King Kong Appears in Edo
Encyclopedia
is a kaiju
film released in Japan in 1938, but is now considered to be a lost film
.
character. In this film, King Kong attacks medieval Edo
(the former name of Tokyo
)
The production was one of Japan's first kaiju (giant monster) films, predating Godzilla
by 16 years. Fuminori Ohashi, who would later create the suit for Godzilla
in the original 1954 film, created the ape suit and special effects for this film.
He explained, "The first model making to be counted as 'special art direction' in Japanese cinema was a giant gorilla which I did for the movie King Kong Appears in Edo fifty years ago. It was also the first movie to feature certain kinds of special effects."
.
The film website Film Threat
named King Kong Appears in Edo as one of the "most intriguing lost movies of all time".
James Rolfe of the website Cinemassacre listed King Kong Appears in Edo and Wasei Kingu Kongu
as the top lost horror films, second being London After Midnight
.
Kaiju
is a Japanese word that means "strange beast," but often translated in English as "monster". Specifically, it is used to refer to a genre of tokusatsu entertainment....
film released in Japan in 1938, but is now considered to be a lost film
Lost film
A lost film is a feature film or short film that is no longer known to exist in studio archives, private collections or public archives such as the Library of Congress, where at least one copy of all American films are deposited and catalogued for copyright reasons...
.
Production
This film was produced by studio Zenshō Cinema without the permission of RKO Radio Pictures, which owned the rights to the King KongKing Kong
King Kong is a fictional character, a giant movie monster resembling a gorilla, that has appeared in several movies since 1933. These include the groundbreaking 1933 movie, the film remakes of 1976 and 2005, as well as various sequels of the first two films...
character. In this film, King Kong attacks medieval Edo
Edo
, also romanized as Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of the Japanese capital Tokyo, and was the seat of power for the Tokugawa shogunate which ruled Japan from 1603 to 1868...
(the former name of Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
)
The production was one of Japan's first kaiju (giant monster) films, predating Godzilla
Godzilla (1954 film)
is a 1954 Japanese science fiction film directed by Ishirō Honda and produced by Tomoyuki Tanaka. The film stars Akira Takarada, Momoko Kōchi, Akihiko Hirata and Takashi Shimura. The film tells the story of Godzilla, a giant monster mutated by nuclear radiation, who ravages Japan, bringing back the...
by 16 years. Fuminori Ohashi, who would later create the suit for Godzilla
Godzilla
is a daikaijū, a Japanese movie monster, first appearing in Ishirō Honda's 1954 film Godzilla. Since then, Godzilla has gone on to become a worldwide pop culture icon starring in 28 films produced by Toho Co., Ltd. The monster has appeared in numerous other media incarnations including video games,...
in the original 1954 film, created the ape suit and special effects for this film.
He explained, "The first model making to be counted as 'special art direction' in Japanese cinema was a giant gorilla which I did for the movie King Kong Appears in Edo fifty years ago. It was also the first movie to feature certain kinds of special effects."
Preservation status
The film was not shown outside of Japan and has not been seen since its theatrical run in 1938. It is believed the film either disappeared due to negligence or was destroyed during the bombings of Japan in World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
The film website Film Threat
Film Threat
Film Threat is a former print magazine and, now, webzine which focuses primarily on independent film, although it also reviews DVDs of mainstream films and Hollywood movies in theaters. It first appeared as a photocopied zine in 1985, created by Wayne State University students Chris Gore and André...
named King Kong Appears in Edo as one of the "most intriguing lost movies of all time".
James Rolfe of the website Cinemassacre listed King Kong Appears in Edo and Wasei Kingu Kongu
Wasei Kingu Kongu
was a 1933 Japanese black-and-white silent film directed by Torajiro Saito. The film is a now lost silent short based on King Kong and produced by Shochiku Studios . It has been suggested, without any strong evidence, that the film was lost as a result of US atomic bombing in 1945.- Cast :...
as the top lost horror films, second being London After Midnight
London After Midnight (film)
London After Midnight aka The Hypnotist is a silent mystery film with horror overtones produced and distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The film stars Lon Chaney, Marceline Day, Conrad Nagel, Henry B. Walthall, and Polly Moran and was directed by Tod Browning. It is also a lost film, quite...
.
External links
- King Kong, Japanese Movie Database entry (in Japanese). Babelfish translation