G-Mania, Day 3: King Kong Vs Godzilla

For Godzilla’s third outing, he’d make quite the splash: He’d show up for the first time in color, he’d have one of the largest box office draws of his long career, and he’d face the Eighth Wonder of the World hisself, King Kong!

Now, funnily enough, this obvious idea wasn’t how the film started out. In fact, it was conceived by Kong animator Willis O’Brien, who put forth the idea of King Kong facing off against a massive version of Frankenstein’s monster. Unable to find funding for the project, O’Brien was approached by Toho – or, rather, O’Brien’s producing partner, John Beck, was approached, and he proceeded to make a deal behind O’Brien’s back. Toho wanted to replace Frankenstein with Godzilla, not only to bring the Big G back in a big way, but also to help celebrate the studio’s thirtieth anniversary. This strange origin may at least in part explain some of the monsters’ eccentricities in the film, particularly Kong’s affinity for electricity (yeah, I know Godzilla replaced Adam, but pieces and parts were tossed about as the script was altered).

The plot centers on a pair of men seeking out an island in the south Pacific so as to retrieve some special fruits that produce a narcotic effect (non-habit-forming, no less!). This island is watched over by its inhabitants’ god, though, one King Kong. Meanwhile, Godzilla is freed from the icy confines he was left in last time thanks to a collision from a nuclear submarine (captained by one of the coolest customers around, lemme tell ya, he’s the kind of level-headed goon we need in charge of nuclear warheads). As Godzilla returns to his old Japanese stomping grounds, the idea is formed to bring Kong in to take on the Big G. The result is a battle well worth the wait, indeed.

Continuing in the footsteps of Godzilla Raids Again, this film takes on a light-ish tone, complete with comic relief guide amongst the island natives (I’ve heard plenty about Japanese blackface regarding this aspect of the film, but I can’t speak to the cultures involved) and a rather doofy look on Godzilla’s face – this time not on a puppet’s face, but on the suit itself, which is beginning to round into the form we will be accustomed to throughout the remainder of the Showa era. Also like its immediate predecessor, this film was heavily edited and re-dubbed in the States, but not to the point, as has long been rumored, that different endings showed up in the two countries’ cuts.  (And Kong’s battle with a giant octopus early on found a new audience when it was essentially remade in Kong: Skull Island.)

It’s more of a fun film than anything, and there’s nothing quite as satisfying as seeing two of your favorite giant monsters face off against each other, complete with a reenactment of Kong’s famous dinosaur-choking scene. It’s not an award-winner or a thought-provocateur, but it’s definitely an entertaining entry in the series.

The perfect accompaniment: a Godzilla roll and a King Kong roll, courtesy of Naomi Sushi!

Next up, things get slightly more serious as Godzilla faces off against another famous kaiju. Stay tuned, kids!