Frankenstein vs. Baragon
A giant monster boy battles a subterranean dinosaur.
In 1965, Toho and American producer Henry G. Saperstein teamed up for the first time on a kaiju film directed by Ishirō Honda, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. The movie, titled *Frankenstein vs. Baragon* (Japanese: フランケンシュタイン対地底怪獣バラゴン), follows scientists who study a strange boy that grows to giant size because his body resists radiation. At the same time, a burrowing monster called Baragon attacks rural areas. The cast includes Nick Adams, Kumi Mizuno, and Tadao Takashima, with Koji Furuhata playing Frankenstein and Haruo Nakajima as Baragon. Japan saw the theatrical release on August 8, 1965; in the United States, American International Pictures released it on July 8, 1966 under the title *Frankenstein Conquers the World*. A sequel, *The War of the Gargantuas*, followed on July 31, 1966.
The story begins near the end of World War II, when Nazi officers take the living heart of Frankenstein’s monster from Dr. Riesendorf and ship it by U-boat to the Imperial Japanese Navy. The heart ends up at a research facility in Hiroshima, but the atomic bomb dropped by the Enola Gay destroys the city before experiments can finish. Fifteen years later, a feral boy is seen catching and eating small animals in Hiroshima’s rebuilt streets. American scientist Dr. James Bowen, along with assistants Drs. Sueko Togami and Ken’ichiro Kawaji, finds the boy hiding in a beach cave. They care for him and learn he is becoming highly resistant to radiation.
Meanwhile, Kawaji—a former IJN officer who helped transport the heart—now works at an oil refinery in Akita Prefecture. An earthquake destroys the refinery, and he spots a non-human monster in a fissure before it vanishes. Bowen’s team discovers the boy is growing larger from protein intake. They lock him in a cage, but Sueko feeds him to keep him alive. Kawaji visits Bowen and suggests the boy might have grown from the Frankenstein heart, since the boy was seen in Hiroshima multiple times. Kawaji then consults Dr. Riesendorf in Frankfurt, who recommends cutting off a limb, predicting it will regrow. Sueko and Bowen oppose this.
Ignoring their objections, Kawaji tries to sever one of the now-giant boy’s limbs. A TV crew’s bright lights enrage Frankenstein, and he breaks free. After visiting Sueko at her apartment, he escapes Hiroshima and heads into the countryside. A severed hand is found still alive, confirming Riesend
- Directed by
- Ishirō Honda
- Special effects by
- Eiji Tsuburaya
- Starring
- Nick Adams, Kumi Mizuno, Tadao Takashima
- Release date (Japan)
- August 8, 1965
- Release date (United States)
- July 8, 1966 (as Frankenstein Conquers the World)
- Production companies
- Toho, Henry G. Saperstein (UPA)
- Followed by
- The War of the Gargantuas (July 31, 1966)
Lore & Background
The film's development began after Toho's King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962). Inspired by a story concept by John Meredyth Lucas, Toho conceived of Frankenstein vs. The Human Vapor, but writer Shinichi Sekizawa abandoned the idea due to lack of inspiration. In 1964, director Ishirō Honda traveled to the United States to finalize a co-production deal with Henry G. Saperstein's UPA, which included the right of final decision for Honda and allowed Saperstein to attach Hollywood actors. One of the films under the deal was originally Frankenstein vs. Godzilla, but a March 1965 draft replaced Godzilla with Baragon. The final draft from May 10, 1965 portrayed Frankenstein as less monstrous, with human characters fostering compassion for him. Honda criticized the inclusion of a kaiju, calling it 'convenient,' and originally wanted to explore the tragedy and immoral science behind Frankenstein.
Reader's Guide
Frankenstein vs. Baragon is significant as the first Toho-UPA co-production, marking a milestone in international kaiju filmmaking. It introduced the monster Baragon, who would later appear in other Toho films. The film's plot, involving a giant Frankenstein monster created from the irradiated heart of the original Frankenstein's monster, reflects Cold War anxieties about nuclear weapons and scientific hubris. The film was released in the United States as Frankenstein Conquers the World by American International Pictures. Its legacy includes influencing later giant-monster films and spawning a direct sequel, The War of the Gargantuas. The production also highlights the collaborative and sometimes contentious relationship between Japanese and American filmmakers during the 1960s.
Did You Know?
- The film was originally conceived as Frankenstein vs. Godzilla before Baragon replaced Godzilla in a March 1965 draft.
- Nick Adams delivered all his lines in English, while the rest of the cast spoke Japanese.
- Koji Furuhata, who played Frankenstein, wore green contact lenses and a flat-head prosthetic to emulate a Caucasian look.
- The film's development traces back to Willis H. O'Brien's abandoned King Kong vs. Frankenstein project, which led to King Kong vs. Godzilla.
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