REST IN PEACE: YUMI ITO OF "THE PEANUTS" APRIL 1, 1941 - MAY 18, 2016

ザ•ピーナッツの伊藤ユミさん死去


Yumi (right) and Emi from the Weekly Yomiuri, September 9, 1972.

The sad news was just released that the former singer has now been reunited with her twin sister Emi, who passed away four years ago. Japanese media traditionally respects the privacy of the families of celebrities when it comes to their passing, so the media withheld this from the public until the family agreed to make a formal statement, and was issued by a representative of Watanabe Productions, their former management company.


One of their first magazine covers, Mainichi Graphic (June 28, 1959).

Yumi Ito (born Tsukiko Ito) was the melodic vocalist of The Peanuts, while Emi, held down the harmonies. When they started out, the sisters sang the melodies together, until they signed with Watanabe Productions. Even though they were technically identical, the twins could be readily told apart as Emi had distinctive, trademark moles by her eyes. During their early career, Yumi would have false moles applied, so they would appear more identical.


Their debut 45 Single, "Kawaii Hana", released April 1959.

From the years 1959 through 1975, they were known as the world-famous pop duo, "The Peanuts". Discovered as "The Ito Sisters" in a Nagoya restaurant, they released their first hit single, "Kawaii Hana" (Pretty Flower) in April 1959, a lyrical version of Sidney Bechet's "Petite Fleur". Between that July and December, they appeared in five films for as many studios, debuting in THE WONDERFUL AGE OF 19 for Shochiku and BASTARDS IN A CAGE for Toho.


The original Single for "The Daughters of Infant", issued in 1961.

While they are perhaps best known in the States for Toho's spectacle, MOTHRA (1961), by the time Ishiro Honda's film went into production, The Peanuts were already veterans of seventeen feature films, two weekly television variety shows, and a weekly radio show. They would reprise their role as the "Little Beauties" for MOTHRA VS. GODZILLA and THE GREATEST BATTLE ON EARTH, both released in 1964. Further appearances of the "Little Beauties" employed pale substitutes.


First issue of "The Song of Mothra"/"The Daughters of Infant", 1978.

While the song, "The Daughters of Infant", was the first Single release in conjunction with MOTHRA, back in late 1961, it wasn't the original recording from the movie. The Single was arranged and conducted by Hiroshi Miyagawa, their constant collaborator, who went on to world fame for his music to the Space Battleship Yamato franchise. Both of the songs from the film, by Yuji Koseki, weren't issued on any release until 1978 — three years after The Peanuts retired.


With the cast of "Rawhide" (Brinegar, Fleming, and Eastwood), 1962.

The Peanuts were my first introduction to Japanese pop music, which was only reinforced by my Aunt Camille, who gifted me a big stack of colored wax of early '60s J-Pop, bought while she and her husband were stationed in Japan. She saw my obsession with Japan and made it grow with these 45 Singles. But, The Peanuts are magic, their vocal harmonies during the final curtain in MOTHRA, still raises goosebumps on me to this day. Now, I can't believe they're gone.


Yumi (left) and Emi in Daiei's musical LEAPING LADY DAIMYO, 1961.

After retiring from singing in 1975, Yumi turned her career towards another passion: fashion design. And while the women whose voices sang, beautiful, wondrous melodies and harmonies, have left us to be joined together in the next world, those of us left behind still hold now the incredible gift of their lovely voices recorded for all and our posterity to come. Yumi Ito was 75 years old.

"MOTHRA" OVER FRISCO BAY ON MOTHER'S DAY! Ishiro Honda's Classic Screening on May 12th

見よ、『モスラ』サンフランシスコ湾に現わる！


Original Japanese release poster for MOTHRA ('natch)! ©Toho, 1961

IMAGINE A MONSTER SO HUGE IT BLACKENED THE SKY! Join me as I host "Thrillville Theater" on Sunday, May 12th at The New Parkway in Oakland for a special screening of the uncut Japanese version of Ishiro Honda's 1961 spectacle, MOTHRA (w/English Subtitles)! I will blab about the film, share rare, behind-the-scenes images, and more! SEE! Eiji Tsuburaya's momentous miniature work as the featured creature smashes all in it's wake for the sake of the tiniest women in all creation! PLUS: Everyone attending will receive special Mothra door prizes (while supplies last) and Kimono My House will be on hand with a megaton of Mothra and Kaiju merchandize for sale! There will be only one screening, starting at 6:00 pm, so don't miss this night of food, beer, wine, couches, and MOTHRA at The New Parkway, 474 24th Street (near Telegraph), Oakland, California! Admission is only $6.00 (cheap) — order advance tix online from Brown Paper Tickets!

(Mothballs not included.)

Check in over at our Facebook Event Invite page!

THE GREEN HORNET & THE LITTLE BEAUTIES! Trumpeter Al Hirt Meets The Peanuts

Fun at the "Grand Gala du Disque" awards, Netherlands, 1966.

「三大怪獣・地球最大の決戦」GHIDRAH: THE THREE-HEADED MONSTER (1964)

Publicity photoshoot blue color design for King Ghidorah.

GHIDRAH: THE THREE-HEADED MONSTER

San Daikaiju Chikyu Saidai-no Kessen, Toho, 1964, 85 minutes
Director ISHIRO HONDA • Visual Effects Director EIJI TSUBURAYA

"Three Giant Monsters: The Greatest Battle on Earth" (the film's Japanese title) was planned to feature all three of their biggest monster stars, Godzilla, Rodan and Mothra, who would team up to fight a new, and extraterrestrial menace. With the aim to appeal to general audiences, the narrative takes on a fairy tale-style approach, and while it is far more light-hearted than MOTHRA VS. GODZILLA, it rather compliments the Honda-Tsuburaya film that preceded it into theaters, DOGORA: THE SPACE MONSTER (all released the same year), although it features one of the greatest monsters in all cinema.

Shinichi Sekizawa's screenplay is more fantasy-oriented, centering on an Eastern princess (a descendant of aliens) marked for assassination, and written to appeal to a broader audience than the previous films. Honda said to the late Guy Tucker, "When I make a monster film, I never think that it will be for children. I want to imagine and express a story [to a wide audience], but it's always children who are the most interested." While the other monsters are portrayed fairly de rigueur during the most of the film, they suddenly become anthropomorphic, "I don't think that monsters should be comical characters, the audience is more entertained when [the monsters] strike fear in the hearts of the [human] characters." But, despite this, Honda effortlessly sweeps the audience into the story, with assured and swift direction.

Then, there’s the star of the film. Perhaps the most inspired creature the studio ever conceived, King Ghidorah was the idea of scenarist Sekizawa, who only described the monster as having "three heads, two tails, and a metallic roar like a bell." Akira Watanabe, whose sketches combined the mythical Yamata-no-Orochi from Japanese legend and traditional Chinese Dragons, were faithfully brought to life by the prosthetic crew in Toho’s Visual Effects Department, designed the realization of King Ghidorah. According to legend, the triple threat was conceived to be a menacing crimson, while gold was favored by visual effects director, Eiji Tsuburaya. In color publicity photos after the suit was completed, he was painted blue, with red, gold, and blue-striped wings, but it was decided that blue would become problematic with Blue Screen matte process. There've been many conflicting stories concerning this, and no definitive answer, so far. Regardless, the interplanetary invader created such an impact on audiences, that it has since remained one of the most popular monsters ever created by Toho.

Yosuke Natsuki (b.1936), who had just come off of Honda's DOGORA, top-lines the cast as Detective Shindo. A former model, Natsuki, was preened as one of Toho’s new, young leads, and made a number of films in the 1960s. But, he wasn’t a flash-in-the-pan, either, and starred in numerous popular television series, such as G-MEN ’75 (1975-82). Almost twenty years after GHIDRAH, Natsuki returned to the kaiju eiga with Koji Hashimoto’s THE RETURN OF GODZILLA (1984) and more recently in Minoru Kawasaki’s MONSTER X STRIKES BACK: ATTACK THE G-8 SUMMIT (2008) - he also provided the voice of Commander DEUS in ULTRASEVEN X (2007). Still quite active, the veteran actor recently scored important roles in François Rotger’s THE PASSENGER (2005) and Shunichi Nagasaki’s BLACK BELT (2007).

The spunky, and very in-demand, Yuriko Hoshi (WARRING CLANS) stars as Shindo's sister, Naoko, an investigative reporter for a series called "Mysteries of the 20th Century." Ozu regular, Hiroshi Koizumi (DAUGHTERS, WIVES AND A MOTHER), once again plays the scientist, a geologist named "Professor Murai" (both actors seemingly carried over from their similar roles in MOTHRA VS. GODZILLA). The beautiful Akiko Wakabayashi (BANDITS ON THE WIND) plays the unifying character, "Princess Salno," who went on to appear in YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE (1967). Her only starring role was in Luigi Filippo D'Amico’s AKIKO (1961). Originally, the assassin "Malmess" was to be played by actor Yoshio Tsuchiya (FUNERAL PROCESSION OF ROSES), but was held up on the lagging production of Akira Kurosawa's RED BEARD, and was replaced by character actor Hisaya Ito (A WOMAN’S LIFE).

Many of Tsuburaya's visual effects for the picture are thrilling, such as the birth of King Ghidorah, its awesome destruction of Yokohama and Tokyo, and the first battle between Godzilla and Rodan. His work here is as good as seen in MOTHRA VS. GODZILLA - with fantastic long shots of Godzilla and Rodan engaged in mortal combat - until battle reaches the slopes of Mt. Fuji. Here, the scenes between Godzilla and Rodan become static and stagey, oddly juxtaposed with fantastic shots of King Ghidorah’s wonton rampage, until Godzilla, Rodan and Mothra unite to drive off the interloper. The difference is somewhat jarring from the first half of the film, but Tsuburaya believed that this humanizing of the monsters would win over audiences.

Honda said, "I was hesitant to let Mothra act as the mediator... I felt that the monsters... were far too humanized." While the increasing anthropomorphic behavior of the colossi in the last quarter of the film seems to lower the bar that was set with MOTHRA VS. GODZILLA - it still doesn’t lower the entertainment value as a whole. Carried along by Maestro Akira Ifukube's wonderful fairy tale score (including a memorable song from The Peanuts), the visual treats of Tsuburaya, and the magnificence of King Ghidorah, GHIDRAH: THE THREE-HEADED MONSTER (the film's US title), is not only a memorable entry in the series, but also one of the most entertaining films of the kaiju eiga.

Executive Producer TOMOYUKI TANAKA Screenplay SHINICHI SEKIZAWA Production Design TAKEO KITA Cinematography HAJIME KOIZUMI Music AKIRA IFUKUBE Visual Effects Production Design AKIRA WATANABE Visual Effects Photography SADAMASA ARIKAWA [US Version] Additional Music and Sound Effects FILMSCORES INC. English Dialogue JOE BELLUCI Post-production Consultant RAY ANGUS

Starring YOSUKE NATSUKI (Detective Shindo) YURIKO HOSHI (Naoko Shindo) HIROSHI KOIZUMI (Professor Murai) AKIKO WAKABAYASHI (Princess Salno) HISAYA ITO (Malmess) AKIHIKO HIRATA (Chief Detective Okita) THE PEANUTS: EMI and YUMI ITO (The Little Beauties) and TAKASHI SHIMURA (Dr. Tsukamoto)

モスラ MOTHRA (1961)

Staggering detail-perfect miniature of the Shibuya Ward in MOTHRA.

MOTHRA
Mosura (Toho, 1961), 101 minutes
Director ISHIRO HONDA • Director of Visual Effects EIJI TSUBURAYA

At the time of its production, MOTHRA was Toho's largest scale kaiju eiga (monster movie) made during the Golden Age, starting with GODZILLA and refined with RODAN. The studio solicited three novelists to each write one-third of a story, based on the treatment for the film, and serialized in the Weekly Asahi. Screenwriter Sekizawa only took basic cues from the short story, added the fairy tale atmosphere, and created a wonderful synergy between the three main characters. The climax in the fictional "New Kirk City" (a hybrid of San Francisco and NYC) was not in the original screenplay, but was commissioned by Columbia Pictures, due to the success of their Stateside releases of THE H-MAN (1958) and BATTLE IN OUTER SPACE (1959). The original ending was already shot and was jettisoned in favor of this new climax, which added far greater scope to the film.

