Varan the Unbelievable

Infobox Film
name = Varan the Unbelievable


image_size =
caption = Theatrical poster for "Daikaijū Varan" (1958)
director = Ishirō Honda
Jerry A. Baerwitz (USA)
producer = Tomoyuki Tanaka
Jerry A. Baerwitz (USA)
writer = Ken Kuronuma (story)
Shinichi Sekizawa
Sid Harris (USA)
narrator =
starring = Kôzô Nomura
Ayumi Sonoda
Fumito Matsuo
Myron Healey (USA)
Tsuruko Kobayashi (USA)
music = Akira Ifukube
Albert Glasser (USA)
cinematography = Hajime Koizumi
Teisho Arikawa
Jacques R. Marquette (USA)
editing = Kazuji Taira
Rudolph Cusumano (USA)
Jack Ruggiero (USA)
distributor = Toho
Crown International Pictures (USA)
released = flagicon|Japan October 14, 1958
flagicon|USA December 7, 1962
runtime = 87 min.
70 min. (USA)
country = JPN
language = Japanese
English
budget =
gross =
preceded_by =
followed_by = "Destroy All Monsters"
website =
amg_id =
imdb_id = 0056648

"Varan the Unbelievable", released in Japan as nihongo|"Daikaijū Varan"|大怪獣バラン|Daikaijū Baran|lit. "Giant Monster Varan", is a 1958 daikaiju eiga (giant-monster movie) directed by Ishiro Honda (drama) and Eiji Tsuburaya (tokusatsu), and their last black-and-white monster film. The title character Varan is one of Toho Studios' least-famed creations. Although shown in Japanese-language theaters in the USA, the film saw general U.S. release in 1962 only after being heavily revised, in the manner of "Godzilla, King of the Monsters!", to have all principal scenes reshot with American actors. Indeed, the plot itself was generally revised, and the Japanese material consisted only of special effects, a few incidental shots, and the ending scene. A TV version was released on Toho's region 2 (with a few missing scenes).

The 2005 subtitled DVD release of "Daikaijū Baran" , the original Japanese version, was titled "Varan the Unbelievable" on the front cover leading to confusion as to which version of the film (Japanese or American) was presented on the disc.

ynopsis

Varan was supposed to be a demon god that lived in the upper reaches of the Kitagami River. The villagers that live near the river refer to Varan as "Baradagi-Sanjin" and they worship him. An expedition team arrives in the area to find a Siberian species of butterfly that has mysteriously made its way to Japan, but are killed after they hear an echoing roar. Some time later, a second team is sent to investigate, only to discover Varan, who then destroys the entire village once disturbed. The JSDF arrives in the Kitagami area and lures Varan out by polluting the lake where he is hiding. Later, they light the forest on fire. Distraught with the destruction of his home, Varan takes off into the sky, and heads towards Tokyo bay. Varan eventually unleashes an attack on the Haneda airport, where The JSDF tricks him into eating several bombs out of the sky. The bombs explode one by one, weakening Varan. When Varan retreats to the sea, the final bomb explodes and destroys the beast.

Versions

*Toho Co. Ltd.: Japanese (87 min.; original version)
*Crown International Pictures: English (70 min.; released to American theaters)

US release

* An entirely new film was created, using American players for all significant dramatic scenes; excepting the final scene, Daikaju Baran was represented only by its special effects, cut to accommodate the new script, and two or three brief incidental shots. Nothing was dubbed as there were no dialogue shots left to dub;
* The entire music and sound tracks of Daikaiju Baran were replaced;
* All footage showing Varan flying was removed.
* In the US version the name Varan is never spoken, the monster is instead referred to as "Obaki" (Monster) [?] See entry for Varan the Unbelievable for more details.

Cast

*Kenji Uozaki - Kouzou Nomura（Akiji Nomura）
*Yuriko Sinjou (woman journalist) - Ayumi Sonoda
*Motohiko Horiguti - Fumindo Matsuo
*Ichirou Sinjou - Hisaya Itou
*Yutaka Kawata - Nadao Kirino
*Dr. Sugimoto - Korenari Senda
*Dr. Majima - Fuyuki Murakami
*Dr. Fujimura - Akihiko Hirata
*Director General of the Defense Agency - Minosuke Yamada
*Colonel. Kusama - Akio Kusama
*Katsumoto，Lieutenant Commander - Yoshio Tsuchiya
*Captain Maritime Self-Defense Force vessel - Yoshifumi Tajima
*Minesweeper coxswain - Jirou　Mitsuaki
*Shinto priest - Akira Sera
*Issaku - Akira Yamada
*Jirou - Toku Ihara
*Sankichi - Takashi Itou
*Sankichi’s Mother - Ayako Honma
*Villager - Yoshikazu　Kawamata
*Medium - Kin Sugai
*Varan - Haruo Nakajima，Katsumi Tezuka

US Cast

*Cmdr. James Bradley - Myron Healey
*Anna - Tsuruko Kobayashi
*Capt. Kishi - Clifford Kawada
*Matsu (the boy) - Derick Shimatsu
*Paul Isoh - Kozo Nomura
*Shidori Isoh - Ayumi Sonoda
*Paul's Friend - Fumindo Matsuo
*Pvt. Seki - Hiroshi Hisasume

Miscellaneous credits

*Akira Watanabe Special Effects Set Director
*Koji Kajita Assistant to the Director
*Teisho Arikawa Special Effects Photographer
*Keizo Murase Suitmation Effects Director

External links

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* [http://www.dvddrive-in.com/reviews/t-z/varan5862.htm DVD review] at DVD Drive-In
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