Saturday, February 19, 2005
2/19: Today in G-History
1912: SENKICHI TANIGUCHI, who directed "The Lost World of Sinbad", is born in Tokyo. He also directed "International Secret Police: Key of Keys" ("What's Up, Tiger Lily?") and "The Killing Bottle".
1915: FRED FREIBERGER, who co-wrote "The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms", is born in New York City.
1946: HIROSHI FUJIOKA, who played Takeshi Hongo a.k.a. Masked Rider #1 on "Kamen Rider" and its films and follwups "Kamen Rider vs. Shocker", "Kamen Rider vs. Hell’s Ambassador", "Kamen Rider V3", "Kamen Rider V3 vs. Destron", "5 Kamen Riders vs. King Dark", "Kamen Rider 10's Birth! Riders Unite!", and "Kamen Rider Black RX", is born. He was also in "Tidal Wave", "The Last Days of
Planet Earth", Yoshio Tamura in "ESPY", the narrator in the Japanese version of "Ultraman: Towards the Future", and "Orochi the Eight Headed Dragon".
1967: Episode 32 of "Ultraman", "The Endless Counterattack", debuts on Japanese TV.
1968: Episode 21 of "Monster Prince", "Operation of the Sacrificed Bait", debuts on Japanese TV.
1972: Episode 10 of "Spectreman", "Stop the Monster Train!", debuts on Japanese TV.
Episode 47 of "Kamen Rider", "Calling Death, Ice Devil Totogira", debuts on Japanese TV.
1974: Episode 20 of "Inazuman" debuts on Japanese TV.
1977: Episode 81 of "Secret Task Force Goranger", "Black Suspicion!! Trap of the Homicidal Spy", debuts on Japanese TV.
1989: Episode 16 of "Kamen Rider Black RX", "The Princess of the Valley of Miracles", debuts on Japanese TV.
1993: "Gosei Sentai Dairenjaa" ("Five Star Task Force Dairanger") premieres on Japanese TV with Episode 1, "Transformation!".
2000: Episode 123 of "Godzilla: The Series", "Shafted", premieres on Fox.
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Friday, February 18, 2005
2/18: Today in G-History
1918: DAISUKE KATO, who was in "The Three Treasures", is born. He appeared in some of Japan's greatest films --"Rashomon", "Ikiru", "The Seven Samurai", "Samurai II: Duel at Ichijoji Temple", "Samurai III: Duel at Ganryu Island", and "Yojimbo". He died of colon cancer in July, 1975.
1920: JACK PALANCE, who played Travis in "Solar Crisis", is born Vladimir Palanuik in Lattimer, Penn. Winning an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for "City Slickers" and an Emmy winner for "Requeim for a Heavyweight" on "Playhouse 90", his films included "Panic in the Streets", "Halls of Montezuma", "Sudden Fear", "Shane", "The Silver Chalice", "The Big Knife", "I Died a Thousand Times", "The Lonely Man", "The Man Inside", "Sword of the Conqueror", "The Mongols", "Warriors Five", "Contempt", "The Professionals", "The Desperados", "Che!" (as Fidel Castro), "The McMasters", "Monte Walsh", "Oklahoma Crude", "Cocaine Cowboys", "Badgad Café", "Batman", "Cops and Robbersons", and "City Slickers 2: The Legend of Curly's Gold".
1925: GEORGE KENNEDY, who played Admiral Conway in "Virus", is born in New York City. He won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for "Cool Hand Luke", and was also in "The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come", "Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte", "Lonely Are the Brave", "Charade", "Strait-Jacket", "McHale’s Navy", "In Harm’s Way", "The Sons of Katie Elder", "The Flight of the Phoenix", "Hurry Sundown", "The Dirty Dozen", "The Boston Strangler", "Airport", "Earthquake", "Thunderbolt and Lightfoot", "The Eiger Sanction", "Death on the Nile", "Modern Romance", "Bolero", "The Delta Force", "Radioactive Dreams", "Nightmare at Noon", "Cats Don’t Dance", "Small Soldiers", and the "Naked Gun" series.
1940: ATSUO NAKAMURA, who played Katsuhiko in "The Vampire Doll", is born in Tokyo. He currently serves as a member of the House of Councilors.
1961: HIRONOBU KAGEYAMA, who sang the themes for "Blitzkrieg Task Force Changeman", "Aura Task Force Maskman", and "Icarus Task Force Jetman", and composed the themes to "Ultraman Tiga & Ultraman Dyna", and "Voiceslugger", is born in Osaka. He also sang the songs for "Transformers: The Headmasters" and “Dragonball Z”.
1968: Episode 20 of "Ultra Seven", "Smash Epicenter X" (a.k.a. "The Quakemakers"), debuts on Japanese TV.
