Gamera vs. Barugon

Due to the commercial success of Gamera, the Giant Monster, the follow-up, Gamera vs. Barugon, had an expanded budget that effects director Noriaki Yuasa stated was ¥80 million.[3] Producer and studio head Masaichi Nagata promoted the film into an A-list production, assigning acclaimed director Shigeo Tanaka and acclaimed composer Chuji Kinoshita to the film.[5] Yuasa, director of the previous Gamera film, was demoted to special effects director for Gamera vs. Barugon, despite the previous film being a financial success.[6] Despite his demotion, Yuasa later stated the he had a father/son relationship with Tanaka.[7] Yuasa recalled that Daiei wanted to target the film to an adult audience, stating, "I thought that mixing melodrama and monsters was difficult to do."[8]

With the film being produced as an A-list production, Nagata chose Kojiro Hongo for the lead after wanting him to headline a film for some time, despite Hongo's uncertainty.[4] Hongo felt "stuck" with performing in the film and initially attempted to drop out by faking an illness, which caused production to delay for a month. Upon learning that the production manager and section manager were coming to see him, Hongo placed blood-stained tissues in the trash and pretended to have chills, which convinced the managers and agreed to wait for his recovery, to Hongo's dismay.[9] Hongo did not read the script after receiving it, believing that little acting was involved due to Yuasa telling him where the monsters would be placed. However, Hongo was unaware there were two directors: one for special effects and one for acting scenes. Years later, Hongo admitted to being grateful and proud to have been involved with the Gamera and Daimajin films.[10] A scene that featured Osamu Abe's character slipping on a banana peel was cut to remove the comedic tone of the scene.[11] Principal photography for the drama scenes directed by Tanaka began on February 20, 1966 and wrapped on April 5, 1966.[12]

Screenwriter Niisan Takahashi was told to write a "lavish spectacle" and to treat the monster elements seriously.[13] The film was originally developed as Gamera vs. the Ice Giants, which featured humanoid ice monsters bringing forth a new ice age on the world until Gamera returns to challenge them.[14] The story outline was written by Yunosaburo Saito.[15] This version began with volcanic eruptions and flying saucer sightings. The volcanic ash pollutes the atmosphere and ushers in a new ice age. Mankind learns that ice aliens are responsible for the eruptions. The aliens are described as hideous with their skeletons and organs transparent through their icy bodies. The aliens drop nuclear bombs into additional volcanoes to further terraform the planet and enslave humanity. Gamera is freed from the Z-Plan rocket and returns to Earth as a battle breaks between humans and the aliens.[16]

Takahashi was inspired by the Jötnar from Norse mythology and the snow giants from The Conquest of the Pole, however, the ice creatures were redeveloped into Barugon.[17] However, the ice giant idea was later redeveloped into Daimajin, dropping the ice element in favor of stone.[18] Barugon's name was contracted from "Baru" (an aboriginal word for "crocodile's ancestor") and "Gon", derived from the English word for "dragon".[19] The original screenplay had ideas and scene that were altered in the final film. The following are the noted differences. Barugon's back horns emitted different colors.[20] The re-cap from the film's opening was added during post-production for audiences who had not seen the previous film.[21] The script opened with Keisuke Hirata flying a Cessna with his instructor over Osaka, only to lose control due to radio interference. The scene then cuts to outer space where the Z-Plan rocket carrying Gamera nearly collides with a meteorite. Mission control manage to evade collision, however, the altered trajectory lures the rocket back to Earth and frees Gamera upon entering the Earth's atmosphere.[22]

Gamera's attack on Kurobe Dam intercut with Keisuke on the Cessna.[23] The establishing shot of women practicing koto was not in the script.[24] The dancing female natives were originally topless.[25] The quicksand scene was not featured in the script.[26] The script featured a discussion between Keisuke and Onodera regarding bringing Kawajiri's bones back to Japan, with Onodera insisting there was no time.[27] A scene from the script featured Onodera making his getaway at night by hijacking Dr. Matsushita's jeep.[28] The script had Gamera flying over Onodera's ship in Kobe Bay, triggering the opal to glow. In his haste to see Gamers, Onodera kicks over the infrared lamp towards his coat pocket holding the opal.[29] When Keisuke and Karen arrive in Japan, the dialogue remains the same as in the final film, but the script had Keisuke panicking and Karen unveil the diamond at this stage.[30] Onodera learns about the diamond through a radio report while still tied up, as his mistress was not part of the script.[31] In the original ending, in response to Keisuke saying he has nothing anymore, Karen asks if he has abandoned his dream of owning his own air service.[32]

Noriaki Yuasa directed the film's special effects.[34] Yonesaburo Tsukiji, the effects director of the previous film, did not return due to leaving Daiei to form his own company.[35] Yuasa began filming the effects on January 22, 1966, beginning with the Kurobe Dam attack scene.[36] Effects photography wrapped on April 3, 1966, with the Lake Iwa battle. Effects filming lasted 73 days.[37] Barugon's demise was originally intended to be filmed on the last day of production on April 2, 1966, however, the Barugon suit would not sink and delayed production for a full day. Suit creator Ryosaku Takayama (suit creator for the Ultraman series) removed the suit's head from the body, which allowed the prop to sink and complete production.[38] Equis Productions, led by Masao Yagi and his family, created the film's scorpion props and the monster suits based on Akira Inoue's production designs.[39] The Barugon suit was constructed by Takayama and detailed by the Yagi brothers.[40]

