Godzilla 50th Anniversary Plaque
Kaiju fix?
Maybe you were watching the “Mr. F” episode of Arrested Development or have been bitterly debating the merits of Pacific Rim with your neighbor and then inexplicably you desire to make a pilgrimage and pay your respects to the King of Monsters!
Well, you my friend, should visit Frank del Olmo Elementary School at 100 New Hampshire Avenue, Los Angeles. At the entrance to the school on one of the yellow pillars is a historical plaque, dedicated to our green friend. The plaque was unveiled on March 25th, 2006.
The following is a transcription of the plaque:
The following is a transcription of the plaque:
GODZILLA
KING OF THE MONSTERS!
On November 3, 1954 Toho Studios in Japan released a monster
movie that was an allegory of the atomic bombings and fire raids
visited upon the Japanese during the closing months of the
Second World War. Produced by Tomoyuki Tanaka, directed by
Ishiro Honda, with special effects supervised by Eiji Tsubaraya
and scored by Akira Ifukube, this grim, powerful, and moving film
— known as “Gojira” — was seen by over nine million moviegoers
and was one of the top ten money grossing films of that year.
Now considered a classic, the film also ushered in Toho’s Golden
age of Fantasy Films
The following year, “Gojira” screened at the Toho Theater in
Little Toyoko, where it attracted the attention of American film
distributor Edmund Goldman, who later paid $25,000 for the
theatrical and television rights to the film. To increase its appeal
for American audiences, Terry Morse was hired to direct new
footage to be inserted into the original Japanese film. The
footage starred Raymond Burr and was filmed over a 5
day period at the studios Visual Drama, Inc., located at 129
North Vermont Avenue. The completed film now called “Godzilla,
King of the Monsters!” was released on April 4, 1956 by Trans
World Pictures and introduced Japanese science-fiction films into
Popular Western culture.
As the Americanization of Godzilla took place at this location in
1956, this plaque commemorates the 50th anniversary of a
milestone in motion picture history. — PHB
Dedicated March 25, 2006 by
Eugene Hernandez, Principal Belmont Elementary School
The Godzilla Society of North America
Platrix Chapter no.2 of E Clampus Vitus.
Interested in more of Godzilla in Southern California then you should visit the 1998 Godzilla Film Locations.