Toho made this to sell their movie, somewhere in the world. fans have long speculated about the possibility of an English dubbed version of their version, but in nearly 50 years it hasn't shown up yet. that makes me think there never was one, since most English speaking parts of the world got the US version.
this first showed up on Toho's Laser disc version, which even non-subbed was fun to watch, and see the differences and the similarities between each version. I've talked about both several times so there's no reason to rehash my love of the first Godzilla and first King Kong movie I ever saw. it also was the first giant octopus movie I ever saw as well, now that I think about it! boy, that sure explains a lot.
Well, the English dubs were done for the benefit of local dubbers, with the theory being that it would be easier to translate English than Japanese. The fact that many got released as they were in English-speaking countries is a testament to the fact that a lot of distributors didn't care (or didn't think the audience cared).
ReplyDeleteIf there is an English dub of the full Japanese version (which I agree is unlikely), it was shipped only to Asian countries. My understanding is that Universal got distribution rights in the West and Toho got the East. Even then, I think the Philippines got the US version.
The most promising lead I ever found was a Thai DVD of King Kong vs. Godzilla, but it was edited (mostly at the beginning). I don't know if the movie got released in Thailand way back when or if the DVD was even authorized. It didn't reveal anything about a lost English version, in any event.
the world may never know. I know there's an international dub of King Kong Escapes, those I have never seen it (why bother, sorta).
ReplyDeleteAccording to Brad Thompson, Toho's English dub played in Malaysia circa 1980.
ReplyDeleteI uploaded the trailer to YouTube, but I've never seen the international dub. I'm just reporting what I've read, and I trust Brad isn't mistaken. He's one of the best "kaiju detectives" out there.
Cheers!
-CT Himes
I wonder if it was dubbed later on, after the original release?
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