Giant Monster Gamera (1965)
Dikaiju Gamera / Gamera (1965)
Diredted By: Sandy Howard and Noriaki Yuasa
Written By: Nisan Takahashi and Richard Kraft
Starring:
Brian Donlevy as Gen Terry Arnold
Albert Dekker as The Secretary of Defense
Walter Arnold as American Ambassador
John Baragrey as Capt. Lovell
Gene Bua as Lt. Clark
Bob Carraway as Lt. Simpson
Diane Findlay as Sgt. Susan Embers
Eiji Funakoshi as Dr. Hidaka
Jun Hamamura as Dr. Murase
Bokuzen Hidori as Old Man
George Hirose as Japanese Ambassador
Harumi Kiritachi as Kyoke
Runtime: 80 Minutes Japan, 86 Minutes USA
Color: Black & White
Sound: Mono
Released: November 26, 1965
The Super-Monster even the H-Bomb cannot destroy!
A group of Soviet fighter planes carrying nuclear weapons is shot down of the North Pole. The
resulting crash detonates one of the bombs waking a giant prehistoric turtle, Gamera (Gammera),
from a million year old hibernation. The titanic turtle takes little time destroying a research ship
before taking off in search of the energy it needs to recharge itself.
Unlike Godzilla the destruction Gamera dishes out on Japan is not nature striking back at mankind,
but a simple quest for food. Also, like Godzilla, mankind's vast array of weapons have no effect on
the monster. A plan to sedate the creature long enough for tons of dynamite are placed around it
and detonated does nothing to curve the carnage.
In a move somewhat out of character the monster saves the life of young boy who was watching the
creature from a lighthouse the monster would destroy. Gamera would reach out it's gigantic hand
and catch the lad in mid fall and place him safely on the ground. From this point on Gamera would
be known as the protector of children.
The world's science community would come up with one final plan to save mankind. Gamera would
be lured to a remote island where a giant rocket was constructed to transport the creature far into
space where it could never return.
Success!
Gamera would take the bait and become trapped in the massive nose cone of the spaceship. Eart
was saved......well until the next film anyway.
History:
In the late 1950's and early 1960's Toho had the monopoly on Kaiju (Monster Films) made in Japan.
Another film maker Daiei was about to change that with the release of the film "Daikaiju Gamera" or
as we know it here in the US "Gamera the Invincible". Gamera would prove to be a sucess for Daiei
and spawn it's own series of films just like their rival Godzilla. In the world of kaiju though Gamera
would always play second string behind Toho's mighty monster. The stories and special effects
always seemed to be a step below the competition. Eventually Daiei would put their turtle on the
shelf while the Godzilla franchise would keep on making films.
In the mid 1990's that would all change. Daiei would decide to bring Gamra out of mothballs and
restart the series with new direction, new monsters, and state of the art scripts and effects. The
timing was perfect for Daiei. Toho had just decided to give the Godzilla series a break and focus on
other projects. The stage was set and the door wide open for a Gamera comeback. The first of the
new series "Gamera Guardian of the Universe" would draw great praise from critics and fans alike.
In most ways these new Gamera films would be better than the Godzilla films that Toho had been
making. Gamera was now on top. The series had new life and Gamera was again on the kaiju scene.
Plans have been played with for some time for the two kaiju kings to square off. Godzilla vs. Gamera
has been rumored to be a future project. Future because Toho has been busy working on films
leading up to Godzilla's big 5-0 in 2004. After that talks may once again begin between the two film
makers.
1. In a scene shot to poke fun at the rival film company Gamera destroys the "New Toho Theatre"