A major element of MOTHRA is the wondrous and beautiful score by seasoned composer Yuji Koseki (1908-1989), who occasionally wrote film music (TOWER OF LILLIES), but whose career concentrated on penning hit songs for Nippon Columbia's pop stars. Koseki was not only chosen because of his previous work with pop sensation The Peanuts (twins Yumi and Emi Ito, who were cast as the "Little Beauties"), but because the film is essentially operatic — the music is an integral part of the story. Koseki had been instrumental in writing The Peanuts' biggest hits, and penned their songs for MOTHRA, "The Song of Mothra" (lyrics by Koji Yuki*) and "The Daughters of Infant Island" (lyrics by Susumu Ike*). Koseki and The Peanuts were the perfect choice for MOTHRA, as its fairly tale setting could have been lost in the heavy compositions of Akira Ifukube.

Tsuburaya's team had their work cut out for them, with the scope and size of the miniature sets needed, as well the sheer number of effects sequences required by the screenplay. The Minato Ward, landmarked by the massive Tokyo Tower, was the most enormous miniature set ever built at the time, and accurate, right down to the last house (in 1/100 scale to accommodate the four foot-long mechanical prop of the caterpillar). Other scenes of the caterpillar wrecking havoc was accomplished with a nearly thirty foot-long "costume," needing seven operators (with veteran monster suit actor Haruo "Godzilla" Nakajima in the lead). The sequence where Mothra thrashes the Shibuya Ward (and it's train station in glorious 1/20-scale) is now fully restored in this presentation. The volume and detail of the visual effects are pure motion picture spectacle — and 43 years after it's first release, is still awe-inspiring in its scope, craftsmanship and sheer audacity.

MOTHRA was a massive hit, selling over sold over nine million tickets (impressive for a country smaller than California). There is much to appreciate about viewing MOTHRA, but it is also the vital lynchpin in the development of the genre. No kaiju eiga, before or since, has touched its size and magnitude — a film like MOTHRA simply could not be produced today. Sekizawa's witty screenplay, spot-on acting from leads Frankie Sakai (SHOGUN), Kyoko Kagawa (HIGH AND LOW), Hiroshi Koizumi (LATE CHRYSANTHEMUMS) and Jerry Ito (YOU CAN SUCCEED, TOO), the wonderful vocals by The Peanuts, inspired direction by Honda and the visual detail of Tsuburaya, make MOTHRA irresistible entertainment — and one of the finest films ever produced by Toho Motion Picture Company.


Executive Producer TOMOYUKI TANAKA Screenplay SHINICHI SEKIZAWA (based on the stories by Shinichiro Nakamura, Takehiko Fukunaga and Yoshie Hotta) Production Design TAKEO KITA and TERUAKI ABE Cinematography HAJIME KOIZUMI Film Editor KAZUJI TAIRA Music YUJI KOSEKI Sound Effects ICHIRO MINAWA Visual Effects Production Design AKIRA WATANABE Optical Photography YUKIO MANODA Visual Effects Photography SADAMASA ARIKAWA

Starring FRANKIE SAKAI (Senichiro Fukuda, Nitto News Reporter) KYOKO KAGAWA (Michi Hanamura, Nitto News Photographer) HIROSHI KOIZUMI (Dr. Shinichi Chujo) KEN UEHARA (Dr. Harada) JERRY ITO (Clark Nelson) YUMI and EMI ITO (Little Beauties) AKIHIRO TAYAMA (Shinji Chujo) SATOSHI NAKAMURA (Nelson's Henchman) OSMAN "JOHNNY" YUSEF (Nelson's Henchman) OBER WYATT (Dr. Roth) ROBERT DUNHAM (New Kirk City Police Chief) ED KEANE (New Kirk City Mayor) and TAKASHI SHIMURA (Amano, Nitto News Editor)

*"Koji Yuki" was the pen name for Tomoyuki Tanaka, Ishiro Honda and Shinichi Sekizawa. "Susumu Ike" was the pen name of Koji Kajita, who was generally Honda's chief assistant director.

MOTHRA plays with BATTLE IN OUTER SPACE at Landmark's Clay Theater in San Francisco on March 20th as part of "Monsters of Mass Destruction: A Tribute to Eiji Tsuburaya" at 3:30 & 7:30 PM