Cough… cough…wow…the air quality is especially bad today.  If only something could be done…

That’s exactly what the producers were considering when they were looking for their next Godzilla project. Pollution was bad everywhere in Japan as various factories continued to spew their by-products into bodies of water and into the atmosphere. People were getting sick on a grand scale.

In the original Gojira (1954), Godzilla represented the dangers of atomic experimentation. Now, seventeen years later, Toho decided that Godzilla should tackle a new threat to humanity: world-wide pollution.

Godzilla vs. Hedorah was produced in 1971, and introduced a new menace: an alien which arrived on earth on a comet and fed on pollution, growing larger the more he ate. He could change shape, from a sea creature, to a land animal, to a flying stingray-looking thing. As a land animal, he could spew out acidic sludge and shoot a red laser from his eye, and as a flying creature, he could emit toxic exhaust.

The producers wanted a “darker” Godzilla movie in keeping with the dangers of pollution. Visuals were often graphic as victims of the “smog monster” were left sick, disfigured or dissolved.  Unlike before, dead bodies were often seen scattered about the landscape.

When Godzilla met Hedorah in the final battle, he seemed to have met his match. Blinded in one eye by the acidic sludge, it was only with the help of massive electrical discharge machines designed by the movie’s scientist that he was able to help dehydrate the monster and the world was saved. Or was it? …

Godzilla vs. The Smog Monster
Radio Spots!Read More »

The mayhem continues, courtesy of Granny…

After the success of Frankenstein Conquers the World, Toho began a sequel.  Hailed as one of the best kaiju movies, War of the Gargantuas (1966) sought to continue the Frankenstein storyline, developed to involve not one but two Frankensteins in combat with each other. The movie played on the good vs. evil theme, and was especially emotional since the brother giants were at odds with each other due to their opposing natures and thus drew sympathy from audiences despite their horrific appearance.

In the original Japanese movie, Sanda, the brown gargantua, was believed to be the Frankenstein from Frankenstein Conquers the World, although in flashbacks this young Frankenstein bore little resemblance to the feral boy found in the original movie. The green gargantua, Gaira, was believed to be Sanda’s cell offshoot. They were both referred to as “Frankenstein”  until given their names. When the movie was dubbed for American audiences, all references to Frankenstein were removed and the giants simply called gargantuas. The movie was well received by fans. The special effects are top notch and the miniatures well constructed. The final battle of the two gargantuas in Tokyo and around Tokyo Bay is especially awe inspiring.

The two radio spots featured here showcase the battle of these giants as well as the awesome spectacle of the twin feature, Invasion of Astro Monster (1965), released in America as Monster Zero (1970). Developed as a sequel to Ghidrah the Three-Headed Monster, Monster Zero depicts Godzilla and Rodan teaming up to fight King Ghidorah, known as Monster Zero, at the request of aliens from Planet X who seek Earth’s help to fight him off. As might be expected, the aliens turn out to be deceivers who want to take over the earth by mind controlling the three monsters. Their plot fails, they are defeated, and Godzilla and Rodan must team up to protect Earth from King Ghidorah.

The miniatures, the split-screen shots and the fight scenes are impressive. Altogether, this was a double feature not to be missed! So, sit back and listen as these two double-feature radio spots showcase all the action these movies brought to the big screen in 1970!

Do you have any radio spots you would like to share? Contact Granny (Gary Fox) at [email protected].

Incoming from Granny Creech…

Hmmm Hmmm…one scoop of this, one dash of that…one pinch of this…one smidgen of that…one shake of this….

Oh, hello. Your Old Granny is just making up a new batch of brew. A lot of ingredients go into my brew in order for it to taste just right…with that little extra kick at the end (hee hee). It’s sort of like this week’s special radio spot offering…a little of this, a little of that.

This week I offer a three-part series featuring a hodgepodge of radio spots from Toho’s monster collection reflecting a marketing trend that studios began adopting in later years.

I’ve been collecting radio spots for some time now, including the original vinyl records that the various-length radio spots were distributed on. At some point, studios began releasing records with only two spots, one for 30 seconds and one for 60 seconds, with fewer and fewer movies getting multiple, various-length spots.

…

Frankenstein Conquers the World
Radio Spots!Read More »

I was baking some wry bread ( yes, that’s correct, because it has some “unusual” ingredients in it) the other day when I heard a knock on my front door. I went to see who it was. It was Uncle Oscar, and he held a small record in his hand.

“Another delivery from The Radio Reaper,” he said. “Another entry for your giant monster series.”

Good heavens, I thought. What started out as a five-part series has now grown to seven parts with no end in sight. But, that’s OK, because the spots that have been coming in to me are some really great and rare ones – Rodan, for example. In my years of collecting, I have never seen that vinyl record offered for sale, and I have never heard any spots anywhere! So, it is indeed a treasure, and I thank The Radio Reaper for giving the spots to me to share with you all.

And now, Ghidrah! I had one spot, not the whole complement of five spots, so I feel equally blessed now with all of them. The Reaper is indeed generous!

Ghidrah, The Three-Headed Monster came out in 1965, another Toho production which featured Godzilla, Mothra, Rodan, and a new monster threat, one that came from outer space. Ghidorah, as he was called in the 1964 Japanese release, was a formidable opponent who would later appear in other films. Technically he was a challenge for the film crew’s wire specialists who had to deal with a large body, three heads, two tails, two wings and legs! Plus, there was Rodan on wires, too! The coordination of all the wire systems must have been very taxing! As usual, the film included many great fight scenes with great visual effects and intricate miniatures. Cartoon animation provided Ghidrah’s gravity beams that emanated from each of his three mouths.

Here, then, are all the 20, 30, and 60 seconds Ghidrah movie radio spots heard in late 1965 on U.S. airwaves. Enjoy!

Do you have any radio spots you would like to share? Contact Granny (Gary Fox) at [email protected].