1975: SARAH BROWN, who played Kaitlin Star on "V.R. Troopers", is born in Eureka, Calif. She also appeared on "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers" and played Heather on "Power Rangers Zeo", and was married to producer Shuki Levy.
1978: YUJI KIDO, who played Ayase a.k.a. Time Blue on "Future Task Force Timeranger", is born.
1989: Episode 49, the final episode of "Super Animal Task Force Liveman", debuts on Japanese TV.
1994: JOE PANTOLIANO, the voice of Animal Palotti on "Godzilla: The Series", marries Nancy Sheppard.
1996: Episode 52 of "Heavy Armored: Beetle Fighter", "Fight! 3 Great Heroes", debuts on Japanese TV.
1998: Episode 112 of "South Park", "Mecha-Streisand", debuts on Comedy Central.
2001: "Hyakuju sentai Gaorenjaa" ("Hundred Beast Task Force Gaoranger") premieres on Japanese TV with Episode 1, "A Lion Which Runs".
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Thursday, February 17, 2005
2/17: Today in G-History
1902: GANJIRO NAKAMURA, who was in "The Three Treasures" and the publisher in the "In a Cup of Tea" segment of "Kwaidan", is born Yoshio Hayashi in Osaka.
1905: POUL BANG, who co-directed "Reptilicus", is born in Denmark.
1913: DAVID DUNCAN, who wrote the U.S. version of "Rodan", is born. He also wrote the screenplay for "The Time Machine".
1923: JUN FUKUDA is born in Manshu, Korea. Beginning as an assistant director on movies like "Rodan", he directed "The Secret of the Telegian", "Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster", "Son of Godzilla", "Godzilla on Monster Island", "Godzilla vs. Megalon", "Godzilla vs. the Cosmic Monster", "E.S.P.Y.", "The War in Space", and episodes of "Zone Fighter" and other Japanese TV shows. His non-genre credits include "Playing with Fire", "Witness Killed", "The Weed of Crime", "100 Shot 100 Killed", "Great Space Adventure", and several "Young Guy" movies.
KIHACHI OKAMOTO, chief assistant director on "Half Human: The Story of the Abominable Snowman", is born Kihachiro Okamoto. He went on to write/direct such films as "Desperate Outpost", "Boss of the Underworld", "100 Shot 100 Killed", "The Age of Assassins", and "Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo".
1939: MINAKO OSANAI, who played Yuzare on "Ultraman Tiga", is born.
1949: REIKO TAJIMA, who played Saeko Kaneshiro in "Godzilla vs. the Cosmic Monster" and an M38 alien in "Gamera, Super Monster", is born in Tokyo.
1955: SHUN SUGATA, who played Ryo Murasama a.k.a. Kamen Rider ZX in "Kamen Rider 10’s Birth! Riders Unite!" and Matsuda in "Alive", is born in Yamanashi, Japan. He was also on "Special Investigator Janperson".
1965: VOLKER ENGEL, visual effects supervisor on "Godzilla", is born in Bremerhaven, Germany. He also worked on "Universal Soldier" and "Independence Day".
1972: BILLIE JOE ARMSTRONG, lead singer and guitarist for Green Day, who performed "Brain Stew" on the "Godzilla" sountrack, is born in Rodeo, Calif.
1973: "Kamen Raidaa bui surii" ("Masked Rider V3") premieres on Japanese TV with Episode 1, "Rider Number 3 — That Name is V3!".
Episode 32 of "Kikaida", "Blue Electric Eel the Evil Hands Glisten", debuts on Japanese TV.
Episode 47 of "Vigilante Lion Maru", "The Coffin of Hell — Monster Jenman", debuts on Japanese TV.
1977: EDWARD G. BOYLE, set decorator for "The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms", dies in Hollywood, Calif.
1979: Episode 3 of "Battle Fever J" debuts on Japanese TV.
1990: MARC CLEMENT, who played a crew chief in "King Kong Lives", dies.
2002: "Ninpuu Sentai Hurikenjaa" ("Stealth Wind Task Force Hurricanger") premieres on Japanese TV.
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Wednesday, February 16, 2005
2/16: Today in G-History
1901: KOJI SHIMA, who directed "Warning from Space", is born in Nagasaki.
1916: AAGE WILTRUP, cinematographer for "Reptilicus", is born in Copenhagen.
1931: KEN TAKAKURA, who played Captain Tokushima in "Mount Hakkoda", is born Oda Toshimasa in Kita-Kyushu City, Japan.
1948: KIM JONG-IL, leader of North Korea and executive producer of "Pulgasary", is born in Khabarovsk, U.S.S.R.
1951: YUMI TAKIGAWA, who played Nurse Noriko in "Virus" and was in "Deathquake", is born in Tokyo.
