Announcing the Godzilla Theatrical Promotional Items page!

 

As you know, we keep track of vintage American Godzilla items around here.  We have retail items covered, but the glaring omission to our lists (links are at the left side of this page) are all of the theatrical items that couldn't be bought in stores.  We have featured many of them over the years on this blog, and this new page will show what exists for all of the vintage Godzilla films, going up to GODZILLA 1985.  "Say, was there even a pressbook for THE TERROR OF MECHAGODZILLA?" you might ask yourself...well, this new page will tell you. (The answer is "NO.")

There is an entry for each film, listing the following categories of promotional items:  Posters, Lobby Cards, Stills, Pressbooks,  Ad Slicks or Molds, Radio and TV Spots, and a miscellaneous category for some special promotional items that were unique.  Each category will be linked to its coverage on this blog, so you can see our coverage of these items.  

So, check out the Vintage American Godzilla Theatrical Promotional Items (which is a mouthful) page when you can!

GODZILLA Vintage Radio Spots: Well, How Many Are There? PART TWO

UPDATED WITH NEW DISCOVERIES!

PART ONE OF THIS MASTERPOST IS FOUND HERE.

We aren't going to let any grass grow in getting this masterpost completed.  After all, too much can happen! With my luck, a meteorite with my name on it could come through the ceiling at any moment, so let's act fast.

Where were we? Ah, yes:

6) WAR OF THE GARGANTUAS & MONSTER ZERO (UPA/Donald Velde) Two ads (60 and 30 seconds) adorn this 7-inch 45 rpm disc released by Henry Saperstein's UPA.  You can see here a turning point beginning, because in past years there would've been more ads made to promote the film.  The pressbook (seen here) gives a cursory single line and says you can "order [them] free."  These are great ads that wisely use audio from the films! 

WAR OF THE GARGANTUAS & MONSTER ZERO Radio Spots

NOTE: Remember that both GODZILLA vs. THE SEA MONSTER and SON OF GODZILLA went straight to U.S. television, so no radio spots for these films.

7) DESTROY ALL MONSTERS (American International) Here, we get really lucky, because all four of these glorious ads were included on the awesome Tokyo Shock Blu-Ray...that was immediately withdrawn because Toho had a hissy fit.  This is also a 7-inch, 45 rpm disc, whose existence the pressbook (seen here) very briefly mentions, saying ads were "FREE in 60 and 30 second segments."  Also, this is the place to say that you probably recognize the mighty voice in these recordings.  It's none other than William Woodson, narrator of years and years of SUPERFRIENDS, as well as the great BATTLE OF THE PLANETS!

DESTROY ALL MONSTERS Radio Spots

8) GODZILLA vs. THE SMOG MONSTER (American International) Another 7-inch, 45 rpm disc, which for a while was the format of choice for radio spots.  In a reversal of what we've seen, A.I.P. gives us a verbose, flowery paragraph in the pressbook (they always were good at ballyhoo): "...sound and the fury of the battle sequences and the reactions of the people have been recorded and combined with provocative narration to stimulate the imagination of radio listeners...and they should be used liberally in time slots which cater to the community's youngsters. The spots are 60 and 30 seconds in length and have been combined on one 45 rpm disc for your convenience." Who could argue with that? (By the way, you can see the whole pressbook here!) Only the shorter of the two ads has surfaced over the years:

GODZILLA vs. THE SMOG MONSTER - Radio Spot

UPDATE: The website Zombos' Closet has the complete set of both ads at this post!

ADDENDUM: Special thanks to Anonymous, who in the Comments section below pointed us toward an American International repackage of quadruple features (circa early-to-mid 1970's) that not only included SMOG MONSTER (and also DESTROY ALL MONSTERS) in their "Monster Marathon," but even had a special radio spot made for the occasion! A.I.P. was really good about making double, triple, and even quadruple features out of their films at this time, and often the two mentioned above were included! Here is the archive.org link where you can actually hear/download it!  We really should give out No-Prizes around here like Marvel did in the good old days.

