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About This Film
Alternate Titles For This Film
Cast
Fun Facts
Photos
Cast:
Ken Utsui as Super Giant (Starman)
The Movies of Super Giant: Super Giant is a bit odd in many ways. In America, he is known as Starman. Super Giant started life in a Japanese series of short films from 1957 to 1959. This set of the original 9 films is often referred to as a serial. If it was, indeed, meant to be a serial it's certainly not like the format of American film serials. For one thing, each film of Super Giant (or chapter, if you prefer) is about 40-50 minutes long. Chapters of American film serials are typically at or under 20 minutes. This alleged serial was also spaced out over the course of two years, where American movie serials run only as many weeks as there are chapters (a different chapter being shown each week). Another unusual thing is that there are only 9 installments, compared to the standard 12 or 15 chapter format of American film serials. On the other hand, since each "chapter" of Super Giant is twice as long as an American serial chapter, one could say that it's the equivalent of 18 chapters, making it longer than American serials.
Super Giant ran for 9 short movies. In 1964, the movies were edited into feature-length, English language versions for American audiences. The original 9 films were put into 4 feature films. Upon American release, the character was named Starman. I think this was wise, as it was a more appropriate name for the character.
Starman (Super Giant) was Japan's first modern-day film superhero. Since that time, there have been scores of Japanese superhero movies, some better than others. The Super Giant movies were actually well-produced. The special effects are very decent for 1950s Japanese cinema, often better than the effects of American movies from that time. The flying sequences are especially well done. The character of Super Giant (Starman) seems to be heavily inspired by the George Reeves era of "Superman". He's a very positive, well-adjusted superhero, and a good role model for children. These movies are often poked at for being goofy or cheesy, but they're still really watchable. Good fun!
Alternate Titles For The Films:
Original Japan Films
Super Giant 1 (1957)
Atomic Rulers (1964)
Fun Facts:
Photos:
Ken Utsui as Super Giant (Starman)
The Movies of Super Giant: Super Giant is a bit odd in many ways. In America, he is known as Starman. Super Giant started life in a Japanese series of short films from 1957 to 1959. This set of the original 9 films is often referred to as a serial. If it was, indeed, meant to be a serial it's certainly not like the format of American film serials. For one thing, each film of Super Giant (or chapter, if you prefer) is about 40-50 minutes long. Chapters of American film serials are typically at or under 20 minutes. This alleged serial was also spaced out over the course of two years, where American movie serials run only as many weeks as there are chapters (a different chapter being shown each week). Another unusual thing is that there are only 9 installments, compared to the standard 12 or 15 chapter format of American film serials. On the other hand, since each "chapter" of Super Giant is twice as long as an American serial chapter, one could say that it's the equivalent of 18 chapters, making it longer than American serials.
Super Giant ran for 9 short movies. In 1964, the movies were edited into feature-length, English language versions for American audiences. The original 9 films were put into 4 feature films. Upon American release, the character was named Starman. I think this was wise, as it was a more appropriate name for the character.
Starman (Super Giant) was Japan's first modern-day film superhero. Since that time, there have been scores of Japanese superhero movies, some better than others. The Super Giant movies were actually well-produced. The special effects are very decent for 1950s Japanese cinema, often better than the effects of American movies from that time. The flying sequences are especially well done. The character of Super Giant (Starman) seems to be heavily inspired by the George Reeves era of "Superman". He's a very positive, well-adjusted superhero, and a good role model for children. These movies are often poked at for being goofy or cheesy, but they're still really watchable. Good fun!
Alternate Titles For The Films:
Original Japan Films
Super Giant 1 (1957)
- Kotetsu no kyojin [Japan; alternate title]
- The Steelman From Outer Space
- Supa jaiantsu [Japan; actual title]
- Rescue From Outer Space
- Zoku Kotetsu no kyojin [Japan; alternate title]
- Zoku supa jaiantsu [Japan; actual title]
- Zoku Super Giant
- Invaders From The Planets
- Kotetsu no kyojin- Kaiseijin no majo [Japan; alternate title]
- Supa jaiantsu- Kaiseijin no majo [Japan; actual title]
- The Earth in Danger
- Kotetsu no kyojin- Chikyu metsubo sunzen [Japan; alternate title]
- Supa jaiantsu- Chikyu metsubo sunzen [Japan; actual title]
- Kotetsu no kyojin- Jinko eisei to jinrui no
hametsu [Japan; alternate title]
- Spaceship of Human Destruction
- Supa jaiantsu- Jinko eisei to jinrui no hametsu
[Japan; actual title]
- Destruction of the Space Fleet
- Kotetsu no kyojin- Uchutei to jinko eisei gekitotsu [Japan; alternate title]
- Supa jaiantsu- Uchetei to jinko eisei gekitotsu [Japan; actual title]
- Spacemen Appear
- Supa jaiantsu- Uchu kaijin shutsugen [Japan; actual title]
- The Devil Incarnate
- Super Giants Continues: The Devil Incarnate [Literal English title]
- Zoku supa jaiantsu- Akuma no keshin [Japan; actual title]
- Kingdom of Poison Moth
- Zoku supa jaiantsu- Dokuga Okoku [Japan; actual title]
Atomic Rulers (1964)
- Atomic Rulers of the World
- Attack of the Flying Saucers
- Super Giant 1 & 2
- Super Giant 5 & 6
- Super Giant vs. the Satellites
- Super Giant 3 & 4
- Super Giant 7, 8 & 9 [Japan; alternate title]
Fun Facts:
- Supa jaiantsu (Super Giant, Starman) is the first modernized film superhero to come from Japan.
- Super Giant is also the first live-action
Japanese superhero, period.
- In France, this character is known as Spaceman.
- The first live-action TV superhero from Japan, known as "Moonlight Mask", debuted the next year.
- Japan's alternate name for Super Giant (Supa jaiantsu) was "Giant of Steel" (Kotetsu no kyojin).
- Ken Utsui reportedly hated the role of Super Giant, and refuses to talk about it to this day. One reason is the overstuffed crotch area. The producers thought women were attracted to "big" men, so they stuffed the crotch full of cotton. It was pretty embarrassing for Ken, but it didn't stop audiences from loving these movies. Super Giant was a hit in Japan.
- Shintoho is the company that produced the Super Giant films.
- An American company, Walter Manley Enterprises, purchased the international rights to Starman. With Medallion Films, they repackaged the nine short movies into the four feature-length movies that most American audiences know.
- Titra Studios in New York City handled the
English overdubs for the Starman movies. Many of the voice actors
were common to dubbed movies of the time, including Peter Fernandez.
Photos: