July 22, 1967 –
The Toho Studio released King Kong Escapes (Kingu Kongu no gyakushû,) directed by Ishiro Honda in Japan on this date. (Despite the master villain being named Dr. Who, this film has no connection to Doctor Who.)
As a children’s film, Toho pressured the filmmakers to show more gore in the monster fights. Children’s media in Japan at the time was showing increasing amounts of violence, especially when compared to the rest of the world. Films from rival studios would should monsters frequently bleeding while popular superhero TV shows had the heroes routinely slice, decapitate, and overall mutilate their monsters opponents. However, effects director Tsuburaya felt that such violence was inappropriate to show on the big screen and when the studio wanted Gorosaurus to bleed profusely after Kong broke his jaw, Tsuburaya snapped back. “These movies are for kids,” he said, “Why do you enjoy showing them blood?” The compromise was for Gorosaurus to foam at the mouth instead.
The Haus of Dcaligari 