1955: SHIRO IZUMI, who played Change Pegasus on "Blitzkrieg Task Force Changeman", is born.
1972: NAOMI NISHIDA, who played reporter Yuki Ichinose in "Godzilla 2000", is born in Hiroshima. Her other films include "School of Ghosts 2", "School of Ghosts 3", "Secret Garden", "Begging for Love", and "Navie’s Love".
1973: Episode 20 of "Warrior of Love Rainbowman", "Abandon Operation M!!", debuts on Japanese TV.
Episode 46 of "Transforming Ninja Arashi" debuts on Japanese TV.
1974: "Kamen Raidaa ekkusu" a.k.a. "Kamen Rider X" premieres on Japanese TV with Episode 1, "X! X! Rider’s Birth".
Episode 40 of "Kikaida 01", "Escape! The Frozen Bijinder Hangs By a Thread", debuts on Japanese TV.
Episode 20 of "Ironman Tiger Seven", "Challenge of the Gunfighter Rat-Monster", debuts on Japanese TV.
1976: JO ODAGIRI, who played Yuusuke Godai a.k.a. "Kamen Rider Kuuga", is born in Tsuyama City, Okayama Prefecture, Japan.
1977: HINAKO SAEKI, who played Misa Kuroi in "Wizard of Darkness: The Series" and "Misa the Dark Angel", Sadako Yamamura in "The Spiral", and a ropeway guest in "Godzilla, Mothra, King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack", is born in Nara, Japan. She made her acting debut in "It's a Summer Vacation Everyday".
1990: Episode 51, the final episode of "High Speed Task Force Turboranger", debuts on Japanese TV.
1996: TORU TAKEMITSU, who was the composer on "Kwaidan", dies.
Episode 46 of "Superpower Task Force Ohranger" debuts on Japanese TV.
2000: SANDRA SHAW, who played the girl dropped by "King Kong", dies of natural causes in New York City. Born Veronica Balfe in 1914, she was married to Gary Cooper.
2003: "Bakuryu sentai Abarenjaa" ("Blast Dragon Task Force Abaranger") premieres on Japanese TV.
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Tuesday, February 15, 2005
2/15: Today in G-History
1906: BORGE MOLLER GRIMSTRUP, who played a farmer in "Reptilicus", is born in Timring, Denmark.
1907: CESAR ROMERO, who played Malic in "Latitude Zero", is born in New York City. Originally frequently playing "Latin lover" types in Hollywood musicals and adventures, appearing in "The Thin Man", "The Devil Is a Woman", "Show Them No Mercy!", "Wee Willie Winkie", "Frontier Marshal", "Springtime in the Rockies", "Captain from Castile", "Julia Misbehaves", "Ocean’s 11", "Now You See Him, Now You Don't", "The Strongest Man in the World", and "Falcon Crest", Romero became best known as the Joker in the "Batman" TV series.
1911: KIMIYOSHI YASUDA, who directed "Daimajin", "Yokai Monsters — 100 Monsters", and "Yokai Monsters — Along with Ghosts", is born in Tokyo. He also helmed many "Zatoichi" and "Kyoshiro Nemuri" films. He died in 1983.
1915: FRED FREIBERGER, who co-wrote "The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms", is born in New York City.
1922: POUL THOMSEN, who was in "Reptilicus", is born Johannes Poul Thomsen in Praesto, Denmark.
1938: KOJIRO HONGO is born in Okayama, Japan. He starred as Shaki in "The Whale God", Keisuke Hirata in "Gamera vs. Barugon", Shiro Tsutsumi in "Gamera vs. Gaos", "Destroy All Planets", and Lord Juro in "Wrath of Daimajin", and the captain of the Nojima in "Gamera, the Guardian of the Universe". His other credits include "Buddha", "Kaidan Botandoro", "Yokai Monsters: Along with Ghosts", and "The Haunted Castle".
1942: MASAOMI KONDO, who will be in the remake of “Yokai daisenso”, is born in Kyoto.
1955: YOSHINORI OKAMOTO, who played Bio-Hunter Silver on "Super Electron Bioman", Buba on "Blitzkrieg Task Force Changeman", Bo Gadan on "Super Nova Flashman", Oyobu on "Aura Task Force Maskman", and Ashura on "Super Animal Task Force Liveman", is born. He also worked on "Secret Task Force Goranger", "JAKQ Blitzkrieg Squad", "Space Sheriff Sharivan", "Shaider", "Dinosaur Task Force Zyuranger", "Five Star Task Force Dairanger", and "Future Task Force Timeranger".
1969: MANTARO KOICHI, who played the town hall moderator in "Ringu", is born in Osaka.
1975: Episode 18 of "Kamen Rider Amazon", "The Terror of Zero! The Massive Earthquake Strategy!!", debuts on Japanese TV.
1980: Episode 20 of "Sky Rider" debuts on Japanese TV.
JIRO NITTA, who wrote the novel "Mount Hakkoda", dies.
1990: "Godzilla vs. Biollante" is released in South Korea.
1991: "Chojin sentai Jetman" ("Birdman" or "Icarus Task Force Jetman") premieres on Japanese TV.
1994: MARY ANN HOKANSON, who pyed Mrs. Thomas Lodge in "Them!", dies in La Jolla, Calif.
1998: Episode 51, the final episode of "Electromagnetic Task Force Megaranger", "We'll Get 'Em! Our Graduation Diplomas", debuts on Japanese TV.
2004: "Tokuso sentai Dekarenjaa" ("Special Investigating Task Force Dekaranger") premieres on Japanese TV.
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Monday, February 14, 2005
2/14: Today in G-History
No year given: T.J. STORM, who played Doom Master on "V.R. Troopers", is born Juan Ojeda in Indiana.
1896: WERNER R. HEYMANN, who composed stock music used in "20 Million Miles to Earth", is born in Koenigsburg, Prussia. He died in May, 1961.
1915: SHIGERU KOMATSUZAGI, who did production design and storyboards for "The Mysterians", "Battle in Outer Space", "Mothra", "The Last War", "Attack of the Mushroom People", "Atragon", and "Dogora the Space Monster", is born in Tokyo. He later became an acclaimed model kit designer.
1916: MASAKI KOBAYASHI, who directed "Kwaidan", is born in Hokkaido.
JOSEPH O'CONOR, who played Professor Hendricks in "Gorgo", is born in Dublin, Ireland.
1929: VIC MORROW, who played General Garuda in "Message from Space", is born in The Bronx, N.Y. The star of the TV series "Combat!", his films include "The Blackboard Jungle", "Dirty Mary Crazy Larry", "Treasure of Matecumbe", "The Bad News Bears", and "Twilight Zone: The Movie".
1942: YOICHI HAYASHI, who played an attendant in "Kwaidan", is born in Hyogo, Japan.
1976: Episode 40 of "Secret Task Force Goranger" debuts on Japanese TV.
1988: Episode 19 of "Kamen Rider Black" debuts on Japanese TV.
1992: Episode 51, the final episode of "Birdman Task Force Jetman", "Farewell Birdmen", debuts on Japanese TV.
1999: Episode 50, the final episode of "Star Beast Task Force Gingaman", "Legend of Tomorrow", debuts on Japanese TV.
2002: "Gargantua" premieres in France.
2003: "Dark Water" is released in Spain.
2004: "Power Rangers Dino Thunder" premieres on ABC Family.
“Zebraman” is released in Japan.
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Sunday, February 13, 2005
2/13: Today in G-History
1929: FRANKIE SAKAI is born Masatoshi Sakai in Kagoshima City, Japan. Best known to G-fans as reporter Tsinchan "Bulldog" Fukuda in "Mothra", Sakai's other roles include the father in "The Last War", Lord Yabo in the miniseries "Shogun", and won a Japanese Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for "Shakuhachi", as well as roles in the "Shacho" and "Train Station" series and a number of ghost comedies.
1943: LEO MORIMOTO, who was in "Mikadroid", is born in Aichi, Japan.
1944: BO SVENSON, who played Maj. Carter in "Virus", is born in Goteborg, Sweden. He was in the TV movies "Maurie", "Frankenstein" (as the monster), "Target Risk", and "Snowbeast", and the films "Maurie", "The Great Waldo Pepper", "Walking Tall Part II", "Inglorious Bastards", "North Dallas Forty", "The Delta Force", "Heartbreak Ridge", "Curse II: The Bite", "Beyond the Door III", "Savage Land", and "Solitude Point".
1966: Episode 7 of "Ultra Q", "S.O.S. Mt. Fuji", debuts on Japanese TV.
1967: Episode 33 of "Space Giants", "Terror of Mysterious Insect Pidora" a.k.a. "The Mini-Beings", debuts on Japanese TV.
1971: Episode 7 of "Spectreman", "The Black Terror", debuts on Japanese TV.
1981: Episode 17 of "Kamen Rider Super-1" debuts on Japanese TV.
1999: Episode 115 of "Godzilla: The Series", "Monster War (Part 1)", premieres on Fox.
2000: "Mirai Sentai Timeranger" ("Future Task Force Timeranger") premieres on Japanese TV.
Episode 3 of "Kamen Rider Kuuga", "Tokyo", debuts on Japanese TV.
2003: STACY KEACH SR., who was the voice of Walter on "Ultraman: The Adventure Begins", dies of congestive heart failure in Burbank, Calif.
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