Rodan (1956)
Sora no daikaijû Radon (original title)Reference View | Change View
- Approved
- 1h 22min
- Action, Sci-Fi
- 06 Aug 1957 (USA)
- Movie
A mining engineer investigates the death of his fellow coworkers and discovers prehistoric nymphs emerging from the mines. As he heads deeper into the mines, he makes a more horrifying discovery in the form a prehistoric flying creature.
Director:
Writers:
Photos and Videos
Cast
| Kenji Sahara | ... |
Shigeru Kawamura, colliery engineer
(as Kenji Sawara)
|
|
 |
Yumi Shirakawa | ... |
Kiyo, Shigeru's lover
|
| Akihiko Hirata | ... |
Professor Kyuichiro Kashiwagi (biology)
|
|
|
|
Akio Kobori | ... |
Police Chief Nishimura
|
|
|
Yasuko Nakada | ... |
Female Honeymooner
|
|
|
Minosuke Yamada | ... |
Colliery Chief Osaki
|
| Yoshifumi Tajima | ... |
Izeki, reporter of Seibu Nippou
|
|
|
|
Kiyoharu Onaka | ... |
Male Honeymooner, Sunagawa's friend
(as Kiyoharu Ohnaka)
|
| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
|
|
Hiroshi Akitsu | ... |
Reporter
|
|
|
Ichirô Chiba | ... |
Chief of police station
|
|
|
Mike Danning | ... |
American Soldier Typing
(as Mike Daneen)
|
|
|
Kazuo Hinata |
|
|
|
|
Tsurue Ichimanji | ... |
Haru, Kiyo's neighbor
(as Tazue Ichimanji)
|
| Saburô Iketani | ... |
News Reader
|
|
|
|
Saburô Kadowaki | ... |
Sunagawa's colleague
|
|
|
Yoshio Katsube | ... |
Correspondent
|
|
|
Tateo Kawasaki | ... |
Tsunesan, miner
|
|
|
Kanta Kisaragi | ... |
Suteyan, miner
|
|
|
Eisaburo Komatsu | ... |
Air Self-Defense Force Member
|
|
|
Takuzô Kumagai | ... |
Policeman Tashiro
(as Jirô Kumagai)
|
|
|
Saeko Kuroiwa | ... |
Nurse
|
|
|
Akio Kusama | ... |
Suda
|
|
|
Tsuruko Mano | ... |
Osumi, Kiyo's neighbor
|
|
|
Mitsuo Matsumoto | ... |
Professor Isokawa
|
|
|
Hideo Mihara | ... |
Commander of JASDF
|
|
|
Kiyomi Mizunoya | ... |
Otami, Yoshizo's wife
|
|
|
Jun'ichirô Mukai | ... |
Military officer
|
|
|
Toshiko Nakano | ... |
Kiyo's neighbor
|
|
|
Rinsaku Ogata | ... |
Goro, miner, Kiyo's older brother
|
|
|
Seiji Onaka | ... |
Nakagawa
|
|
|
Keiji Sakakida | ... |
Tahei, miner
|
|
|
Haruya Sakamoto |
|
|
|
|
Kôichi Satô |
|
|
|
|
Yasuhiro Shigenobu | ... |
Sabu, miner
|
|
|
Junnosuke Suda | ... |
Coroner
|
|
|
Shigemi Sunagawa | ... |
F-86F pilot
|
|
|
Jirô Suzukawa | ... |
Yoshizo, miner
|
|
|
Masaaki Tachibana | ... |
Policeman
|
|
|
Bontarô Taira | ... |
Laborer
|
|
|
Kiyoshi Takagi | ... |
Dr.Minakami (colliery)
|
|
|
Kamayuki Tsubono | ... |
Policeman of the crime laboratory
|
|
|
Mitsuo Tsuda | ... |
Air Self Defense Force Staff Officer Takeuchi
|
|
|
Hideo Unagami | ... |
Miner
|
|
|
Akira Yamada | ... |
Radio operator on jeep
|
| Paul Frees | ... |
Police Chief Nishimura (uncredited) (voice)
|
|
| Art Gilmore | ... |
Narrator (uncredited) (voice)
|
|
| Shôichi Hirose | ... |
F-86F pilot (uncredited)
|
|
|
|
Ren Imaizumi | ... |
Engineer Sunagawa (seismologist) (uncredited)
|
|
|
Keiichirô Katsumoto | ... |
Employee of the coal mine (uncredited)
|
| Keye Luke | ... |
Shigeru (uncredited) (voice)
|
|
|
|
Fuyuki Murakami | ... |
Professor Minami (science) (uncredited)
|
| Haruo Nakajima | ... |
Radon (Kaiju) (uncredited)
|
|
|
|
Ichirô Nakatani | ... |
Senkichi, miner, killed by Meganuron (uncredited)
|
|
|
Yutaka Oka | ... |
Kitahara, F-86F pilot (uncredited)
|
|
|
Tadashi Okabe | ... |
Journalist (uncredited)
|
| George Takei | ... |
Professor Kashiwagi (uncredited) (voice)
|
|
| Katsumi Tezuka | ... |
Hotel manager (uncredited)
|
|
|
|
Yasuhisa Tsutsumi | ... |
Imamura, F-86F pilot (uncredited)
|
|
|
Kôji Uno | ... |
Reporter (uncredited)
|
| James Yagi | ... |
Voice (uncredited)
|
|
|
|
Ren Yamamoto | ... |
Soldier in Jeep (uncredited)
|
Directed by
| Ishirô Honda | ||
Written by
| David Duncan | ... | () |
| Takeshi Kimura | ... | () |
| Ken Kuronuma | ... | (story) |
| Takeo Murata | ... | () |
Produced by
| Frank King | ... | producer |
| Maurice King | ... | producer |
| Tomoyuki Tanaka | ... | producer |
Music by
| Akira Ifukube | ||
Cinematography by
| Isamu Ashida | ||
Editing by
| Robert S. Eisen | ... | supervising editor |
| Kôichi Iwashita | ||
Production Design by
