Godzilla (1977) - full transcript

Hiroshima
6 August 1945

Stereophonic version featuring the
incredible vibrating effect of FUTURSOUND

Based on the black and white film GOJIRA
A Tomoyuki Tanaka production from Toho in Tokyo

and the elaborated version from Avco Embassy and Joe Levine
GODZILLA, KING OF THE MONSTERS for Paramount

Starring Raymond Burr

and Akira Takarada, Akihiko Hirata
Takashi Shimura, Momoko Kochi

Original Japanese version scripted by
Takeo Murata and Ishiro Honda

Art Direction by Satoshi Chuko

Cinematography by Masao Tamai

Cinematography of additional scenes for
American version by Guy Roe

Original Music by Akira Ifukube



Special effects creation and direction by
Eiji Tsubaraya

With the assistance of
Akira Watanabe, Hiroshi Mukouyama
Kuichiro Kishida

Original Japanese version directed by
Ishiro Honda

Director of the assembly and insertion of scenes
featuring Raymond Burr into the American version
Terry Morse

New Italian version produced by
COZZILLA s.r.l for BBC and
Renato Barbieri

Prints by
AUGUSTUSCOLOR

The soundtrack for GODZILLA
recorded and available from Cinevox Records
by the group Magnetic System

New assembly by
Alberto Moro

New special effect colorization by
Armando Valcauda

New Direction by Luigi Cozzi

Tokyo, 6 August 1954
This is Tokyo - once a city of over 6
million people.

...now transformed into a smoldering
memorial to the unknown.

The force that caused it was, up until recently,
completely beyond the limits of man's imagination...

...a force lying in wait, ready to lash out
against an unsuspecting world.



There were many people here...
but now only a few survive...

My name is Steve Martin. I'm a
foreign corespondent for United World News.

I was on layover in Tokyo, en route
to Cairo, and hoped to visit a friend.

It turned out to be a visit
in a living hell.

Emergency hospitals were overflowing
with the injured and dead...

...and there was a lingering fear that
the events of the previous night could
happen again at any time.

Everyone who had survived and was able
was helping to care for the human casualties...

Emiko Yamane, daughter of
a famous Japanese paleontologist, was
one of those helping.

For some there was hope, but for
others there would be no tomorrow...

I can't remember how long it was
before one of the hospital units found me...

I knew it was day out...
and that I was lucky to be alive...

Emiko, Emiko!

Steve, Steve! So you survived...

I'm very fortunate considering what happened last night.
- It's a miracle that any of us made it through.
Oh, Steve, what did we do to deserve this?

I don't know, Emiko... I don't know.

And your father, is he all right?

Yes. He's in a meeting of the
political leaders now...

Just rest, Steve. I'll try to
get you medical attention.

It's still unbelievable that I'm alive when
I think of the hundreds of thousands who are
surely dead or dying in the ruins around me.

Just a few days before I had been on my way
to meet up with a university friend of mine... Serizawa...
a scientist who was gaining great respect in the Far East
for his unique experiments...

Though it was unknown to me at the time, three
thousand meters below an event was about to take place
that would shake the very foundations of civiization.

After what's happened since, it's impossible
for me to believe that I'll ever see Tokyo like this again.

Are you Mr. Steve Martin?
- Yes

I'm Shigeri, Dr. Serizawa's assistant.
- Oh! It's very nice to meet you. How
is the doctor?

He's fine but he regrets
not being able to meet you personally.
- Is anything wrong?

No, but he's away working for the Department
of the Interior. He's conducting some experiments that
are most important. He's very sorry he couldn't be here.

That's okay. Did he say when he'd be finished?
- Yes. He hopes to be before your flight to Cairo.
Until then I'm at your service.

I appreciate that.

Excuse my interruption but I must ask you
to come with me for questioning, Mr. Martin.
- Is this a gentle way of telling me I'm under arrest?

No, no, you're not under arrest. It's just
imperative that you come wth me for questioning.
- Of course!

I'll take these. . . going to the Mikasa?
- Nope! Hotel Imperial.

Permit me... I'm Iwanaga.
- Nice to meet you.

Mr. Martin, do you remember anything out of
the ordinary happening while you were on your
flight last night?

I read a bit, spent some time writing, and
the rest of the time I was sleeping.
- I see.

I see you're questioning everyone on my flight.
I'm interested in why. I work for United World News.

I don't know what's going on, Mr. Martin...
I just don't know.

Or... if the public should know at all...

I don't understand...
- Early this morning a fishing trawler was swept
from the face of the Earth in a matter of seconds.

Was there any communication?
- Yes. They reported a blinding flash...
and that the ship burst into flame...

Could it have been a mine or a collision?
- If it had they would have reported a mine
or a collision...

Point taken...

Well, I'd like to know whatever is being done about it.
- All right. Come this way.

This is the chart room of the Nanking shipping company...
It was their ship that was reported missing...

Do you mind telling me what they're saying?
- They're at a loss for what could have caused the disappearence.

Any survivors?
- None have been reported...

A search ship is on the way now - it should
the ship's last known whereabouts soon...

This is a message for George Lawrence.
Care of United World News, in Chicago.

Whole world stunned by Japanese ship disasters. Eight
ships destroyed by a mysterious blinding flash of fire.
No survivors. Radio reports give same message.

Exactly. Terrible sea of fire engulfs all. Enormous
death toll forces all shipping schedules be cancelled. Will remain in
Tokyo unless word from you. Sign it Steve Martin. Right. Thanks.

Like an illness panic crept across Japan... The Nanking Shipping
Company was soon deluged with people demanding information
about relatives lost in the shipping disasters.

The few survivors who were found were
suffering from shock and horrible injuries.

With disaster following disaster the terrified
people began to demand that the government take action.

Security officials in the government called a special meeting.
Consulting would be Dr. Yamane, Japan's foremost paleontologist.

Excuse me...

Dr. Yamane...
- Oh, it's good to see you again.

Do you really think that a
monster might be behind these disasters?
- Heh, who can say for sure?

I heard you are heading an expedition to Odo island...
- That's right, we leave this afternoon...

I was wondering if it would be possible for me to go along...
- Of course you can! You can meet us at the port at 2.

Thank you very much.

The port was full of well wishers for
Dr. Yamane and the rest of his investigating team.

But a feeling of dread was in everyone's
mind... Every ship that had followed our course had
met with a tragic end...

Yes, we were all afraid...

With the possible exception of Emiko and
Ogata, a young naval officer...

For the moment they were more interested
in each other...

When I had last seen Emiko she had just become engaged
to Dr. Serizawa. It was the usual triangle. Most knew that,
though engaged, she was having a secret relationship with Ogata.

Odo Island, a small speck of land in the Pacific...
It was home to a small population of natives who were
the only witness to the disasters...

It was decided that we would stay the night...
It gave us an opportunity to be witnesses to a rare ritual...

The islanders are surrounded by many dangers -
some real and others imagined. This ceremony is
dedicated to one of them...

There is a legend here that, somewhere off the island shores,
there exists a monster too terrible for any mortal to imagine... Long ago
they used to send a young girl to the sea on a raft as sacrifice to the monster...

And what did they call this monster?

Did you hear that? Godzilla.

Do they believe that this Godzilla is responsible
for the recent ship disasters?
- Yes. They're certain of it...

It was more than just a storm in the night... much more...
But just what exactly was unknown to most...

The natives of the island knew, though. They
said it was Godzilla...

This well is contaminated. It's dangerous
drink from it...

Look at this... These indentions seem
to be the footprints of some living thing!

They're also radioactive...
- This area is dangerous, please stand back!

Emiko! It's a trilobyte - a three
lobed worm that's supposed to be extinct!
- Don't hold it in your bare hands, doctor...

What does it mean?
- It's a fantastic discovery!

Trilobyte... isn't that a...

What is it?
- It's safer in the hills...

Look at the size of those footprints...

Two million years ago this Brontosaurus and other
giant reptiles roamed the Earth in a period known
as the Jurassic age...

At this time an intermediary reptile evolved
as well - a cross between the terrestrial and
marine animals of the time...

This creature is called Godzilla in accordance with the
legend of the people of Odo Island.

Judging by this photograph he is over
150 meters tall...

So... what could have caused this creature to appear after so many
centuries and so closely to the shores of Japan? One idea is that some
miracle of nature allowed this animal to reproduce itself and, for centuries
it lived peacefully with no reason to appear to us...

but Geiger counter readings taken in the monsters footprints
revealed the the presence of high levels of radioactivity and
Strotium 90 - byproducts of the hydrogen bomb...

It is my belief that Godzilla was forced out of hiding
by the repeated testing of nuclear weapons...

Can you hear me, George?
- Perfectly! Hello. Steve, what else can you tell me
about this monster of yours?

It's huge and terrible - more horrifying than
anything I could have imagined...

You realize your story is front page news?
What do they plan to do about him?

They plan to kill it. The military is launching a depth
bomb attack on Godzilla this afternoon.
- That's fine, but how can you hunt something if you can't see it?

The same way they find submarines - Sonar.
The big questions is whether or not it will kill him.

Well, keep up the good work, Steve. Keep me posted.
- I will. See you, George.

Thank you...

Hello?
- Excuse me, is this the home of Dr. Serizawa?

Steve! You're a better reporter than
linguist. It's good to hear from you!
- I just got the message that you called. How did
your experiments go?

They went well. I just finished with them yesterday.

Excellent, what about lunch?
- Make it tomorrow. Emiko is coming over today and
said she needed to talk to me...

Check with you tomorrow then?
- That would be fine.

Goodbye!

Emiko's engagement to Serizawa had been arranged
and she was visiting him to tell him of her intentions to
end it and marry Ogata.

It was proving to be a difficult task...

It's very good to have you home again...
- It's good to be back...

I'm glad we have this time to be together. There's
something important I have to tell you.

There is something I need to show you that
is of even graver importance...
- What?

Will you come with me?
- Yes.

Stand back!

Emiko, the world must not
know of this. Please keep it a secret...
- I promise I will. I won't even tell my father...

What happened?
- Nothing... Nothing happened...

Father, what's wrong?
- They are such fools... Godzilla's destruction is
not the answer... He should be studied... Emiko,
please make sure I'm not disturbed...

Of course...

It took less than a day for news of the depth bomb
attack and the destruction of Godzilla to reach the streets. In Tokyo
people were in celebration. But the celebration was not a long one.

I couldn't tell Serizawa about us...
- I understand, Emiko.

Stay back, stay back! Stay back!

He will be back...

The damage had been severe but confined to
the dock area. Godzilla was still in the bay and there was
every reason to believe he would attack again unless
some way was found to counter him.

The military spared no man or resource in
an attempt to stop the onslaught of the monster...

Steve!
- Make it fast...

What'd you leave for?
- I have to get this story off to the paper...
Any new developments?

Yes. They think they've come up
with a way to stop Godzilla!

How?
- I'll show you!

Tokyo is surrounded with a network of high tension
wires. Should Godzilla attack, he'd have to break through
300,000 volts of electricity to get to the heart of the city...

They're trying to have everything ready by nightfall...

I need to get back...
- All right. Thanks!

See you, Steve!
- Goodbye...

The Japanese security officials ordered a full scale evacuation of all
non-essential persons. It was a monumental job, but one that had to be done.

By nightfall everyone was off the streets...

The news office commanded a good view of the
city and recieved constant radio updates of the situation...

This tape recording is for George Lawrence
of United World News, Chicago...

Everyone remaining in the city was on
a watch and wait basis...

And the wait was not a long one...

In Tokyo time has turned back two million years.
This is my report as it happens. The gigantic monster
the Japanese call Godzilla has just emerged from the bay...

He's as tall as a thirty story building. Now he's heading towards
the main line of defence: 300,000 volts of electricity strung around the city.

I can't believe what's just happened...
Now Tokyo has no defence!

They are moving an entire tank corp
to point blank firing range. I'm saying a prayer, George... A prayer
for us all. The fate of the world may hinge on this attack...

George, the tanks have been destroyed by a wall of flame.
Neither man nor his machines can stop this monster now...

Godzilla has turned the heart of Tokyo into
a raging inferno - beneath the flames thousands,
millions may be dead or dying...

Nothing can save this city now...

This is it George!

This is Steve Martin signing off from Japan!

Water!

Hello, Emiko...
- You've been sleeping very
restlessly...

Hello, Ogata...
- Hi, Steve...

Any new developments?
- Not yet... there won't be any unless...

Unless?
- I was shown something that may
be the only way to destroy Godzilla...

Well what is it?
- I promised Dr. Serizawa that I would
reveal his secret to no one....

Emiko... Emiko, last night this city was
destroyed... Tomorrow it might be Osaka or Yokohama...
If you can help then you must...

I had gone to visit Serizawa with the intention of
telling him about Ogata... But there was something
he had to show me first...

Stand back!

Serizawa had discovered something horrible...
In his work with the oxygen molecule he had stumbled
on a way to destroy all oxygen content in water and,
thereby, destroy all living matter in it...

An amount of his experimental chemical no larger
than a baseball would be enough to turn all of Tokyo
Bay into a graveyard...

Serizawa had discvored a terrible force... and until
he could find some positive use for it he didn't want
the rest of the world to know of it...

He made me promise not to tell anyone...
- Emiko, we need Serizawa's help. There may
be no other way!

If I could just see him... talk to him...
- Maybe I can convince him... Ogata will
go with me...

Whatever you do, Emiko...
You must not fail...

Have a seat!

Doctor, I know of your oxygen destroyer.
We must have it...
- I don't know what you're talking about!

I broke my promise, Serizawa... I told
Ogata and Steve... They both agree that we
must use it to stop Godzilla...

No!
- Serizawa!

Doctor, doctor!

No! You mustn't!

We must have the formula! We must!
- Let go of it!

Please, I'm begging you, stop!

Look what you've done!
Help me!

I'm sorry, Ogata...
But the oxygen destroyer must not be used!

If we don't defend ourselves now... against
Godzilla... then what will become of us?

And what would happen if a weapon
such as I have invented were to fall into
irresponsible hands!?

Then you a great responsibility, doctor...
To decide between your own fear and Godzilla...

...and which one you think
is the greater danger to us...

Attention, attention. At this moment a nationwide prayer
is being observed for the survivors of devestated Tokyo... The
voices of our youth are now offered up on high in commemoration
of the destruction of today and in hope for peace and light tomorrow...

Have you decided?

Yes. But this kind of destructive force
must never be utilized again!

The location of Godzilla had been found...
and preperation of the oxygen destroyer was complete...

Serizawa insisted on helping Ogata
to place the weapon...

They've reached the bottom.

Ready.
- The doctor is ready!

One of the men is up - it is Ogata...
Serizawa is still in the water...

Ogata, it's working! Be happy with Emiko...
Goodbye!

Pull him up! Respond!
What are you doing!?

Serizawa...

He said, "Be happy."

The menace was gone,
but so too was Serizawa.

Humanity is saved.

Humanity is saved...?

They who collaborated
on this new Italian version of the film
Godzilla:

Directed by Luigi Cozzi

Edited by Alberto Moro

Transformation from black-and-white to color
and special opticals by Armando Valcauda

Consultants for archive material:
Franco Foco, Giovanni Mongini, Luigi Valerio

Graphics by Giuseppe Festino

Script supervisor: Lillo Capoano

Dubbing by Fonolux
with the participation of the C.D.C.

Made on behalf of Gianni Hecht Lucari's
Documento Films

With the voices of
Emilio Cigoli as Steve Martin
Rita Savagnone as the girl Emiko
Giuseppe Rinaldi as the young man Ogata
Vittorio Kramer as George the manager
Pino Locchi as the policeman Iwanaga

From an original story by
Shigeru Kayama

Music by Akira Ifukube

Developed by Technicolor

Negative cutting and positive printing
by Augustuscolor

Stereophonic soundtrack in
Futursound

Executive producer
Renato Barbieri

A Paramount film
produced by Toho in 1954

Worldwide exclusivity of the new version
BBC S.r.l. 1977

The End...?