On August 11, 1962, the screen’s two mightiest giants clashed in the battle of the century. Directed by Ishirō Honda with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya, KING KONG VS. GODZILLA (King Kongu tai Gojira, 1962) was equal parts monster movie and slapstick comedy, with a pinch of satire thrown into the mix. One of the most notable changes made for the film’s U.S. release was the replacement of nearly all of Akira Ifukube’s thunderous score with stock music from American B-movies. In honor of the picture’s 50th anniversary, some highlights from this splendid soundtrack are presented here.
0:00 Main Title
02:01 The Sparkling Iceberg
02:55 Pashin Commercial (Tadao Takashima, drums)
03:20 The Seahawk’s S.O.S.
05:17 Faro Island
06:05 The Natives
07:01 Thunder and the Devil
08:40 Fumiko’s Misgivings
09:19 Godzilla’s Resurrection
11:01 The Cry of the Devil
11:25 The Devil of the South Seas/Drums of Battle
14:45 Giant Octopus vs. King Kong
16:23 Preparation for Operation “Burial”
16:58 King Kong vs. Godzilla I
19:40 Preparation for Operation “One Million Volts”
20:04 Operation “One Million Volts” I
21:03 Kong Appears in Tokyo
23:09 The Plan to Rescue Fumiko II
25:54 The Plan to Transport King Kong
28:07 The Confrontation at Fuji
32:08 King Kong’s Resurrection
33:49 King Kong vs. Godzilla II
35:48 Ending
