It's hard to believe that Godzilla is fifty six years old today. Back on November 3, 1954 theatrical audiences in Japan were introduced to the giant monster in Gojira, produced by Toho and directed by Inoshiro Honda. This film proved wildly successful at the box office and spawned a sequel that hit theaters only six months later. More than that, Gojira has stood the test of time quite well as does the movie's "star", Godzilla himself. The monster has appeared in follow up films in the 60's, 70's, 80's, 90's and even beyond 2000, his last appearance in the 50th anniversary film called Godzilla Final Wars(2004). Godzilla has appeared in scores of TV commercials, both in Japan and abroad and has a fan following that spans the globe. Godzilla and the first "Godzilla" film are one of the great passions I've enjoyed in life. It's one of the primary reasons I started my Monsterland Forums internet message board. I am also a dedicated collector of Godzilla merchandise as well.
Recently Legendary Pictures announced plans to make a Godzilla motion picture and every indication thus far is this movie will respect Toho's iconic monster. Here's hoping we continue to see Godzilla in films for another fifty years!
The trailer for the very first Godzilla film, Gojira:
