Sunday, May 11, 2008
5/11: Today in G-History
1902: DICK CURTIS, who played a member of the ship's crew in the original "King Kong", is born Richard Dye in Newport, Ken.
1973: Episode 32 of "Warrior of Love Rainbowman", "The Android Bagora", debuts on Japanese TV.
1974: Episode 13 of "Kamen Rider X", "Government of Darkness Radmus’s Major Prophecy", debuts on Japanese TV.
Episode 6 of "Electroid Zaborger", "A Steel Frame Building Disappeared!", debuts on Japanese TV.
1975: Episode 45 of "Electroid Zaborger", "Duel in a Ghost Town", debuts on Japanese TV.
1981: JAMES DIME, who played a member of the ship's crew in the original "King Kong", dies in Woodland Hills, Calif.
1987: Episode 8 of "Super Manchine: Metalder", "A Farewell to Barlock", debuts on Japanese TV.
2001: Filming begins on "Godzilla, Mothra, King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack".
2005: "Lorelei: The Witch of the Pacific Ocean" premieres in France at the Cannes Film Festival.
2006: "Shinobi" is released in Thailand.
BYRON MORROW, who played a general in the U.S. version of "The Mysterians" and a newscaster in the U.S. version of "King Kong vs. Godzilla", dies of natural causes in Woodland Hills, Calif.
2007: "One Missed Call: Final" is released in Turkey.
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Saturday, May 10, 2008
5/10: Today in G-History
1888: MAX STEINER, composer for the original "King Kong" and "Son of Kong", and composed stock music used in "The Giant Claw","20 Million Miles to Earth", and the 2005 "Kong" remake, is born in Vienna. A protege of Gustav Mahler and Johannes Brahms, he also wrote the scores for "Rio Rita", "The Informer", "Tovarich", "Gone With the Wind", "Now, Voyager", "Since You Went Away", "Life With Father", "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre", "So This Is Paris", "The FBI Story", and "A Summer Place".
1902: DAVID O. SELZNICK, who co-produced "King Kong", is born in Pittsburgh. He also produced "Gone With the Wind" and other classics.
1953: KAORI SEKI, who was in Episode 14 of "Silver Mask", and played an alien in Episode 7 of "Ultraman Ace" and Kazuko in Episode 7 of "Iron King", is born.
1962: "Mothra" is released in the U.S.
1965: JOHN COUNTRYMAN, digital sound transferer on "Lorelei: The Witch of the Pacific Ocean", is born in Rockford, Ill.
1971: MASAHIRO KOBAYASHI, who played Mitsuaki Takeda in "Godzilla, Mothra, King Ghidorah -- Giant Monsters All-Out Attack", is born in Hokkaido. He also appeared on TV in "Marching of the Saints", "Age of Blue", and "GTO".
CLAIRE JANE VRANIAN, special makeup effects coordinator on the U.S. version of "Pulse", is born in West Sussex, England.
1973: Episode 6 of "Robot Detective", "Terror of the Execution Machine!!" debuts on Japanese TV.
1975: Episode 6 of "Secret Task Force Goranger" debuts on Japanese TV.
Episode 6 of "Kamen Rider Stronger" debuts on Japanese TV.
1985: ODETTE YUSTMAN, who played Beth McIntyre in "Cloverfield", is born in California.
1986: Episode 11 of "Super Nova Flashman", "Blu-Beastwarrior's Mother", debuts on Japanese TV.
1995: HAJIME SATO, who directed "Terror Beneath the Sea" and "Goke, Bodysnatcher from Hell", dies.
2000: CRAIG STEVENS, who played Col Joe Parkman in "The Deadly Mantis", dies of cancer in Los Angeles.
2005: “Varan the Unbelievable” is released on DVD in the U.S.
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Friday, May 09, 2008
5/9: Today in G-History
1962: EDWIN DUNKLEY, who did video services on "The Ring" and "Lorelei: The Witch of the Pacific Ocean", is born in San Francisco.
1972: MEGUMI ODAKA, who played psychic Miki Saegusa in "Godzilla vs. Biollante", "Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah", "Godzilla vs. Mothra: Battle for the Earth", "Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II", "Godzilla vs. Space Godzilla", and "Godzilla vs. Destoroyah", is born in Kanagawa, Japan. She was also Akeno in "Princess From the Moon" and was on the TV series "Radiant Asuka Class" and "Youth Family".
