Uchu daikaijû Dogora (1964)

Country of Origin: Japan
Year of Production: 1964
Running Times: 83 mins
Format: Eastmancolor     35mm     Tohoscope
Ratio: 2.35:1
Sound: mono

CREDITS

PRODUCTION
Production Company: Toho Company Ltd
Executive Producer: Tomoyuki Tanaka
US Version Executive Producers: James H. Nicholson, Samuel Z. Arkoff
Producer: Yasuyoshi Tajitsu

SCRIPT
Script: Shinichi Sekizawa
Story: Space Mons by Jojiro Okami

DIRECTION
Director: Ishirô Honda
Chief Assistant Director: Ken Sano

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Hajime Koizumi
Lighting: Shoshichi Kojima
Lab: Tokyo Laboratory Ltd

EDITING AND POST-PRODUCTION
Editor: Ryohei Fuji
US Version Post-Production Supervisor: Salvatore Billitteri

MUSIC
Music: Akira Ifukube

SOUND
Sound Recordist: Fumio Yanoguchi
Sound Re-Recording: Titra Sound Studios
Sound Effects: Hisashi Shimonaga

SPECIAL EFFECTS
Directors of Special Effects: Eiji Tsuburaya, Teisho Arikawa
Assistant Director of Special Effects: Fumio Nakadai
Art Director of Special Effects: Kuichiro Kishida

VISUAL EFFECTS
Optical Photography: Yoshiyuki Tokumasa, Sadao Iizuda, Teruyoshi Nakano
Special Effects Cameramen: Akira Watanabe, Sokei Tomioka
Special Effects Lighting: Yukio Manoda
Matte Process: Hiroshi Mukoyama

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Production Designer: Takeo Kita

CAST
Yosuke Natsuki (Inspector Kommei)
Yôko Fujiyama (Masayo)
Hiroshi Koizumi (Kirino)
Nobuo Nakamura (Dr Munakata)
Dan Yuma (real name: Robert Dunham) (Mark Jackson)
Akiko Wakabayashi (gangster's moll)
Jun Tazaki (Chief Inspector)
Susumu Fujita (General Iwasa)
Seizaburô Kawazu (gangster boss)
Eisei Amamoto (Eiji)
Haruya Kato (Sabu)
Yoshifumi Tajima, Nadao Kirino, Akira Wakamatsu (gangsters)
Hironobu Wakamoto (Nitta)
Yasuhisa Tsutsumi (military official)
Shoichi Hirose (diamond truck driver)
Ichirô Chiba (diamond truck passenger)
Wataru Omae (scientist at satellite station)
Koji Uno (nosey reporter)
Tadashi Okabe (police officer)
Yutaka Nakayama (floating drunkard)
Keiko Sawai (scientist at laboratory)
Yutaka Oka (escort)
Chotaro Togin (bystander)

PLOT SUMMARY

When a satellite is destroyed, it seems that the culprits are a a group of thieves after the diamonds that are used in the satellite's mechanisms. But scientists discover a giant jellyfish-like creature that feeds on carbon-based matter, consuming coal and diamonds to survive. The creature is on the rampage and the whole of life on Earth is soon threatened.

AVAILABILITY

Germany
Theatrical Distributors: Pranke Film-Verleih

Japan
Video Distributors: Toei Video

USA
Theatrical Distributors: AIP
Video Distributors: Video Search of Miami; Something Weird Video; Video Yesteryear

CENSORSHIP HISTORY

West Germany
Rating: 12

TIMELINE

1964
August
11: Japan – theatrical release

ALTERNATIVE TITLES

Dagora, the Space Monster - US title
Dogora il mostro della grande palude - Italian title
Space Monster Dogora
X 3000 - Fantome gegen Gangster - West German title

LINKS

FOOTAGE INCLUDED IN
Gojira Fuantajî ~SF Kôkyô Fuantajî~ (1984)

REFERENCES

MAGAZINES

Variety 4 August 1965 (USA)
credits, review

BOOKS

Creature Features Strikes Again by John Stanley p.91
credits, review

Imagen y cienca-ficcion by Luis Gasca (San Sebastian, Spain: Gráficas Izarra, Peña y Goñi (1966))
review

Reference Guide to Fantastic Films by Walt Lee p.85
credits

KEYWORDS

criminals, diamonds, gangsters, giant monsters, monsters, yakuza

Last Updated: 1 January, 2009