Making Smog

1.16.2023

The making of the Godzilla movies since the Heisei era have been well documented and can be found as special features on various disc formats. But this has not been so for the Showa. There are plenty of books with behind the scenes photography, commentary, interviews, release events and more. And there are great and interesting details about movie minutiae . But only scant and merger video documentation exists, at least available in the public domain. From time to time clips emerge and they are breathtaking in my estimation. There are short cut scenes that go back as far as Mothra vs Godzilla (1964). Then there is my 70s Godzilla vs Hedorah (1971).

And then several days ago, my friend and fellow Godzilla fan Jon pointed me to a new clip from the making of the Smog Monster. This clip is from the recent release of Godzilla vs Hedorah in 4K (Ultra HD). In these breathtaking scenes we get to see our favorite monster at work. The scene is when Godzilla first encounters the evolving Smog Monster who makes landfall for the first time in Tokyo. Godzilla, played by the late Haruo Nakajima, walks across the peer, while Hedorah takes a smoke on a nearby stack. The staff and crew prep the scene. And then we get a glimpse of the late great monster suit-actor Kenpachiro Satsuma smiling as he peeks outside from inside Hedorah. He will take over the duty of playing Godzilla in the Heisei series for Master Haruo Nakajima who will retire after Godzilla vs Gigan in 1972.

I have been starving to see such footage. This clip just whet my appetite for more. As more movies are released in 4K, I hope Toho continues to gift us these precious behind-the-scenes moments of cinematic history. Now it’s time to do a deep dive into my Godzilla movie disc collection for more hidden movie treasures.