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lead=yes was a Japanese film producer, best known as the creator of Godzilla. He produced most of the installments in the Godzilla series, beginning in 1954 with Godzilla and ending in 1995 with Godzilla vs. Destoroyah. He was one of the most prolific Japanese producers of all time, having worked on more than 200 films, including over 80 tokusatsu films and six of Akira Kurosawa's films, notably Yojimbo and Kagemusha.
Tanaka left Toho in 1947 during the Toho strikes; he would return to the company in 1952.
In 1954 Tanaka started on production of the war movie Eikō no Kage ni, to be directed by Senkichi Taniguchi, co-produced with the Indonesian studio Perfini, and filmed in Jakarta. The project was cancelled when the Indonesian government refused to grant visas to the Japanese filmmakers. On the flight back to Japan from Jakarta, Tanaka wrote the outline for a new film. Inspired by King Kong, which had been re-released in Japan in 1952, as well as by The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms and the recent Daigo Fukuryū Maru incident, Tanaka wrote a daikaiju film, working title Kaitei Niman Mairu kara kita Daikaijū. Tanaka pitched the project to Iwao Mori, who approved, and work began on Godzilla.
Tanaka selected Ishirō Honda to direct Godzilla; the two had recently collaborated on Farewell Rabaul and Senkichi Taniguchi, Tanaka's first choice, had refused the job. , a prominent detective and science fiction author, provided the film treatment for Godzilla at Tanaka's request, Tanaka being a fan of Kayama's. Tanaka had worked with special effects director Eiji Tsuburaya on several earlier films; Tsuburaya was attached to Godzilla from the beginning, as his determination of the feasibility of the project was a condition for its approval.
Godzilla would spawn a series of sequels, adding up to 38 films as of March 29, 2024. Thirty-three movies have been produced by Toho, and five by the American studios TriStar Pictures and Legendary Pictures. He often worked with the other three members of the Godzilla team: Honda, Tsuburaya, and composer Akira Ifukube, to complete such works as The Mysterians (1957) and Matango (1963). he also creates manipulative aliens, causing problems for the Earth, for the purpose of political, according to the tendencies of his monster films. Tanaka also created the space-monster King Ghidorah and the innocent Minilla.
Akira Kurosawa started the Kurosawa Production Company in 1959, with Toho holding a majority stake, and closed it in 1966; during this period, Tanaka would produce all five films directed by Kurosawa: The Bad Sleep Well, Yojimbo, Sanjuro, High and Low, and Red Beard. Tanaka would later reunite with Kurosawa to produce Kagemusha (1980), which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and won the Palme d'Or at Cannes.
Toho entered into a similar arrangement with actor Toshiro Mifune and Mifune Productions in 1962, with Tanaka assisting in the operation of the company. Tanaka produced several successful films with Mifune Productions, including Legacy of the 500,000, Samurai Assassin, and .
In 1971 Tanaka became President of the newly formed , a Toho subsidiary that would create special effects for the parent company. In 1975 he became President and CEO of Toho Pictures. In 1978 Toho Eizo merged with , a Toho affiliate; Tanaka would step down as President and become Chairman of the merged company. In 1988 Toho Eizo merged with Toho Bijutsu, another Toho subsidiary, to form Toho Eizo Bijutsu; Tanaka would step down as Chairman of Toho Eizo. In 1989 Tanaka became Chairman and CEO of Toho Pictures. In 1995 Tanaka retired from his official duties and became an advisor to Toho Pictures.
He is credited for the "original story" in Godzilla 1985.
Tanaka oversaw the production of Mitsubishi's pavilion at several expos, including the Osaka Expo, Expo '75 in Okinawa Island, and Expo '85 in Tsukuba.
