The first Godzilla movie

A couple mornings ago the Turner Movie Channel ran the very first Godzilla movie. In 1954 the new Japanese movie Godzilla was one of the highest grossing movies of the year. This is the beginning of my love of Godzilla movies.  Actually all the Japanese monster movies.

As I watched I found new things about the big lizard. I didn’t know the big guy wasn’t always a fire breather. I know! Who knew!

In the beginning Godzilla breathed acid that caused fires.  It was later that the firery breath appeared.  This movie was also released in the US in two different forms.  The first was the standard foreign film version.  Dialogue lag and subtitles.  Later with Raymond Burr as a radio reporter.  He gave a blow by blow type discription of the desemation of Tokyo. 

This additional footage was encorporated to make the movie more acceptable for American audiences.  I had forgotten this had been added.

Another thing I had forgotten was the huge gap in the quality of special effects.  The guy in a Godzilla suit stomping all over miniatures of small town Japan. The electric trains that ran through the sets. The two foot electrical towers. That are strung with low voltage wires. Low voltage or not the sparks that flew when Godzilla knocked them down were cool.

Love me some Godzilla but I am wondering if they will ever run the Mathra and Rodan movies? Hint! Hint!