GODZILLA (1954-1975)
Godzilla embodies many roles, from destroyer to defender.
From a terrifying force of nature representing the horrors of war, to a parental figure primed for blockbuster kaiju team-ups, Godzilla's role varied with each new Show era incarnation.
1954's Godzilla emerged as a massive, 50-meter-tall monster with craggy dorsal fins from neck to tail. Never before had movie-goers beheld a monster of this magnitude, and when Godzilla breathed its horrifying heat ray to set Tokyo ablaze, cinema was changed forever.
But Godzilla’s features would continue to shift. While Godzilla’s eyes grew, its iconic tail, teeth, claws, and dorsal fins were toned down through the ‘60s and ‘70s.
Godzilla’s motives would also evolve. In early films, Godzilla tended to tussle with any kaiju that happened to be in the way. But by 1964’s Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster, Godzilla was willing to work with others to defend Earth.
GODZILLA (1954-1975) By
The Numbers
GODZILLA (1954-1975) Through
The Ages
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Godzilla (1954)
Directed By
Ishiro Honda
Music By
Akira Ifukube
Story By
Takeo Murata & Ishiro Honda
Godzilla Raids Again
Directed By
Motoyoshi Oda
Music By
Masaru Sato
Story By
Takeo Murata & Shigeaki Hidaka
King Kong vs. Godzilla
Directed By
Ishiro Honda
Music By
Akira Ifukube
Story By
Shinichi Sekizawa
Mothra vs. Godzilla
Directed By
Ishiro Honda
Music By
Akira Ifukube
Story By
Shinichi Sekizawa
Ghidorah, The Three-Headed Monster
Directed By
Ishiro Honda
Music By
Akira Ifukube
Story By
Shinichi Sekizawa
Invasion of Astro-Monster
Directed By
Ishiro Honda
Music By
Masaru Sato
Story By
Shinichi Sekizawa
Ebirah, Horror of the Deep
Directed By
Jun Fukuda
Music By
Masaru Sato
Story By
Shinichi Sekizawa
Son of Godzilla
Directed By
Jun Fukuda
Music By
Masaru Sato
Story By
Shinichi Sekizawa & Kazue Kiba
Destroy All Monsters
Directed By
Ishiro Honda
Music By
Akira Ifukube
Story By
Takeshi Kimura & Ishiro Honda
All Monsters Attack
Directed By
Ishiro Honda
Music By
Kunio Miyauchi
Story By
Shinichi Sekizawa
Godzilla vs. Hedorah
Directed By
Yoshimitsu Banno
Music By
Riichiro Manabe
Story By
Takeshi Kimura & Yoshimitsu Banno
Godzilla vs. Gigan
Directed By
Jun Fukuda
Music By
Akira Ifukube
Story By
Shinichi Sekizawa
Godzilla vs. Megalon
Directed By
Jun Fukuda
Music By
Riichiro Manabe
Story By
Shinichi Sekizawa
Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla
Directed By
Jun Fukuda
Music By
Akira Ifukube
Story By
Jun Fukuda
Terror Of Mechagodzilla
Directed By
Ishiro Honda
Music By
Akira Ifukube
Story By
Yukiko Takayama