9) GODZILLA ON MONSTER ISLAND (Cinema Shares) Here we take a sharp right-hand turn (I told you things would get weird).  There was no pressbook issued for this film (which you probably know was actually GODZILLA vs. GIGAN, and didn't make it to the U.S. until 1977), so we have nothing to go by.  This is yet another item that was first shared on this very blog and exists nowhere else, and it was issued as a 5-inch reel-to-reel tape. It would be awesome if a vinyl form did surface, because unfortunately one of the ads on my tape was degraded and garbled.  I did my best to reconstruct it--which you can see and download at this post, including a video with subtitles.

10) GODZILLA vs. MEGALON (Cinema Shares/Donald Velde) 

If we were strictly going in chronological order, this would come before the last entry, as MEGALON was released in the USA in 1976.  Take note of this, because not only was the campaign extremely ambitious for MEGALON, but it was the last Godzilla film issued with a pressbook (which is a very fun read, at this post).  Now, as I said, the promotion for MEGALON was taken to new heights--there was a comic book, four different pinback buttons, the "Godzilla For President" campaign--it went on and on.  There were the usual TV ads, and as you can see above, the pressbook tells us there were "Radio Spots (30 second)." 

UPDATE (2/15/2025) This ad has been located, obtained by me, converted, and restored for the world.  (See the whole post here if you are so inclined.) Enjoy!

GODZILLA vs. MEGALON Radio Spot (1976)

11) THE TERROR OF GODZILLA (Bob Conn Enterprises) A huge thanks goes out to Ultrase7en, who reminded me about the commentary track for the 2008 Classic Media DVD release of THE TERROR OF MECHAGODZILLA, which actually includes a complete 30-second radio ad for the 1978 theatrical release of this film (remember, the version with MECHAGODZILLA in the title--that has the added prologue--was Henry Saperstein's version released to television).  I know I heard that commentary way back in 2008, but promptly forgot it existed! He was kind enough to also extract it for us, so here it is:

The Terror Of Godzilla Radio Spot (1978) 

Honorable mention:  I intended this list to cover only the original 15 vintage Godzilla films, but if you are so inclined to include GODZILLA 1985 and make it 16, there were apparently also radio ads for that film, although there is no trace of them today, other than a mention in a couple of sources (one of them being John Waters' book CRACKPOT believe it or not).  They seem to have completely vanished.

PROLOGUE:

Since these posts were originally made in 2022, we have made great strides in closing in on completing this set of vintage ads! To wrap things up, if you are owner of any of the material that's missing from these two posts (such as the missing GIGANTIS ads), don't just sit on it, but digitize it and share it with Godzilla fans on YouTube or something.  You own it, it's a mega-rarity, and nobody can take that away from you, but why not make these pieces of Godzilla history available for the generations to come?  If you have nowhere to host it, space at The Sphinx is always available to you.  Think about it, won't you?

It's starting to sound like a telethon around here, so we better stop now...I hope you've enjoyed this in-depth look at what would otherwise be a lost part of Godzilla history.  Do you have any of these physical items for sale? No, you don't.  If you did though, and would rather have money than dumb old records, you could always contact us!*

___________________________

*Worth a try.

ANOTHER FOOTNOTE: In other Toho news, the awesome Zombos' Closet that I've mentioned a few times already ALSO has complete sets of radio spots for RODAN, FRANKENSTEIN CONQUERS THE WORLD, and KING KONG ESCAPES! Amazing!

GODZILLA Vintage Radio Spots: Well, How Many Are There? PART ONE

UPDATED WITH MORE DISCOVERIES!

Welcome to another masterpost where you get information that exists nowhere else! Today we are going to tackle a murky subject with lots of misinformation:  vintage Godzilla "radio spots," which is for some reason the preferred industry name for radio ads or commercials.  

I don't need to tell you, but back in the day, studios and/or licensing companies would prepare specially-made, official radio commercials (as well as television ads) for many of their films, because radio was one of the best places for promotion.  These were (usually) free to the promoter, because after all, they helped everyone involved.  

The best way to know what was available is to read the vintage pressbooks.  All pressbooks for the films we are going to discuss are available on this blog, so I will place links to those posts so you can see them for yourselves, if you so desire.  As you will see shortly, there was no uniformity to the media that was used, and sometimes the available literature didn't even specify the details.