| Tatsuo Kita | ||
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
| Jun Fukuda | ... | first assistant director |
Art Department
| Teizô Toshimitsu | ... | special effects suit designer |
Sound Department
| Masanobu Miyazaki | ... | sound recordist |
Special Effects by
| Kaimai Eizo | ... | special effects |
| Eiji Tsuburaya | ... | director of special effects |
| Akira Watanabe | ... | special effects art director |
Visual Effects by
| Sadao Iizuka | ... | visual effects |
| Hiroshi Mukoyama | ... | special effects opticals |
| Sadamasa Arikawa | ... | special effects assistant camera (uncredited) |
Stunts
| Haruo Nakajima | ... | wire stunts (uncredited) |
Music Department
| Paul Sawtell | ... | composer: additional music: English version |
| Bert Shefter | ... | composer: additional music: English version |
Production Companies
Distributors
- Toho (1956) (Japan) (theatrical)
- RKO Radio Pictures (1957) (United Kingdom) (theatrical)
- RKO Radio Pictures (1957) (United States) (theatrical) (as 'Rodan') (intended release)
- Distributors Corporation of America (DCA) (1957) (United States) (theatrical) (as 'Rodan') (dubbed)
- International Film Distributors (1957) (Canada) (theatrical) (as 'Rodan') (dubbed)
- RKO Radio Films A/S (1958) (Norway) (theatrical)
- RKO Radio Films (1958) (Italy) (theatrical)
- J. Arthur Rank Film (1958) (West Germany) (theatrical)
- Ardin Cinematografica (1958) (Italy) (theatrical)
- RKO Pictures (Australasia) (1959) (Australia) (theatrical) (as 'Rodan')
- Ústrední Pujcovna Filmu (1959) (Czechoslovakia) (theatrical)
- Centrala Wynajmu Filmów (1967) (Poland) (theatrical)
- Vestron Video (1983) (United States) (VHS) (as 'Rodan')
- Paramount Gateway Video (1992) (United States) (VHS)
- Wah Man Video (1994) (Taiwan) (VHS)
- Levné Knihy (2004) (Czechia) (theatrical)
- Classic Media (2008) (United States) (DVD) (as 'Rodan')
- Anderson Digital (2013) (United States) (video) (Digital)
- HBO Max (2020) (United States) (video) (VOD)
- The Criterion Channel (2022) (United States) (tv) (streaming)
- Paramount Home Entertainment (United States) (VHS) (as 'Rodan')
- Vestron Video (United States) (video) (as 'Rodan') (laserdisc)
Special Effects
Other Companies
Storyline
| Plot Summary |
In the Japanese mining village of Kitamatsu, miners ares starting to disappear deep inside shaft number 8. Some of the men sent to investigate are killed but one who has managed to escape brings back a tale of a giant insect. Soon, the giant prehistoric insects are attacking the village. Not long after, something traveling faster than the speed of sound is found flying in the sky. It is Rodan, a giant flying prehistoric reptile that has come to life. It spreads terror throughout Japan and is seemingly invincible to any weapon they may throw at it. Written by garykmcd |
| Plot Keywords | |
| Taglines | Most horrifying hell creature that ever menaced all mankind! See more » |
| Genres | |
| Parents Guide | View content advisory » |
| Certification |
Additional Details
| Also Known As |
|
| Runtime |
|
| Country | |
| Language | |
| Color | |
| Aspect Ratio |
|
| Sound Mix | |
| Filming Locations |
Did You Know?
| Trivia | The cable supporting Rodan over Sasebo Bridge snapped, causing suit actor Haruo Nakajima to fall 25 feet into the water. The incident is left in the movie as the scene where Rodan dives into the water near the bridge and submerges. The cables were reattached for the scene where Rodan lifts off out of the water, but they almost broke again because the suit became waterlogged and doubled in weight. See more » |
| Goofs | The opening title says "Rodan © COPYRIGHT MCMXXX1V TOHO CO. LTD." This 1956 film was not copyrighted in 1934. See more » |
| Movie Connections | Edited into Valley of the Dragons (1961). See more » |
| Crazy Credits | In the U.S. version, special effects director Eiji Tsuburaya's name is misspelled "Eiji Tsuburya." See more » |
| Quotes |
Professor Kyuichiro Kashiwagi (biology):
Judging from a piece of its eggshell that we discovered, this one, which we've named Rodan, has a wingspan of 270 feet and weights over 100 tons. See more » |