Interview: Eizo Kaimai

INTERVIEW

特殊美術家
Special Artist

開米栄三
Eizo Kaimai

■東宝作品への参加
Participation in Toho Productions

「ゴジラ」の時に、八木さんに呼ばれてね。それで、最初はアレ、内緒でね、円谷さんの研究所でやってたからね。

At the time of “Godzilla,” Mr. Yagi called me. So, at first, it was a secret, because I was doing it at Mr. Tsuburaya’s laboratory.

■NG版ゴジラ
NG (Not Allowed) Godzilla

重くて使えなかったから、上半 半身とに切って。下半身は有楽町のシーンなんか使って、海から出てくるところは上半身だけ使って。尻尾も使ったね。

I couldn’t use it [Godzilla suit] because it was too heavy, so I cut it into half. Use the Yurakucho scene for the lower half of the body, and use only the upper half of the body for the part that emerges from the sea. I also used the tail.

■ゴジラの目
Godzilla eyes

最初は、まあ俳優さんの体に合わせはしたんだけど、あまり良くなかったからね。それで2体目・は別々に作って。手や足を原型から抜いたのは「逆襲」頃からかな。で、あの頃のゴジラの目は木製なの。それにゴムつけて、左右から通して、人形劇の手踊り人形なんかと同じ手法。

At first, I tried to fit the actor’s body, but it wasn’t very good. So I made the second one separately. I think it was around the time of “Raids “Again that the hands and feet were removed from the prototype. And Godzilla’s eyes back then were made of wood. Attach rubber to it and pass it through from the left and right, the same method as a hand dance puppet in a puppet movie.

■「獣人雪男」の苦労
The hardships of the “Half Human”

山羊の毛を染めたんだからね、金茶で。だから俺の手、いつも真っ茶(笑)。

I dyed goat’s hair, so it’s golden brown. That’s why my hands are always brown (laughs).

PROFILE

現 • 開米プロ代表。東宝作品への参加は, 昭和39年頃まで。『ギドラのウロコは、型屋さんに抜いてもらった型をゴムの板に当てて, 打ち抜きで作ったよ。』

Current • Kaimei professional representative. Participation in Toho works until around 1964. “Ghidorah’s scales were made by stamping a rubber plate with a mold that was cut by a mold maker.”

Source: ゴジラ大全集 (テレビマガジン特別編集, p 134)