So? How many Godzilla films have them, then? Well, the short answer is: twelve.  Probably.  Hang tight, because here we go:

1) KING OF THE MONSTERS (Godzilla Releasing Co./TRANS-WORLD)  A 12-inch 33&1/3 record of 5 spots [first made available on this very blog, dear readers!] was "created by Terry Turner and Don Thompson" according to the pressbook.  The book only says they were "available," and doesn't specify the media involved.  Only a few months ago, it came to light that these were also offered on a (probably 10-inch) 78 from a kind soul who posted them to YouTube, making these a rare example of spots available in two formats! You can see the KOTM pressbook here, and download the radio ads (and even see the video for the 78 version, which I believe are completely identical) at this post!

2) GIGANTIS THE FIRE MONSTER (Warner Bros./Thaddeus Suski Productions) This record has only come up for sale a couple of times in the last twenty+ years, and apparently the buyers have no intention of sharing its contents, preferring instead to simply hoard it away somewhere.  As the pressbook tells us, the record contains "one 1-minute and three 20-second radio spot announcements...taken directly from the soundtrack of the picture." This was a 10-inch, 33&1/3 rpm one-sided disc (you can see the back had a neat textured pattern).  You can read the pressbook in this post.  This film was released in many places in a double-feature with the dreadful TEENAGERS FROM OUTER SPACE, and the last track on the record is actually for that double-bill. 

UPDATE: As kind reader Ultrase7en pointed out to me, two of the ads are actually played in the commentary track of the 2007 Classic Media DVD release of the film, and here they are:

GIGANTIS THE FIRE MONSTER Radio Spots (x2)

3) KING KONG vs. GODZILLA (Universal/National Screen Service) This is an unusual entry, because we are going to discuss two different records! The official disc of radio spots was issued as a 7-inch 45 rpm record on red translucent vinyl (also unique in this list!).  There are five ads, although the pressbook ("Showman's Manual") merely says ads were "in all the usual 60, 30, and 10 second lengths."  What's most unusual here is that a second record was actually available, and this was an in-theatre one:

The pressbook spends much more time telling you about what they call the "PREVIEW RECORD," and says it was "specially made to be played during INTERMISSIONS. Announcer's voice presents an exciting sell for KING KONG vs. GODZILLA against incidental background music and also calls attention to the refreshment available at the candy counter. It's a 33&1/3 rpm [also, 7-inch] disc with both a 5 minute and a 2&1/2 minute pitch, all on one side. It is not intended to replace the trailer and is played only when nothing is on the screen.  Available at $1.50 per week, per record, from your NATIONAL SCREEN SERVICE EXCHANGE." So this record was meant to be played in the actual theatre, and what's more, you apparently had to rent it weekly! And, here it is:

You can read the pressbook, uh, Showman's Manual, in this post.  I have two recordings that have surfaced over the years here:

KING KONG vs. GODZILLA Radio Spots

Interestingly, the longer of the two sounds as if it was recorded straight from the air, and is specialized to radio station WAKY (Louisville, Kentucky), and even mentions local theatres.

UPDATE: The complete set of radio spots for KING KONG vs. GODZILLA can be heard at the website Zombos' Closet! Here is the link!

4) GODZILLA vs. THE THING (Americal International) All three can be found here at our original post.  This is a 7-inch, 45 rpm one-sided record. If you would like to enjoy the excellent pressbook for the film (perhaps the easiest Godzilla pressbook to find it seems), it can be found in this post!

5) GHIDRAH THE THREE-HEADED MONSTER (Walter Reade-Sterling/Continental Distributing) Ads for this film were distributed as a 10-inch, 33&1/3 record which contained five different spots.  The pressbook confirms that they were "a 60-second, two 30-second, and two 20-second spot announcements," and you can peruse it (it's a hoot) in this post! 

One 20-second ad is here.

UPDATE:  The complete set of radio spots for GHIDRAH can also be heard at the website Zombos' Closet! Here is the link!

TO BE CONTINUED!

GO TO PART TWO

Since there is so much ground to cover, I am splitting this masterpost into two parts.  We will cover the second half next time, when things get even weirder and more scattered!

VARAN THE UNBELIEVABLE Pressbook ("Showmanship Manual") [Crown Int'l, 1962]

 

Today, we look at a real rarity.  VARAN THE UNBELIEVABLE had a troubled history, was cut to ribbons for the US, and is often overlooked.  It's funny; I own quite a few pressbooks, but this one is the most difficultly-sized that I've seen.  It measures 16 & 3/4" by a bizarre 16 & 3/32" which actually works out more evenly to centimeters, which was strange for the times. It's going to be a nightmare to store properly. 

