Comprehensive Guide to Toho's English Versions

[therealmccoy]

Additionally, back in 1986 some stations were airing "Terror of Mechagodzilla" in it's theatrical edit, but coupled with the prologue and main titles created for it's television airings.

Was that prologue in every version of that movie? I know it wasn't in the original, but it seems to me that I remember watching it when I was a kid and it was missing that piece.

[Tamura]

Goji, if you listen to mono sound with headphones, there shouldn't be any speaker distinction.

[Goji]

Gotcha. I randomly can't remember if my CRT TV has an earphone jack, though I think it does. I will try to watch it later tonight and report back.

Additionally, back in 1986 some stations were airing "Terror of Mechagodzilla" in it's theatrical edit, but coupled with the prologue and main titles created for it's television airings.

Was that prologue in every version of that movie? I know it wasn't in the original, but it seems to me that I remember watching it when I was a kid and it was missing that piece.

The edited-down, Bob Cohn cut of the film replaced the nearly uncut TV version sometime in the 80's, but apparently still had the prologue attached (probably to add to the running time). I'm not sure when they stopped doing this, but when the film aired on TNT's "MonsterVision" in '94, the prologue was nowhere to be seen.

[Tamura]

I have a bootleg compilation that includes the TV prologue in ass quality (looks like third or fourth generation VHS), and then it switches to the clearer-looking 80's video master after the shot of MG's remains falling into the sea fades out.

[Goji]

Does it still have the narrator audio during the transition?

[Tamura]

Okay, I just checked and the transition actually occurs between the first shot of Katsura and the closeup of her. It's rather abrupt. All of the narration is retained.

[Goji]

Should we assume that VAMPIRE DOLL is unreleased? It wouldn't surprised me if it exists on some obscure PAL tape, but until that pops up, it seems to have suffered the same fate as the export version of KING KONG ESCAPES.

[Tamura]

It's hard to tell whether some of these have been released or not, on tape/in theaters/on TV, so unless I know something hasn't been released (like G2K's original dub), I am going to assume it exists somewhere.

Added a few more mentions (UK tapes of HEDORAH, TOMG and ROG, a Finnish ROG tape, a Thai tape of YAMATO TAKERU and a Dutch BYE-BYE JUPITER tape, all international versions).

[Ethan]

Very cool! Have you considered doing scene-by-scene comparisons in a future, to replace IMDB's rather vague information? If so they could be linked to this thread.

From what I've remember the International Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah there are 2 scenes where the music is different. First when Godzilla destroys the submarine (uses the classic "Horror of Godzilla" instead of the suspenseful music heard in the Japanese version), and the during his coming ashore (which is edited differently). Perhaps there are more differences, but those are the only I can tell as of now.

[Goji]

Thanks for your input, Ethan. That helps.

[Tamura]

Very cool! Have you considered doing scene-by-scene comparisons in a future, to replace IMDB's rather vague information? If so they could be linked to this thread.

I'm toying with the idea of creating a .pdf book of this guide, only far more fleshed out, serving the purpose of showcasing, in a very detailed fashion, the differences found in all known English versions of these films and said versions' various incarnations, to document their production with interviews with surviving dubbers, writers, actors, etc., to document their release history, and at the same time including stuff like complete dubbing cast lists (something really cool I've yet to see), English language posters and other ads, etc. But that would be more for diehards, and the guide in this thread is something meant to be more digestible for everyone.

I will also make note of the musical differences in GvsKG's international version. Thanks!

[Goji]

^ That sounds like a grand idea. I still want to identify all of the most infamous CCL (Hong Kong) dubbers up to the 80's. I know a few names, but I still don't know who is who for some of the voices. I only know of Ted Thomas, Rik Thomas, and one or two other guys, but other than Ted, I don't know which characters any of these people actually dubbed!

Who is the guy that dubs Shimizu in MECHAGODZILLA '74, Hayashida in RETURN OF GODZILLA, and the main character in BYE BYE JUPITER? Is that Rik Thomas? He's heard in a ton of Kung fu flicks from the 70's as well.

[Tamura]

From what little I've been able to gather, Rik owned and operated his own dubbing company, which means that any dub he's in probably isn't a CCL, which Ted owned (and still owns).

[Goji]

So maybe he worked for CCL in the 70's, and then started Omni in the 80's? Unless Omni wasn't the company that dubbed RETURN and BIOLLANTE, yet several of the most infamous CCL dubbers can be heard in those films. The plot thickens..

[Tamura]

So maybe he worked for CCL in the 70's, and then started Omni in the 80's?

That's possible. One of my sources states that he had his own company since at least 1987.

[Goji]

I see, so that could possibly be why we didn't hear him in BIOLLANTE.

[Tamura]

Goji has confirmed that WAR OF THE GARGANTUAS' international dub has CCL voices in it, including but not limited to the Kirishima and Shirigami voice actors from BIOLLANTE plus Gengo and his girlfriend's voices from GIGAN. The guide will be edited accordingly.

[Goji]

The Shirigami dubber appears to dub several characters, though his lines are always really brief. I have my suspicions he dubs Kenji Sahara's character as well, since it sounds a lot like him in one particular scene, but don't quote me on that.

Regrettably, the Toho logo is missing, as are "The End" titles, so I have no idea if this used Toho's International English logo or not.

[Tamura]

Added some info about PRINCESS FROM THE MOON's international dub.

[Ethan]

There is a shot in Godzilla 1985 which I can't seem to find in the Japanese version. This takes place during Godzilla's attack on the Russian freighter:
Could it be another case of the US version being based on a workprint?