1980: Episode 32 of "Sky Rider" debuts on Japanese TV.
1981: Episode 27 of "Kamen Rider Super-1" debuts on Japanese TV.
JUN USAMI, who played Dr. Yamaguchi in "The Vampire Doll", dies of a brain hemorrhage.
1983: RYUHEI MATSUDA, who played an NSA client in "Cutie Honey", is born in Tokyo. He was also in "Izo".
1985: SETSUKO WAKAYAMA, who played Hidemi Yamaji in "Godzilla Raids Again", dies. She was born in 1930.
1992: "Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah" is screened at the Cannes Film Festival.
2000: ARTHUR DAVIS, producer of the U.S. version of "The Final War", dies.
2002: SHOGO SHIOTANI, who played ZAC Officer Akira Hojyo/Mars on "Cybercop" and a fugitive alien on "Ultraman Tiga", commites suicide by shooting himself in the head.
2004: LEN WISEMAN, who did props on "Godzilla", marries Kate Beckinsdale.
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Thursday, May 08, 2008
5/8: Today in G-History
1907: JIMMY CROSS, who played the sergeant at the reception desk in "The Amazing Colossal Man", is born in New York City. He is best remembered as elevator man Mr. Jesse Flouge on the TV series "How to Marry a Millionaire".
1936: KAZUO KOIKE, creator of the "Electroid Zaborger" and "The Princess Blade" manga, is born in Akita, Japan. He also created the "Lone Wolf and Cub" series.
1966: Episode 19 of "Ultra Q", "Challenge From the Year 2020", debuts on Japanese TV.
1967: Episode 45 of "The Space Giants", "Mysterious Sea Creature Umibozu Appears in Nikko" a.k.a. "The Fantastic Gonda", debuts on Japanese TV.
1971: Episode 6 of "Kamen Rider", "Death Chameleon", debuts on Japanese TV.
1972: "King Kong Escapes" is released in Sweden.
1974: AYANE MIURA, who played Sadako Yamamura in "Ringu: Kanzen-ban", is born in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan.
1976: Episode 50 of "Secret Task Force Goranger", "Secret of the Blue Wings! Varidoreen in Danger", debuts on Japanese TV.
1987: "King Kong Lives" is released in Sweden.
1988: Episode 30 of "Kamen Rider Black", "Saying Aloha to an Assassin", debuts on Japanese TV.
1993: Episode 6 of "Electronic Superhuman Gridman", "Melody of Terror", debuts on Japanese TV.
1994: STEVEN KEATS, who played Chuck Wade in "The Last Dinosaur", dies of an apparent suicide in New York City.
MURRAY SPIVAK, who did sound effects for the original "King Kong" and "Son of Kong", dies in California.
1995: JASON DAVID FRANK, who played Tommy Oliver on the "Power Rangers" series, marries his first wife, Shawna.
1999: Episode 118 of "Godzilla: The Series", "An Early Frost", premieres on Fox.
JOHN DUINO, system administrator on "Godzilla", marries Amy Smith.
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Wednesday, May 07, 2008
5/7: Today in G-History
1888: SELMER JACKSON, who played a judge in "Mighty Joe Young", is born in Lake Mills, Iowa.
1911: ISHIRO HONDA, who directed "Godzilla, King of the Monsters" (and provided the hand that threw the power switch), is born in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan. He followed his landmark film with "Half-Human: The Story of the Abominable Snowman", "Rodan", "The Mysterians", "The H-Man", "Varan the Unbelievable", "Battle in Outer Space", "The Human Vapor", "Mothra", "Gorath", "King Kong vs. Godzilla", "Atragon", "Attack of the Mushroom People", "Godzilla vs. the Thing", "Dagora the Space Monster", "Ghidrah -- the Three-Headed Monster", "Frankenstein Conquers the World", "Godzilla vs. Monster Zero", "War of the Gargantuas", "King Kong Escapes", "Destroy All Monsters", "Latitude Zero", "Godzilla’s Revenge", "Yog -- Monster from Space", episodes of "Return of Ultraman", "Mirrorman", "Fireman", "Zone Fighter", and "Terror of Mechagodzilla", sometimes doing writing and effects duties on these films. A longtime friend of Akira Kurosawa, he was an assistant director on "Stray Dog", "Kagemusha", "Ran", "Akira Kurosawa's Dreams", "Rhapsody in August", and "Madadayo", and his own non-sci-fi films include the documentaries "The Story of a Collaborative Union" and "The Legend of Ise-Shima", "The Blue Pearl", "The Man Who Came to Port", "Eagle of the Pacific", and "Farewell, Rabaul".
1933: NOBUO TSUKAMOTO, who played Captain Katsuichiro Kato on "Return of Ultraman", and Jiro Tanihara on "Sky Rider", "Kamen Rider Super-1", and "Kamen Rider Super-1: The Movie", is born.
1947: TAKESHI SASAKI, who played Ichimonji Hayato a.k.a. Kamen Rider 2 on "Kamen Rider", "Kamen Rider vs. Shocker", "Kamen Rider V3", "Kamen Rider V3 vs. Destron", "Kamen Rider X", "Kamen Rider Stronger", "5 Kamen Riders vs. King Dark", "Kamen Rider: All Back Again! 7 Riders", "Sky Rider", and "8 Kamen Riders vs. Galaxy King", is born in Shibata, Niigata, Japan. He also played Ground-Zel on "Space Ironmen Kyodyne".
1950: STEVE CLEMENTE, who played the native Witch King in "King Kong" and "Son of Kong", dies of a cerebral hemorrhage in Los Angeles.
1965: TAKAYA KAMIKAWA, who was in “Gamera 3: Revenge of Irys” and "Lorelei: The Witch of the Pacific Ocean", is born.
1972: Episode 6 of "Superhuman Barom-1" debuts on Japanese TV.
1973: Episode 6 of "Zone Fighter", "King Ghidorah Strikes Back!", debuts on Japanese TV.
1974: Episode 5 of "Inazuman Flash" debuts on Japanese TV.
KEI MIZUTANI, who played Shelinda on "Star Beast Task Force Gingaman" and "Star Beast Task Force Gingaman vs. Megaranger", is born Saori Fukuda in Aomori Prefecture, Japan. She also played Saki on “Icarus Task Force Jetman”.
1977: MEL BERNS, makeup supervisor on the original "King Kong", "Son of Kong", and "Mighty Joe Young", dies in Hollywood, Calif.
Episode 6 of "JAKQ Blitzkrieg Squad", "Nine Pokers!! The Beautiful Woman's Trap", debuts on Japanese TV.
1979: "Megaroman, Hono o-no Senshi" ("Megaloman, Warrior of Fire"), premieres on Japanese TV with Episode 1, "The Fiery Superman Strikes!"
1980: "Gamera, Super Monster" is released in the U.S.
1985: "Variety" reports that "Godzilla 1985" grossed roughly $6.8 million in Japan.
1989: Episode 27 of "Kamen Rider Black RX", "Huge Counterattack! The Prince of Shadows", debuts on Japanese TV.
1993: Episode 11 of "Five Star Task Force Dairanger", "A Magnet Gauss!", debuts on Japanese TV.
2000: Episode 15 of "Kamen Rider Kuuga", "Armor", debuts on Japanese TV.
2004: “Gojira”, the subtitled original movie, is released in the U.S. and is the top grossing film per theater that weekend.
2006: MACHIKO SOGA, who played Queen Hedrian on "Electronic Task Force Denziman" and "Solar Task Force Sunvulcan", Bandora on "Dinosaur Task Force Zyuranger", Queen Pandora on "Space Sheriff Spielban", and Magiel on "Magiranger", dies from pancreatic cancer in Tokyo.
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Tuesday, May 06, 2008
5/6: Today in G-History
1878: EDWARD CLARK, who played a member of the ship's crew in the original "King Kong" and the lighthouse keeper in "The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms", is born in Russia.
1904: RAYMOND BAILEY, who played Dr. Townsend in "Tarantula", is born in San Francisco. He is best remembered as banker Milburn Drysdale on "The Beverly Hillbillies".
1910: JUNE GITTELSON, who played a fat woman in the original "King Kong", is born in Los Angeles.