But, let's walk through it together.  First, the usual: movie synopsis, yadda yadda.

Next, the usual fodder for things that look like newspaper articles, but are really paid spots bought by local theatres in local newspapers.  Did you know the lead actress cooked knishes for the cast? I wonder if she knew that.  My favorite part of this entire page is where they give you the text to take out an article saying that the events in this film could really happen, because people have seen the Loch Ness Monster.  Huh.

The second-best part of any vintage pressbook, though, is where you got to see the vintage ads and artwork. This film was lucky to have poster art that is simultaneously great and eye-catching (the upper half), and also rather ridiculous (the lower half) at the same time. I had more to say about that, but I looked too long at the fleeing crowd that's too stupid to know how to run away, and forgot it.

And now we come to the very best part of all, and also my favorite:  the BALLYHOO.  What is the point of booking a monster movie, specifically an Americanized Toho kaiju movie, if you can't promote it insanely? "But wait, we (the recipients of this book) are too dumb to do that.  Thinking is hard...give us the ideas!" Well, you asked for it:

So, let's run down some of their suggestions:

1) "Why not arrange a window" that's made of the contents of your local toy store.  I wasn't even there in 1962, and I know that would've been next to impossible, especially in Smallville, USA.  Also, they expect you to have "blowups and stills from the picture" made to decorate your "window." Which would've been outrageously expensive (these pressbooks never give a thought to the budget of what they are suggesting)...it also just struck me that your average theatre didn't have a giant, Macy's-style display window, because that defeats the purpose of keeping it dark inside, to actually watch movies.

2) Go to your local museum that is filled with "pre-historic animals" and get them, and fill up the lobby with them.  You are also given permission here to use their "pre-historic artifacts."  I mean, why didn't I think of that? Oh, because it has almost nothing to do with the film we are trying to promote, and also involves lots of crimes.  And again, your average town wouldn't have anything remotely like that, anyhow.  I always ask this question here, but:  did anybody actually try any of these suggestions???? It's not as insane as the part where one of the previous pressbooks we have looked at tells you to get live weapons and munitions from the local armory (which one was that, FRANKENSTEIN CONQUERS THE WORLD, maybe?)...but still entertaining.

3) Run a "You Won't Believe It Contest."  What is that? They don't know either.  "Just as the experiences of the people in 'VARAN' make for an incredible story, so it is true that many people have unbelievable experiences in their lifetimes." Let's hear for the millionth time about how Grandpa shot down a UFO in World War I that was filled with pink fairies who somehow sang all of the Billboard Singles Chart from June 13, 1967. That will then make us want to see VARAN THE UNBELIEVABLE, for sure.

4) Finally, and the laziest of all, you are encouraged to talk a local store into slashing their prices so much, it would be an UNBELIEVABLE sale.  Now, points for actually giving us an idea that wouldn't cost the theatre a fortune...but, simply put, nobody did this.  Ever.

To collectors like me, who are not rational human beings, the most valuable part of a pressbook is on this page as well, because this is  where you find out what non-poster promotional items were produced for this film.  Here we are given a nugget of pure gold, because they tell us a record of radio spots exists--somewhere--for this film.  It has never surfaced in all of these years [what I mean is that it hasn't been digitized and shared by anyone, which is what we would do here on this blog], but, like Varan himself, it's at the bottom of a lake somewhere.  We are also told that the following items exist:  a TV slide, TV spots of 2 lengths, a theatrical trailer, and a teaser trailer.  But let's not overlook the most exciting part of this great page:

The Varan Coloring Contest! I am sure you agree that this is completely and totally awesome, and probably the best thing you've seen all day.  I would have to look back in my past pressbook reviews, but I don't remember too many coloring contests from Toho films.  GIGANTIS THE FIRE MONSTER had one, I recall.  It's hard to put into words how great this concept is.  We can laugh at the ridiculous ballyhoo suggestions, but a Varan Coloring Contest with movie tickets as prizes is a top-notch idea that is actually worth doing.

When it comes to making your list of what items were actually produced for a film, the rest of the story is usually found on the back cover of the pressbook, where you find out about poster sizes and lobby cards, and then imagine owning them all.

