Synopsis:

This fan-edit combines the original Japanese version of the original 1954 Godzilla film and the American re-edit called "Godzilla, King of the Monsters!" It adds the additional footage of Raymond Burr's character Steve Martin and others created for the American version to the original Japanese cut, keeping both Steve and almost all of the scenes with the original cast, extending the run-time to over an hour and 40 minutes. This way, you get the best of both worlds, with the brilliance of the original Japanese masterpiece and the great acting and iconic lines of Raymond Burr that I (and I’m sure many others) have lots of nostalgia for. This is a great edit for people who like both the American and Japanese cuts for their own merits and don’t want to have to pick between the two when revisiting the original Godzilla, and is also a great way to introduce someone to the franchise if you’re not sure which version to show them.

Intentions:

I wanted to create a singular, definitive version of the original Godzilla that contained both of the things I love from the Japanese and American cuts of the film whenever I want to revisit the film. I have a lot of nostalgia for Raymond Burr's character Steve Martin from the American version and I think his performance was genuinely fantastic and added gravitas to the film. There were other things, too, like the new opening, closing narration, and some of it's editing choices. However, there's no denying that the original Japanese version is the better version. So I decided to add the best things from the American version to the original.

Change List:

JP = Original Japanese Version US = Godzilla, King of the Monsters! -(US) Opening titles and Steve Martin narrating as he awakes in the ruins of Tokyo and is brought to the emergency hospital where he meets Emiko Yamane. Steve Martin’s flashback begins on the plane to Japan. -(JP) Godzilla sinks the Eiko-Maru (with roar added from the US cut). -(JP) Ogata cancels his date with Emiko. -(US) Steve Martin is stopped by security at the airport. -(US) Steve Martin meets Iwanaga. -(JP & US) Iwanaga takes Steve to SDF Naval Office, where we intercut with the Japanese version of Ogata with the coast guard talking about the disappearance of the Eiko-Maru. -(JP) Godzilla sinks the Bingo-Maru. -(JP) Journalists report sinking, military official talks with families. -(US) Steve leaves a message for his editor at the newspaper office. -(JP) Survivors of Bingo-Maru are found by third ship. -(JP) Military reports that survivors were found. -(JP) Military learns that the third ship was also sunk. -(JP) Newspapers report that shipping is shut down. -(JP) Survivor of the third ship washes up on Odo Island. -(JP & US) Steve, military officials, and reporter Hagiwara land on Odo Island to interview locals. -(US) Steve and Iwanaga watch islander ceremony and learn the legend of Godzilla. -(JP & US) Steve and Iwanaga witness Godzilla attack and destroy the village amidst a storm. -(JP & US) Odo Islanders testify before the Diet (used the truncated US version which has Steve sum up the testimonials through narration); Professor Yamane proposes a scientific expedition (JP version with a shot of Steve added during Yamane’s speech). -(US) Steve leaves the press box, asks Yamane for permission to join the expedition. -(US) Expedition leaves for Odo Island. -(JP & US) Some of Emiko and Ogata’s conversation, intercut with Steve silently watching nearby with his narration describing the love triangle between Ogata, Emiko, and Serizawa. -(JP & US) Japanese version of the expedition surveying Odo Island with quick shots of Steve and Iwanaga in the crowd watching intercut. -(JP & US) Godzilla rises from behind the mountain, intercut with the shots of Steve and Iwanaga from the US cut. -(JP & US) Yamane’s report to the Diet, with a shot of Steve watching added. -(JP) Train scene with citizens reaction to Godzilla. -(JP) Ogata tells Emiko that Serizawa is what’s preventing him from marrying her, but Emiko assures him that she’s always thought of him as a brother rather than a lover. The scene where the newspaper reporter talks to them right after is cut though (you’ll see why later). -(US) Steve has phone conversations with his editor and Dr. Serizawa. -(JP & US) Steve narration added to the beginning of the Japanese cut of Emiko at Serizawa’s house (starting with after the reporter has left; the rest of the scene goes on like normal afterwards), intending to break her engagement with him, but Serizawa shows her the oxygen destroyer before she can. I was intending on keeping the whole reporter subplot in at first but it wouldn’t make sense as in his phone conversation with Steve, Serizawa says that Emiko was going to meet him that night for something important, and because the phone call between Serizawa and Steve is important (as it’s the only exchange the two, who are supposedly friends, have; their entire friendship also can’t be cut because