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Mothra (1961)

Passed   |    |  Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Thriller

Mothra (1961) Poster

A giant, ancient moth begins to attack Japan when coming to the rescue of its two, foot-tall worshippers who were taken by shipwreck survivors.

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  • Eiji Tsuburaya in Mothra (1961)
  • Emi Itô and Yumi Itô in Mothra (1961)
  • Mothra (1961)
  • Mothra (1961)
  • Eiji Tsuburaya in Mothra (1961)
  • Mothra (1961)

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Cast & Crew

Top Billed Cast

Director:

Ishirô Honda

Writers:

Shin'ichi Sekizawa (screenplay), Shin'ichirô Nakamura (novel), Takehiko Fukunaga (novel), Yoshie Hotta (novel)
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Awards

2 nominations.

Reviews & Commentary

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User Reviews
27 February 2001 | boris-26
An anti-monster movie. Lots of fun.
MOSURA (1961, released in the USA as MOTHRA) is like no other monster movie. It's colorful. Most of it's settings are bathed in storybook like colors, has a pleasent, happy ending where the monster lives!

A greedy showman/explorer Clark Nelson (Jerry Ito) finds twin fairies on an island off Japan. He displays them on the Tokyo stage, where they sing what sounds like a lullaby. It is actually a telepathic distress call to their god and protector, Mothra, a giant caterpillar. Mothra comes to Tokyo, searching for the girls and Nelson, destroying most of the city in it's path. The chase goes from Tokyo to Newkirk City (I guess this is suppose to be a little real life hamlet just south of Yonkers!) What I really love about MOTHRA is that it has many things most other monster movies don't. The hero is a comical, older, tubby reporter, a sort of Japanese Lou Costello. The monster is actually pretty. In the Japanese version, there is some wonderful slapstick and odd humor. THese elements make this film so unique. Director Inoshiro Honda was best friends with more famous and more respected Japanese director Akira Kurosawa. Kurosawa loved Honda's monster movies and according to rumor, yearned to make one himself.

Critic Reviews

Did You Know?

Trivia

This was the only debut film featuring one of Toho's "Big Four" monsters (Godzilla, Rodan, Mothra and King Ghidorah) that Akira Ifukube did not compose the music for.

Quotes

Shobijin, Shobijin: Mothra will soon be here.
Journalist Senichiro 'Sen-chan' Fukuda: Mothra?
Shobijin, Shobijin: Mothra, she'll rescue us, and return us to our island!

Goofs

When Mothra is destroying Newkirk City, the site of the action repeatedly returns to show various shots of destruction in front of the "Newkirk Motors" building.

Crazy Credits

The U.S. version, as released by Columbia Pictures, has an extensive cast listing. However, the names of Frankie Sakai, Hiroshi Koizumi and Kyoko Kagawa are missing. They are the top billed stars of the film.

Alternate Versions

The American version deleted the scene where Senchiro crosses himself after it is asked that everyone pray.

Soundtracks

Mosura no uta
(uncredited)
Music by Yûji Koseki
Lyrics by Tomoyuki Tanaka, Ishirô Honda and Shin'ichi Sekizawa (as Kôji Yuki)
Performed by Za Pînattsu

Storyline

Plot Summary

Genres

Fantasy | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Details

Release Date:

10 May 1962

Language

Japanese, English, Indonesian

Country of Origin

Japan

Filming Locations

Tokyo, Japan

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