Unmade Film
Intended Release: 1963

Frankenstein vs. the Human Vapour

フランケンシュタイン対ガス人間
[Furankenshutain tai Gasu Ningen]

Mizuno, the Vapor Man, returns after the explosion at the theater. This time he is searching for a scientist by the name of Gildor. As it turns out, the doctor has recently stolen the body of the Frankenstein monster from Baron Von Frankenstein's graveyard in Germany. The scientist intends to revive it, vindicating Frankenstein's work. This news reaches Mizuno, who visits Gildor's lab in hopes that the doctor might be able to resurrect his lost love, Fujichiyo Kasuga, who perished in the explosion at the theater house.

LOST PROJECT HISTORY

Since the early 1960's, Toho had wanted to make a film that incorporated the Frankenstein monster. One of their first efforts was a mixing of Mary Shelley's modern prometheus with the titular character from The Human Vapour (1960).

The story for the concept actually came from John Meredyth Lucas, whose credits include Disney's Zorro TV series and the original Star Trek series. At this point in his career, Lucas was working with Brenco Pictures on the American versions of The Last War (1961), Gorath (1962) and The Human Vapour (1960), all three of which would release in 1964 in the US. Toho liked the direction Lucas was taking their 1960 production, and pictured the Vapor Man facing off with the popular Frankenstein character. The company then signed on Ishiro Honda to direct and tapped Eiji Tsuburaya for the movie's special effects. To flesh out the concept, writing duties were given to Shinichi Sekizawa, who was coming off the successful King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962).

The first draft for the concept was completed on February 20th, 1963. This story treatment wasn't complete, though. Sekizawa admitted that he lacked inspiration to finish it and abandoned the idea. Writer Takeshi Kimura, though, leapt at the idea of doing a movie around the Frankenstein character, and began pitching his own concept. However, he planned to pit the creature not against the Vapor Man but rather Toho's most popular character for Frankenstein vs. Godzilla.

Aliens, SDF & Misc.

Background and Trivia

• The connection with John Meredyth Lucas is noted in Age of the Gods (self-published).
• The story treatment submitted by Shinichi Sekizawa was incomplete and, lacking inspiration to finish it, he abandoned the idea. This fact is noted in Japan's Favorite Mon-Star (ISBN: 1550223488).

Images

Concept Evolution