I should mention here that VARAN THE UNBELIEVABLE is still a rare film, even in this modern day.  There is an out-of-print Tokyo Shock DVD from 2005 with 2 cuts of the Japanese original, but it does not contain this American version.  VARAN was put out on home video a couple of times in the VHS days (a Beta tape also exists), but it stopped there.  The good news is, there is a very inexpensive DVD available on Amazon that pretends to be authentic, but it's obviously sourced from one of the old VHS versions.  But, it's better than nothing, and will have to do, because I can tell you that preserving American dubs (never mind American recuts) is not on Toho's "to-do list."

Godzilla vs. The Thing Double Feature Ad Slick poster (American International, 1964)

 

When GODZILLA vs. THE THING was released in the United States in 1964, it was included in a double-feature (as several Godzilla films were) with VOYAGE TO THE END OF THE UNIVERSE (a U.S. dub of a slick Czechoslovakian space-opera film called IKARIE SB-1 from the year before*).  I was lucky enough to track down a dead-mint set of ad slicks for that double-feature, which came in the form of a large, poster-sized sheet measuring 21 by 27.5 inches. 

It's certainly too big to scan, so I did my best to get some decent photos.  You'll notice that at the top, there's a giant "SPECIAL SOCK COMBO ADS" headline...which at first struck me as VARIETY-type hyperbole ("boffo socko" and all that), but upon reflection, I think it's just a typo.  After all, the ads bear the title of "Double Shock Show," so that must be what was intended.

One of the ads is strangely upside-down, as well! 

Here is one of the small ads from the bottom of the sheet.  The stark artwork pairs very well with the EC Comics-type astronauts and flying saucers, and just makes for some sharp-looking ads.  These ads make me want to watch both of these films again...so, you could say they still do their job very well, all these years later.  

At the risk of repeating myself, nothing today holds a candle to this!

__________________________

*NOTE: I forgot to mention that you should see the original version of this amazing film, and not the U.S. dub discussed here, because the ending is completely changed to be as absurd as that of WOMEN OF THE PREHISTORIC PLANET.  So there's something to think about.

GODZILLA KING OF THE MONSTERS Ad Slicks Set (Trans World Releasing Corp, 1956)

 

Sometimes, pressbooks come with a set of ad slicks (sometimes not, and sometimes they are built in).  For KING OF THE MONSTERS, a hefty set of ads was included in a separate stapled bundle.  They are oddly sized at an inch shorter than the actual pressbook that we looked at last time, at 11 x 16". But they are GREAT.

I really like the smaller, bumper-sticker shaped ads at the bottom of this page.  Here they are, cropped out:

Another value of pressbooks is that they serve as checklists for all of the materials that existed for a particular film.  Can you believe a 24-SHEET poster existed for this movie? We have looked at the album of radio ads in years past! If you are interested in hearing them, go to this post!

And, they also would provide copy for fluff articles and reviews, to be used in newspapers of the day.  Here is a better look at a couple:

None of the crazy ballyhoo ideas that would permeate the later pressbooks, though! And of course, this movie didn't need it!

GODZILLA KING OF THE MONSTERS Pressbook (Trans World Releasing Corp, 1956)

 

I'm very excited to say that after ten to twelve years, I have finally tracked down a copy of the last Godzilla pressbook that I needed for my collection...which was the very first.  This 11 x 17 beauty is the largest pressbook of the group, and a thing to behold.  It's also pretty stinking rare.

If you notice a difference in some of the picture quality, it's because some of these photos came from my personal archive...this thing was difficult to photograph well.

As you see from the above page, this is an unusual pressbook because the film had already played in several places when it was printed ("It stayed 3 Weeks!").  It unfolds into a giant tri-fold, and we are treated to several images of decorated theatre fronts and marquees, as you can see in the next couple of photos, below.

At the right of the montage above, don't miss the photo of the child gazing up in admiration at the film's poster...best photo I have seen in YEARS.

But, there's another first inside of the center spread as well.  Right between the articles and photos is this image:

Ladies and gentlemen, I believe we are looking at what is probably the very first printed cartoon depiction of Godzilla...who knew, at the time?!

Next time, we will look at the equally-impressive set of ad slicks that were included with this pressbook!

