Japan Release: 1965
Running Time: 90 minutes

Frankenstein vs. Baragon

フランケンシュタイン対地底怪獣（バラゴン）
[Furankenshutain Tai Chitei Kaiju (Baragon)]

During World War II, Germany delivers Frankenstein's immortal heart to Japan for study. However, the laboratory examining the heart is destroyed by the atom bomb on August 6, 1945. 15 years later, a vagrant boy is found roaming the streets, eating any animal he can catch. Two doctors, James Bowen and Sueko Togami, convince the child to join them at their clinic. Growing at a remarkable rate, story of the vagrant attracts the attention of Kawai, one of the men who transported the heart to Japan. Stopping at the clinic, Kawai relates the story of Frankenstein's heart. Noting that the lab that held the heart was in the area, they begin to theorize about a connection. Visiting Germany, the doctors return with advice on how to determine if the child is connected to Frankenstein. Unfortunately it involves severing a limb of the child to see if it grows back. With others opposed to the idea, one of the doctors, Yuzo Kawaji, decides to act alone. However, the vagrant, now giant, breaks free. He leaves behind a severed hand, though, that proves its Frankenstein. The creature's escape from the laboratory is unfortunately ill timed. As it turns out, another monster, Baragon, is on the loose. The subterranean monster begins covertly terrorizing the countryside, leading authorities to believe Frankenstein is the cause...

Live Action Science Fiction Kaiju

Titles

Frankenstein vs. Baragon

Frankenstein Conquers the World
US Distributor: AIP (1966) / Time: 87 Minutes

Frankenstein vs. the Subterranean Monster
[Literal translation]

Frankenstein: The Fright with the Monkey Face
[German]

Monsters

Aliens, SDF & Misc.

Staff

Cast

Posters

Toho Stock Footage

DVDs and Blu-rays

CD Soundtracks

Background and Trivia

• AIP submitted the film to the US copyright office on May 20th, 1982 with the registration number of V1908P198. The title used was its American one, Frankenstein Conquers the World. On September 2nd, 1993, Toho submitted the movie to the US copyright office as well, this time under the title Frankenstein vs. Baragon with the alternate title being Frankenstein tai Baragon. This claim had the registration of PA0000657701.
• This film was the third attempt by Toho to make a movie around Frankenstein's monster. The first two failed attempts were Frankenstein vs. Human Vapour and Frankenstein vs. Godzilla.
• The movie is often titled as フランケンシュタイン対地底怪獣 (Furankenshutain Tai Chitei Kaiju), which would translate as "Frankenstein vs. the Subterranean Monster". However, the poster has an interesting approach of imposing, in green text, Baragon's name on top of subterranean monster. While this means the title could translate into the longer フランケンシュタイン対地底怪獣バラゴン, adding Baragon's name at the end, it's not the official Japanese title. For example, Baragon's name is omitted on other material like lobby cards. That said, the longer name does appear on some merchandise related to the film. This includes a CD release from Toshiba of the soundtrack, where the title could be translated as Frankenstein vs. Subterranean Monster Baragon.
• Due to the small size of the monsters in contrast to those in the Godzilla series, the production allowed the special effects crew to create larger scale models. This included the construction of large scale cabins, ships and other props. Some of the props created included animals, such as a giant boar and a horse. The latter became slightly controversial due to, what some consider, the unconvincing nature of what ended up in the film. Koichi Takano, who did the puppet effects on King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962), asked special effects director Eiji Tsuburaya why he didn't use composite or rear screen techniques with a real horse, especially as there were real chickens seen earlier in the scene. According to Takano, Tsuburaya replied that "using a model horse was more fun!". This fact is revealed in the book Eiji Tsuburaya: Master of Monsters.
• The Fugitive star David Janssen was originally considered and thinking about the contract with Henry G. Saperstein and Toho, which launched a series of films that began with Frankenstein vs. Baragon. Eventually Janssen backed out and Nick Adams took the contract. This detail is cited in Age of the Gods (self-published).
• Composer Akira Ifukube scored the movie's main title with a solo bass flute that, at that point in time, was the only one of its kind in Japan. Noted in Age of the Gods (self-published).
• Henry G. Saperstein of United Productions of America stated that he provided 50% of the funding for Frankenstein vs. Baragon, Invasion of Astro-Monster (1965) and The War of the Gargantuas (1966). Mentioned in Japan's Favorite Mon-Star (ISBN: 1550223488).
• Actor Nick Adams wrote a piece for the Los Angeles Times on August 22nd, 1965. In it he praised director Ishiro Honda and special effects director Eiji Tsuburaya as "two geniuses [who] have earned the well deserved title of the world's greatest directors of science fiction films". He went on to praise producer Tomoyuki Tanaka as well, and noted that the movie had a budget of $5 million. The stated budget, however, was likely an exaggeration. Documented in Japan's Favorite Mon-Star (ISBN: 1550223488).
• According to Nick Adams' daughter, Allyson Lee Adams, her father and Kumi Mizuno had an affair while Adams was in Japan. She went on to note that: "My dad had a penchant for becoming infatuated with his leading ladies. It was a way for him to take on the role he was playing at the time. After [Frankenstein vs. Baragon] was shot, Saperstein threw a party in Tokyo and all the people from Toho were there, and we were invited. My dad was obviously infatuated with Kumi, to the point where the Americans there were embarrassed for my mother." Noted in Japan's Favorite Mon-Star (ISBN: 1550223488).
  

Concept Art

Cut Scenes

Frankenstein vs. the Giant Octopus

Battling with the monstrous reptile Baragon, Frankenstein found himself in a death struggle. The gargantuan human drove the creature to the ground, wrapping his thick tree trunk-like arms about Baragon's scaly neck. Frankenstein choked and twisted as the quadruped beast flailed wildly. Then, with one twist, it was over. Bones snapped and the beast grew limp. Roaring into the sky, Frankenstein lifted the dead corpse and cast it into a ravine. Heaving his arms upward, he proclaimed his victory to the world. The celebration was short lived, though, as the creature spotted a huge octopus advancing toward him. Moving over the rocky terrain, the Giant Octopus challenged the now weakened Frankenstein. The giant flung himself into his many limbed foe, a mistake that would cost him his life. Wrapping its suctioned tentacles about arms and legs, the undersea animal pulled the humanoid down. The gargantuan human fought back, managing to free himself and flip the oozing mass of the Giant Octopus over. Yet the battle was already won before it started. Grabbing Frankenstein once again, the octopus began to drag its enemy to the nearby water. Perched ontop of a cliff, the Giant Octopus fell, taking its entangled prey with it. Onlookers watched as Frankenstein rose above the waves several times, but the advantage was no longer his. Dragged underwater, the giant's screams were unheard, only slight trickles of surfacing bubbles marked its passing.

Background:
Henry G. Saperstein, an executive producer on the film, was so impressed by Toho's Giant Octopus in King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962) that he wanted the creature to return in his 1965 movie. The scene was written and filmed so that the Giant Octopus would appear on land and finish Frankenstein off after his battle with Baragon. However, the scene was rejected, in both the Japanese and US cuts, in favor of a less anti-climatic approach where the film closes with the defeat of Baragon. The Giant Octopus would return to the big screen, though, in the film's sequel: The War of the Gargantuas (1966).