KOTM56 had a Japanese release in 1957

[LSD Jellyfish]

This entire thread was originally me asking a question, but I did some digging and answered the question myself. Still, it’s super fascinating. Godzilla King of the Monsters 1956, the version with Raymond Burr had a Japanese theatrical release! Who knew!

Hey, I’m looking through the Eiji Tsuburaya museum’s Godzilla short film and they list an American film,”Monster King Godzilla”. I’m assuming that this is “Godzilla King of the Monsters”. What’s strange though, is that they list the year as 1957, not 1956.

I’m wondering, if this might mean that a Japanese dubbed over version, or cut of the Raymond Burr version may have been released in Japan in 1957. Has anyone heard of this before?

For anyone curious here’s the Japanese I’m referencing:

アメリカ公開版「怪獣王ゴジラ」(57年)のポスターに

Edit: I did some digging myself, wow!

https://www.google.com/amp/s/eiga.com/amp/movie/36481/

It was released on 5/29/57!
Subtitle is “Oveseas Edition”

[Great Hierophant]

It exists, but the available copy is in very rough shape, with missing frames and dropped audio. Here are some subtitle samples : https://photos.app.goo.gl/J3u3mRRvGe5nHEt26

Here are the credits : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POp647BlWac The opening title card can also be seen in the version broadcast by Comet.

Note that the image was severely cropped into the Tohoscope format. The original Japanese film and the new scenes in the US version were shot for 4:3.

I haven't watched this version in its entirety, but I did notice one difference between the dubbing dialogue between the official U.S. release and the Japanese release. When Dr. Yamane is sitting in the dark in his study and Emiko turns on the light, he says "Emiko, please turn out the light." In the Japanese release, he says "Emiko, please leave me alone." I wonder if the "Comet variant" of the U.S. release also has that "leave me alone" line.

[Terasawa]

I thought this was pretty common knowledge, that it's been at least reasonably well known in the Western fandom since Steve Ryfle published Japan's Favorite Mon-Star (1998). It's also described in the Wikipedia article.

Added in 5 minutes 49 seconds:

I haven't watched this version in its entirety, but I did notice one difference between the dubbing dialogue between the official U.S. release and the Japanese release. When Dr. Yamane is sitting in the dark in his study and Emiko turns on the light, he says "Emiko, please turn out the light." In the Japanese release, he says "Emiko, please leave me alone." I wonder if the "Comet variant" of the U.S. release also has that "leave me alone" line.

Good catch. I'll have to check that out the next time the film is on Comet, but I doubt it. The version Comet runs is the raw scan Criterion did back in 2011/2012: the 35mm interneg they got (from a private collector?) is the "GODZILLA" variant (an east coast release version? It's not clear.) and they reinserted the more familiar "King of the Monsters!" title from a 16mm element.

[Space Hunter M]

When Dr. Yamane is sitting in the dark in his study and Emiko turns on the light, he says "Emiko, please turn out the light." In the Japanese release, he says "Emiko, please leave me alone."

I think you're confusing this with the original Japanese line.

It's "leave me alone..." in all copies of KotM/Kaiju-O-Gojira, while in the Toho cut, Yamane asks Emiko to switch off the light:

[LSD Jellyfish]

I had no idea prior that this was a thing^
Still worth discussing as it’s historically important and significant.

[UltramanGoji]

Is this the only American version of a Toho film that has gotten a theatrical release in Japan?

[Terasawa]

Is this the only American version of a Toho film that has gotten a theatrical release in Japan?

G2K had a limited (one week?) release in Tokyo around the time GXM was released.

[Great Hierophant]

When Dr. Yamane is sitting in the dark in his study and Emiko turns on the light, he says "Emiko, please turn out the light." In the Japanese release, he says "Emiko, please leave me alone."

I think you're confusing this with the original Japanese line.

It's "leave me alone..." in all copies of KotM/Kaiju-O-Gojira, while in the Toho cut, Yamane asks Emiko to switch off the light:

Both the Classic Media 2006 and the Criterion 2011 GKOTM have Dr. Yamane say "Please, leave me alone." I have a distinct memory of when I watched the film recorded off the air from TBS's Super Scary Saturdays with Grandpa Al in the late 80s, he said "Please, turn out the light." I think I am experiencing a Butterfly Effect, I tracked down a recording of a Grandpa Al broadcast of GKTOM from 1988 and he does say "Please, turn out the light."

Interesting Title Card : https://photos.app.goo.gl/n6Tb2PDgN4MfGrKE9

[Space Hunter M]

I could be experiencing a Butterfly Effect, or I could have been watching a variant print that was making the rounds back then.

This is not in any copy of King of the Monsters. Believe me.

[Great Hierophant]

I edited my previous post, so now I believe that Dr. Yamane only ever said "Please, leave me alone" in GKOTM.