After returning to Tokyo, Takayama worked in Equis’ workshop to build full scale suits and miniatures of both monsters and a gimmick version of Barugon capable of spraying mist from its tongue.[41] Takayama was assisted by Keisu Murase from Equis.[42] Teruo Aragaki (suit performer for the Ultraman series) was sent to Daiei to perform in the Gamera suit.[43] While no documents have been released revealing the Barugon suit performer, Japanese fantasy expert August Ragone deduced that it may have been Umenosuke Izumi, due to Izumi being Aragaki’s second and assuming the Gamera role in later films.[44]

Effects engineer Hideo Arikawa supervised the operation of wire-operated props, miniatures, pyrotechnics, and the scorpion props.[45] Due to his father's acquaintance with Eiji Tsuburaya, Yuasa was able to pull resources from Tsuburaya Productions for the film's effects.[46] At times, Yuasa was forced to change set ups for effects shots when Tanaka would change his mind at the last minute.[47] Yuasa protested to the studio chief after discovering that some of his effects footage was being cut from the assembly, stating, "I'm the director of special effects! Don't change this cut!"[48] The shrieking sounds for the cave bats were originally produced for the rat creatures for the unproduced film Nezura.[49] Yuasa noted Barugon's birth scene as the scene he "liked best".[50] Additional wires were added to Barugon's head, as the motor inside made it heavy and difficult to lift with a single wire.[51] It took Yuasa and his effects crew all night to film the shots with Barugon passing over a building with people projected inside and the freezing of Osaka, an effect that was deemed expensive.[52] For scenes with Gamera breathing fire, Aragaki was not inside and the suit was held by wires. Propane and gasoline were used for the flames.[53] Wire operations were tasked to effects engineer Haruo Sekia, who found the job difficult due to 20 wires being used during the Iwa battle scene and the materials used to make the suits making them heavy when absorbing water.[54]

Gamera vs. Barugon was theatrically released in Japan on 17 April 1966,[1] on a double-bill with Daimajin.[56] The film underperformed at the Japanese box office[57] and was never released theatrically in the United States.[1] While attending screenings, Noriaki Yuasa noticed that children were becoming bored and restless during long scenes without monsters. Yuasa felt that the film lost its core audience and this inspired him to reveal the monsters earlier and consistently in later films.[2] In 1967, the film was acquired by American International Television and released directly to television in early 1968 as War of the Monsters. This broadcast was part of a syndication package of kaiju films acquired and released by AIP-TV, which included Majin, Monster of Terror, Monster from a Prehistoric Planet, and Godzilla vs. The Thing.[55] Gamera vs. Barugon was one of the few films featured twice on Mystery Science Theater 3000, the first time as part of the initial KTMA series (episode 4) and again in Season 3 (episode 4), where the hosts commented on the awkward dialogue and Gamera's lack of screen time.[58]

In a contemporary review, "Chie." of Variety reviewed the film in Tokyo, noting that the special effects in the film were not up to standards of Toho's Eiji Tsuburaya and that Gamera "did not have the winning appeal of the Toho stable 'Godzilla', 'Radon'[known in English dubs as Rodan], etc."[59] Christopher Stewardson from Our Culture awarded the film three stars out of five, praising the monster scenes and human drama, but criticized the pacing and military meetings, stating, "Gamera vs. Barugon presents an entertaining story with interesting themes. Some of its characters may be thinly constructed in their motives and morality, but that also allows the film to really embellish just how cruel and villainous they are. The monster sequences are mostly very engaging, and that the film’s human drama matches their quality is great."[60] James McCormick from Criterion Cast praised the film's miniatures, cinematography, and Kōji Fujiyama's portrayal of Onodera.[61] Kurt Dahlke from DVDTalk criticized the film's lack of monster battles but praised other elements, stating, "there are still plenty of sweet moments (including a giant tongue lashing) and stomped buildings, plus a generally serious tone, that marks this as a high-point in the Gamera franchise."[62]

In the late 1980s, the export English version by Axis International debuted on VHS in the United States via the Sandy Frank Film Syndication and Celebrity Home Video.[55] In 2003, a public domain, pan and scan version of the AIP-TV English dub was released on DVD by Alpha Video.[63] In July 2010, the Japanese version was released on DVD by Shout! Factory.[62] In April 2014, the Japanese version was released on Blu-ray by Mill Creek Entertainment, packaged with other Gamera titles.[64] In 2020, the Japanese version, the Axis English dub, and AIP-TV English version were included in the Gamera: Complete Collection Blu-ray box set released by Arrow Video, which included all 12 films in the franchise.[65]

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