Rodan (1956)

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Kenji Sahara

Shigeru Kawamura, colliery engineer
(as Kenji Sawara)

Yumi Shirakawa

Kiyo, Shigeru's lover

Akihiko Hirata

Professor Kyuichiro Kashiwagi (biology)

Akio Kobori

Police Chief Nishimura

Yasuko Nakada

Female Honeymooner

Minosuke Yamada

Colliery Chief Osaki

Yoshifumi Tajima

Izeki, reporter of Seibu Nippou

Kiyoharu Onaka

Male Honeymooner, Sunagawa's friend
(as Kiyoharu Ohnaka)

Hiroshi Akitsu

Reporter

Ichirô Chiba

Chief of police station

Mike Danning

American Soldier Typing
(as Mike Daneen)

Kazuo Hinata

Tsurue Ichimanji

Haru, Kiyo's neighbor
(as Tazue Ichimanji)

Saburô Iketani

News Reader

Saburô Kadowaki

Sunagawa's colleague

Yoshio Katsube

Correspondent

Tateo Kawasaki

Tsunesan, miner

Kanta Kisaragi

Suteyan, miner

OK, I know it's only a guy in a rubber suit, but I'm a sucker for those 1950's monster flic. Rodan rates as one of the favorites. Hindered by dated special effects, (you can tell the monsters are people in uniforms; the buildings are obviously miniature, cheaply built sets; the acting is, of course, awful) but it's still a fun watch. Good campy fun when you keep it in perspective. At the end, a tear even comes to the eye as the 2 Rodans share their fate together. It will always be part of my library. Try to get the original Japanese version if you can. Though expensive and not subtitled into English, it gives a story a whole different look.

Honus1
Sep 10, 2003
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Trivia
The cable supporting Rodan over Sasebo Bridge snapped, causing suit actor Haruo Nakajima 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 re-attached 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.

Quotes
Professor Kyuichiro Kashiwagi (biology): Judging from a piece of its eggshell that we discovered, this one, which we've named Rodan, has a wingspan of 270 feet and weights over 100 tons.

Crazy credits
In the U.S. version, special effects director Eiji Tsuburaya's name is misspelled "Eiji Tsuburya."

Alternate versions
In the original Japanese version, there is no dialogue prior to Rodan's attack on the two honeymooners. The American version later added dialogue in which the young woman was joking about her husband taking pictures of the volcano rather than her. Also, in the original version the scene plays a little longer with Rodan making a pass above the couple, with his shadow passing over them, before he swoops in to carry the couple off.