James Bond villain] Dr. No are both Asian geniuses who wear black gloves and tinker with radioactive substances. (Mushroom Clouds and Mushroom Men by Peter H. Brothers).
• Transmitter conversation takes cues from Yasujiro Ozu’s Tokyo Story. (ibid).
• This is Nakajima’s finest monster performance, in [Brothers’] opinion.
• Susan is the highest-ranking woman in a Honda film. (ibid).
• Honda denied there was a “love affair” between Kong and Susan; that it was just a friendship. However, he winked and added, “After all, if Kong and Susan really do fall in love, then I can make a sequel, right?”
• [Fillipo] says King Kong Escapes makes Kong a “Modern Male” and Susan a “Liberated Woman” who spends her time “cajoling, cooing, hectoring, chastising.” (“The Myth Goes Ever Downward” by Paul di Fillipo).
• By only having one native, it further removes Kong with the racial connections. (Fillipo).
• By making him a hypnotized slave, he becomes what he was meant to stand against (despite breaking free later). (Fillipo).
• John LeMay speaks very highly of the film in his book, The Big Book of Japanese Giant Monster Movies, Volume 1 and Kong Unmade.
• Stuart Galbraith says the head on this Kong suit is less Eighth Wonder and more Homer Simpson (Japanese Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films). He says the film is enjoyable so long as one remembers it’s based on a cartoon.

Toku Topic: Notes on Frankenstein Conquers the World

• Honda insisted that the American backers honor the Japanese system and give the director “the right of final decision.” But things didn’t always go smoothly. (Five of Honda’s nine remaining 1960s films would co-productions with Americans).
  • Adams wrote an article for the Los Angeles Times about his experiences working in Japan, saying Honda and Tsuburaya were the world’s greatest sci-fi directors.
  • Adams was Honda’s guinea pig, his first foray into having a foreign star speak English while the Japanese cast spoke Japanese. This often led to confusion, but thanks to Adams’ enthusiasm and interpreters, they pulled it off.
  • The authors say this is the first Japanese film to portray a relationship between a Japanese and a foreigner, a taboo subject scandalized in Japanese literature.
  • The film was touted as the first sci-fi movie co-produced by Japan and the US with “Hollywood star Nick Adams.”

Well, that covers everything. I’ll see you again on New Year’s Day.

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