Japanese people back then had a great fear of radiation, which is what gave Godzilla his enormous size. He has always stood for nature's retaliation against humanity.
| 1944 | group=lower-alpha | With Sanezumi Fujimoto and Sōjirō Motoki; uncredited | |
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| 1946 | group=lower-alpha | ||
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| 1947 | group=lower-alpha | With Keiji Matsuzaki | |
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| 1948 | group=lower-alpha | ||
| 1949 | group=lower-alpha | With Keiji Matsuzaki | |
| Senta Was Cut | |||
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| 1950 | group=lower-alpha | ||
| group=lower-alpha | With Sōjirō Motoki | ||
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| The Gate of Tokyo | |||
| 1951 | |||
| A White Orchid | |||
| Who is to Judge Me? | |||
| Hakamadare Yasusuke | |||
| Cliff of Death | |||
| Equatorial Festival | |||
| 1952 | Foghorn | ||
| My Son's Bride | |||
| Sword for Hire | |||
| The Lady from Shanghai | |||
| A Swift Current | |||
| The Man Who Came to Port | |||
| 1953 | My Wonderful Yellow Car | ||
| Embrace | |||
| Yasugorō Succeeds | |||
| Mother and Daughter | |||
| Adolescence Part II | |||
| 1954 | Farewell Rabaul | ||
| Itsuko and Her Mother | |||
| Forever Be Mine | |||
| Godzilla | |||
| 1955 | Godzilla Raids Again | ||
| Oen-san | |||
| Lovetide | |||
| Love Never Fails | |||
| Half Human | |||
| 1956 | The Legend of the White Serpent | ||
| Barefoot Youth | |||
| Rodan | |||
| 1957 | Untamed | ||
| The Last Escape | |||
| The Mysterians | |||
| Yagyu Secret Scrolls | |||
| 1958 | The H-Man | ||
| Varan the Unbelievable | |||
| Rickshaw Man | |||
| 1959 | The Three Treasures | with Sanezumi Fujimoto | |
| Battle in Outer Space | |||
| Life of an Expert Swordsman | |||
| 1960 | The Secret of the Telegian | ||
| The Human Vapor | |||
| The Bad Sleep Well | |||
| The Last Gunfight | |||
| 1961 | Yojimbo | ||
| Mothra | |||
| The Story of Osaka Castle | |||
| The Merciless Trap | |||
| 1962 | Sanjuro | ||
| Gorath | |||
| King Kong vs. Godzilla | |||
| 1963 | Atragon | ||
| High and Low | |||
| Warring Clans | |||
| Matango | |||
| Legacy of the 500,000 | |||
| The Lost World of Sinbad | |||
| 1964 | Mothra vs. Godzilla | ||
| Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster | |||
| Dogora | |||
| Whirlwind | |||
| 1965 | Frankenstein vs. Baragon | ||
| Invasion of Astro-Monster | |||
| Red Beard | |||
| Samurai Assassin | |||
| Ironfinger | |||
| Key of Keys | |||
| 1966 | The War of the Gargantuas | with Kenichiro Tsunoda | |
| Ebirah, Horror of the Deep | |||
| 1967 | King Kong Escapes | ||
| Son of Godzilla | |||
| Samurai Rebellion | |||
| Japan's Longest Day | |||
| 1968 | Destroy All Monsters | ||
| Kill! | |||
| Admiral Yamamoto | |||
| Judge and Jeopardy | |||
| 1969 | All Monsters Attack | ||
| Samurai Banners | |||
| Battle of the Japan Sea | |||
| Portrait of Hell | |||
| 1970 | Space Amoeba | ||
| The Vampire Doll | |||
| 1971 | Godzilla vs. Hedorah | ||
| 1972 | Godzilla vs. Gigan | ||
| 1973 | Godzilla vs. Megalon | ||
| Submersion of Japan | with Osamu Tanaka | ||
| 1974 | Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla | ||
| Prophecies of Nostradamus | |||
| ESPY | with Fumio Tanaka | ||
| 1975 | Terror of Mechagodzilla | ||
| 1976 | Zero Pilot | ||
| 1976 | House | ||
| 1980 | Kagemusha | ||
| 1981 | Imperial Navy | ||
| 1984 | The Return of Godzilla | ||
| 1987 | Princess from the Moon | ||
| 1989 | Gunhed | ||
| Godzilla vs. Biollante | with Shōgo Tomiyama | ||
| 1994 | Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla | with Shōgo Tomiyama | |
| 1995 | Godzilla vs. Destoroyah | with Shōgo Tomiyama |
target="_blank" rel="nofollow"> Tomoyuki Tanaka on the official Toho website (archived)
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