1961: SHIRO IZUMI, who played Yuuma Oozara a.k.a. Change Pegasus on "Blitzkrieg Task Force Changeman" and Burai a.k.a. Dragon Ranger on "Dinosaur Task Force Zyuranger", is born.
1964: "Variety" reports that the U.S. theatrical and TV rights to "Mothra vs. Godzilla" have been acquired by Henry G. Saperstein.
1967: ROBERT FLOYD, who played an Apache pilot in "Godzilla", is born.
1972: Episode 58 of "Kamen Rider", "Poison Demon Tokage -- Duel in the Valley of Fear", debuts on Japanese TV.
1987: JACK PALANCE, who played Travis in "Solar Crisis", marries Elaine Rogers.
1998: "Godzilla, King of the Monsters", "Godzilla vs. the Thing" (or "Godzilla vs. Mothra"), and "Terror of Mechagodzilla" are released on DVD in the U.S by Simitar.
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Monday, May 05, 2008
5/5: Today in G-History
1884: CY CLEGG, who played a sailor and did stunts in "Son of Kong", is born in Pennsylvania. He died in Pennsylvania in September, 1963.
1912: JOE GRAY, who played a longshoreman in "The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms", is born in Brooklyn, N.Y.
1926: NEIL "BING" RUSSELL, who played a deputy in "Tarantula" and a state trooper at the train and bus wrecks in "The Deadly Mantis", is born in Brattleboro, Ver. He is best remembered as the sheriff in "Bonanza" and Robert in "The Magnificent Seven", and was Kurt Russell's father.
1947: DAISUKE (NAOYA) BAN is born Kiyonori Saito in Kawaguchi City, Japan. He played Jiro a.k.a. "Kikaida", reprising the role in "Jumping Out: Android Kikaida", and "Kikaida 01"; Watari Goro a.k.a. "Inazuman", reprising the role in "Jumping Out, Inazuman" and "Inazuman Flash"; Daisuke Izumo a.k.a. Fire Ninja on "Ninja Captor", Makoto Jin a.k.a. Battle Cossack II on "Battle Fever J", Dr. Heihachiro Ikuma in "Ringu", "Ringu 2", and "Ringu 0"; and starred in the TV series "Special Investigation Frontline", and "Electronic Superhuman Gridman", and made special appearances on "Secret Task Force Goranger", "Vigilante Zubat", and "Super Animal Task Force Liveman", "Monster-Hunter Juspion", "High Speed Task Force Turboranger", and “Sukeban Deka”.
1951: EDDIE DUNN, who played the first bartender in "Mighty Joe Young", dies in Hollywood.
1954: DAVE SPECTOR, who played the phony producer in the U.S. version of "One Missed Call", is born in Chicago.
1955: NICHOLAS GUEST, the voice of Chad Gordon on the "Freeze" episode of "Godzilla: The Series", is born. He is the brother of Christopher Guest and the brother-in-law of Jamie Lee Curtis.
1968: ALBERT DEKKER, who starred in the U.S. release of "Gammera the Invincible", dies of asphyxia from accidentally hanging himself in Hollywood, Calif.
Episode 31 of "Ultra Seven", "A Flower Where a Devil Dwells" (a.k.a. "Blood Thirst"), debuts on Japanese TV.
ATSURO WATABE, who played Oikawa in “Zebraman”, is born in Tokyo.
1972: Episode 6 of "Transforming Ninja Arashi" debuts on Japanese TV.
1973: Episode 12 of "Kamen Rider V3", "Junko Becomes a Mutant's Bride?!", debuts on Japanese TV.
Episode 43, the final episode of "Kikaida", "Jiro's End or Dark's Destruction?!", debuts on Japanese TV.
1975: Episode 6 of "Condorman -- Symbol of Justice" debuts on Japanese TV.
1979: Episode 14 of "Battle Fever J", "Marriage of Beauty and Beast", debuts on Japanese TV.
YUKIKO OKAMOTO, who played Dr. Yagi in "Returner", is born in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.
1995: Episode 10 of "Superpower Task Force Ohranger", "The Visiting Thief", debuts on Japanese TV.
1998: "Godzilla: King of the Monsters" is released on DVD in the U.S.
2004: “Avalon” premieres in Mexico in Mexico City.
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