FRANKENSTEIN CONQUERS THE WORLD Pressbook ["Campaign Manual"] (American International, 1966)

It's been pretty quiet at The Sphinx, but all of that changes today, as we take a look at the "Campaign Manual" for FRANKENSTEIN CONQUERS THE WORLD.  Some people don't like pressbooks, but I always point out that not only are they entertaining, they also help the collector to know exactly what items were made to promote certain films...past the usual poster and lobby cards, that is.  For that, they are invaluable.

This first page has some oddities:

1) In the middle of the page, in the credits section, somebody forgot to add the rest of the film title's logo, so it only says "FRANKENSTEIN."

2) Even worse, where the cast is listed, only Nick Adams is correct.   His two Japanese co-stars (Toho regulars Kumi Mizuno and Tadao Takashima) are listed by their character's names only.  In fact, I saw no mention of their real names anywhere in the book...apparently, nobody bothered to learn them.  Also, director Honda's name is again incorrectly given as "Inoshiro," as it is in several other films.

3) The "Synopsis" brings out some odd points about the film.  Then again, I bet if you had five people watch the film and write a synopsis, they would give you different answers....anyhow, as a younger person seeing the film for the first time, I remember getting the impression that the boy had eaten the Frankenstein heart somehow, and not that the heart had grown into a child on its own.  

It's possible that it's left vague intentionally, but that brings up another question.  In Japan the film was called FRANKENSTEIN VS. BARAGON, as we all know, but at what point was Baragon even first named? Watching the subtitled Japanese cut over the weekend, I only saw one place he was even mentioned:  when Dr. Bowen (Adams) yells "Baragon is about two miles away!" and everyone seems to know what he is talking about.  Kaiju films have two usual methods for naming their monsters:  either it's an existing/ancient creature that is historically known (or named after such a creature), OR, somebody in the course of the film gives them a name.  It's just strange.  But, we'd better move on:

The "Publicity" page of the book isn't always very interesting, but here we get not one, but two articles with Boris Karloff quotes, as Adams had previously worked with him (on DIE, MONSTER, DIE!) while deciding to accept the job(s) he was offered in Japan.  Interestingly, Karloff advised him that he should take the role(s), saying "Monsters are an actor's best friend...look at me!" At top right is an article purported to be written by Adams himself, where he quotes Karloff as also saying, "Don't let them make the monsters too lovable or they will upstage you."  Well....

Hate to tell you, Mr. Adams, but you have been upstaged.......

The entire middle of the book showcases various ads for the film:

But as good as that is, the part where we really need to spend some time is my favorite, "EXPLOITATION".....

Here is the whole page, but we will look at a few of their suggestions more closely:

That first sentence is amazing. It defines the term "ballyhoo," doesn't it? I still am left wondering what they intended for the average theater-owner with a budget of seven dollars to do, when Disney Imagineers would be needed to accomplish their suggestions!

The "Midnite Show" thing is actually quite sound...it even seems like it would be fun. That may be the most practical suggestion I've ever read in a pressbook! Now, the "Street Ballyhoo," mind you, is a horse of a different color.  Just read that paragraph and let your mind wander.

Even if you find a flatbed truck...where will you find a "giant"??? And, isn't that a bit rude, parading him through town on the back of your truck? Is that even legal? Or...maybe tall people are still a class that can be expoited? I have questions.

If I went to the theater to see "Lawrence of Arabia," and there were travel agent cards laying around, or even a random sign that said "Visit Arabia Today," I don't think I'd make the connection.

Now, we have seen this one before, where we were told to go and "get a smashed car from a wrecking service."  Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the wrecking service is just taking destroyed vehicles [that don't go to a police impound lot] to--oh, I don't know--a junkyard, and they would be pretty surprised if you interrupted them and tried to hijack their quarry before they had delivered it.

And then we are told to "get a supply of log chains, the bigger the better."  You know, log chains.  Like the ones laying around your grandmother's house.

"Get a supply of extremely potent uranium, the more flesh-melting, the better."

And then there is the admonition to make your own signs to "label" street repairs or construction sites with.  You would end up popular with the work crews...and probably, arrested.

Finally, another old chestnut that we have seen before:  we are told to "enlist" the National Guard (doesn't that usually work the other way around?) to "supply" you with tanks and military equipment! Again, arrested!

I know I said this before, but did anybody ever even come close to trying any of these things?