it’s the very reason Steve stops at Japan), I’ve decided to have Emiko go to Serizawa’s house herself to tell him she will not marry him like the US cut, rather then going with the reporter. This means that the idea that Emiko is betrothed to Serizawa from the US version is present here, unlike the Japanese version where they aren't betrothed, Serizawa is just in love with her. -(JP) Emiko returns home but doesn’t tell Ogata what happened. -(JP) The Navy tries to kill Godzilla with depth charges. -(JP) Yamane, upset at reports that the Navy has killed Godzilla, sits alone in his office. -(US) A party boat spots Godzilla in Tokyo Bay. I used the US version because it had added Godzilla roar sound effects. -For both Godzilla’s first and second attacks I’ve added roar sound effects to shots when Godzilla has his mouth open but there’s no roar. -(JP & US) Godzilla’s first attack with shots of Steve from the US cut added. -(US) Montage of military mobilization and residents being evacuated with Steve’s narration. -(US) Iwanaga tells Steve the military’s plan. The US versions’ more logical explanation of the electric towers is used (with them already being there and being charged with extra voltage rather than the absolutely absurd explanation in the Japanese version where they are somehow able to build an entire row of electric towers in less than 24 hours; it’s still ridiculous that a bunch of electric towers normally surround Tokyo anyway, but at least less so). -(JP) Military officials call Yamane to a meeting, but he has no idea how to kill Godzilla. This was from earlier in the film but I decided to move it here because it is more relevant to the following scene, and thankfully there are no continuity errors as Yamane is wearing the same suit and tie, so it looks like this and the following scene happens on the same day. I think this scene is actually better placed here because it directly relates to Yamane’s frustrations about how the military wants to deal with Godzilla and his belief that Godzilla should be studied, which is further demonstrated in the next scene. -(JP) Ogata, intending to ask Yamane for permission to marry Emiko, gets himself thrown out of the house because he disagrees with Yamane about Godzilla. -(JP & US) Godzilla’s second attack on Tokyo, intercut with Steve reporting into his tape recorder during the attack; the US cut is used for Godzilla approaching the electric towers (which is a bit more suspenseful) and Godzilla destroying the building Steve is in. -Completely cut the scene where Godzilla is driven off by jets for a few reasons. First, it helps set in stone that the military cannot stop Godzilla. It’s kind of strange that they say that they need the oxygen destroyer when they seem to be able to drive Godzilla off with jets just fine. Are jets his kryptonite or something? Why do jets make him retreat when he had no problem with tanks? It also completely undermines the desperate need for the oxygen destroyer if they can just make him retreat with planes. Second, it keeps the ominous, chilling tone of the scene going. Why did the filmmakers think it would be a good idea to have it be dark and dour, then have a happy moment of levity, and then back to dark and depressing? It’s just a very weird, awkward tonal shift. Third, the effects in this scene are very wonky even compared to the rest of the movie (you can even see some flares bouncing off the backdrop). After destroying the bridge, Godzilla just dives back into the ocean, the chilling music still going, leaving the people of Japan without any hope. It keeps it dark. -(JP) Aftermath of Godzilla’s attack. -(JP & US) Emiko tells Ogata and Steve about the oxygen destroyer; the flashback of Emiko seeing the oxygen destroyer disintegrate fish and her entire conversation with Serizawa about it afterwards (except the line in which Serizawa acknowledges the reporter from earlier in the movie that was cut, which is also cut) is from the Japanese cut. -(JP) Ogata and Emiko convince Serizawa to use the oxygen destroyer against Godzilla. -(JP) Serizawa insists that he help Ogata use the oxygen destroyer. -(JP & US) The death of Godzilla, with all shots of Steve on the boat from the US version added. -(JP & US) Ending; the Japanese cut of Ogata and Emiko mourning Serizawa, but with Steve’s narration and the American end credits (so that way all people involved are credited). I honestly think Steve’s “Wake up and live again” speech is more powerful than Yamane’s heavy-handed, on-the-nose “If we keep nuclear testing, there’ll be another Godzilla”.

Additional Notes:

I used VideoPad Editor to accomplish the editing. Both versions of the film were ripped from the Criterion Blu-Ray. Since the American version's picture is lighter and in a different aspect ratio, I decreased the exposure of that footage and also increased the scale to match the Japanese version.

Other Sources:

Akira Ifukube's Godzilla 1954 Soundtrack.

Special Thanks: