Godzilla Vs. The Smog Monster/Fun Facts
From The Grindhouse Cinema Database
< Godzilla Vs. The Smog Monster
- A sequel, set in Africa, was planned. However, G-series producer Tomoyuki Tanaka, who had been hospitalized during the film's production, was enraged by the film once he saw it, telling director Yoshimitsu Banno that he had ruined the Godzilla series. Tanaka immediately ordered the filming of a more conventional Godzilla movie (Chikyû kogeki meirei: Gojira tai Gaigan (1972)). Thus, the "Smog" sequel was never made.
- This is the first film in the series since Mosura tai Gojira (1964) to have a strong social message attached to it.
- This is the only movie in which Godzilla demonstrates his ability to fly by firing his atomic breath towards the ground and propelling himself backwards.
- When Godzilla chases down Hedorah near the end of the film, the director originally shot two different scenes. One had Godzilla chasing Hedorah on foot, the other had Godzilla flying after him. The flying scene was the one used in the final cut of the film, because the director thought a comical scene was needed to lighten up an otherwise dark film.
- This was the last Godzilla film to be released by American International Pictures (AIP) and dubbed by Titra Productions. The remaining Godzilla films from this decade were released by Downtown Distribution and/or Cinema Shares, and simply used edited versions of Toho's international English prints.
- This was the first film that featured Ken Satsuma to wear the Smog Monster suit. Though small in stature, Satsuma was quite strong for his size, and was the only one capable of supporting the 300 pound suit for long periods of time. (Though there were some wire works to help support.) Satsuma then went on to wear the Gigan costume for the next two films. After a break of over 10 years, he would be asked to wear the Godzilla costume for Godzilla 1985, and would continue to wear it through the Heisei series, and retired after Godzilla vs. Destroyah in 1995.
- In the scene where a piece of Hedora comes down the stairs of the club during Godzilla and Hedora's first battle, there is a picture of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. hanging on the wall behind it.
