The original film landed in Japanese theaters on November 3rd 1954. Godzilla's creators arrived at the Japanese name for the monster by combining the Japanese words for gorilla and whale, which is an appropriate name for the big guy. Originally set to be stop motion like the very popular "The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms," a suit of the creature was eventually created and worn by Haruo Nakajima, who would later go on to play the monster in 11 more films.
The film would be released in America theaters two years later under the title "Godzilla: King of the Monsters" featuring additional scenes with Raymond Burr filmed specifically for the US release.
The film would be released in America theaters two years later under the title "Godzilla: King of the Monsters" featuring additional scenes with Raymond Burr filmed specifically for the US release.
