9/22: Today in G-History

[Reaper G]

1888: MAX WILLENZ, who played the sketch artist in "Mighty Joe Young", is born in Vienna.

1922: IAN KEITH, who played Adm. Burns in "It Came from Beneath the Sea", marries Blanche Yurka.

1931: HAROLD S. CONWAY, who played Dr. DeGracia in "The Mysterians", a scientist in the sub in "King Kong vs. Godzilla", and the Frontier Missile expert in "Godzilla vs. the Thing", marries Ruth Nadine Rischel.

1936: MASUMI OKADA, who played Atsushi a.k.a. Ito Mura on "The Space Giants", Dr. Jules Masson in "Latitude Zero", Dr. Mohammad Mansur in "Sayonara Jupiter", and was in "The Living Skeleton" and "Izo", is born in Nice, France. He also appeared in "Living Skeleton" played Brother Michael in the miniseries "Shogun", and was a frequent judge on "Iron Chef", as well as producing "Battle Royale".

1941: FUMIO TANAKA, producer and executive producer on "The Vampire Doll", "Yog, Monster from Space", "Lake of Dracula", "Evil of Dracula", "E.S.P.Y.", and "The War in Space", and executive producer on "Sayonara, Jupiter" and "Godzilla 1985", is born in Tokyo. He was also script supervisor on "Sayonara, Jupiter" and consultant on "Godzilla 1985".

1951: EVELYNE KRAFT, who played Samantha in "The Mighty Peking Man", is born in Zurich, Switzerland.

1952: MICHIKO GODAI, who played Sachiko Yagami in "Death Note" and "Death Note: The Last Name", is born in Yokohama.

1962: ERI FUSE, who was in "It's Me, It's Me", is born in Tokyo.

1963: STUART FRATKIN, who played the Utah ensign in "Godzilla", is born in Los Angeles.
NATE D. SLOTT, second assistant director on "The Amazing Colossal Man", dies of cancer in Los Angeles.

1965: SHINJI HIGUCHI, special effects director on "Gamera: The Guardian of the Universe", "Gamera 2: Attack of Legion", and "Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris", and director of "Lorelei: The Witch of the Pacific Ocean", "Sinking of Japan", and "MM9", is born in Tokyo. Beginning his career as a special effects assistant on "Godzilla 1985", he went on to do the sfx on "Mikadroid", "Sakuya: Slayer of Demons", and "The Princess Blade", did the storyboards and supervised the action scenes in "Casshern", and helped out on "Godzilla, Mothra, King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack", as well as being a storyboard artist on the "Giant Robo" anime. His other work includes: "Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water" and "The Floating Castle".

1966: MICHELLE RUFF is born in Detroit. The voice actress dubbed in the U.S. versions of "Hakaida" and "Kikaida 01: The Animation", and was the voice of Hitomi in "Ju-on: The Grudge".

1967: NAOTO OGATA, who played Daisuke Shima in "Space Battleship Yamato", is born in Kanagawa, Japan.

1968: Episode 2 of "Operation: Mystery" debuts on Japanese TV.

1972: Episode 25 of "Transforming Ninja Arashi" debuts on Japanese TV.

1973: Episode 19 of "Kikaida 01", "King Indian Casts a Deadly Spell!", debuts on Japanese TV.
Episode 32 of "Kamen Rider V3", "Specter of Onibi Swamp: Rider Troop Annihilated?!", debuts on Japanese TV.
EUN-KYUNG SHIN, who played Sun-ju in "The Ring Virus" and Chie Marayama in "Uzumaki", marries Kim Jeong-soo.
Episode 24 of "Storm Cloud Lion Maru" debuts on Japanese TV.
BOB SAPP, who played the world newscaster in "Devilman" and was in "Izo", is born in Colorado Springs, Colo. "The Beast," a former NFL player, was a popular MMA fighter and wrestler in Japan.

1975: Episode 24, the final episode of "Condorman -- Symbol of Justice", "King Monster's Total Destruction of Japan!", debuts on Japanese TV.

1978: "Message from Space" is released in West Germany.

1979: Episode 34 of "Battle Fever J", "Shogun of Darkness Laughs in Hell", debuts on Japanese TV.

1982: SHIN SABURI, who was in "Deathquake", dies at 73 of cancer in Japan.

1984: Episode 34 of "Super Electron Bioman" debuts on Japanese TV.

1993: Episode 14 of "Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers", "Foul Play in the Sky", debuts on Fox.

1994: Episode 9 of "Superhuman Samurai Syber-Squad", "Lights, Camera, Action", debuts on U.S. TV.

1995: Episode 29 of "Superpower Squadron Ohranger", "Invasion Cram School", debuts on Japanese TV.

2001: "Hyakujuu Sentai Gaorenjaa: Hi no Yama, Hoeru" ("Hundred Beast Squadron Gaoranger: Fire Mountain Roars!") and "Kamen Rider Agito: Project G4" are released in Japan.

2002: "Dark Water" premieres in Finland at the Helsinki International Film Festival.
Episode 31 of "Ninja Squadron Hurricanger" debuts on Japanese TV.

2003: EUN-KYUNG SHIN, who played Chie Marayama in "Uzumaki", marries Kim Jeong-soo.

2004: Episode 25 of "Ultra Q: Dark Fantasy", "Darkness", debuts on TV Tokyo.

2005: SADAMASA (TEISHO) ARIKAWA dies at 80 from lung cancer in Izu, Japan. Born in Tokyo in June, 1925, he was the special effects cinematographer on "The Invisible Man", "Gojira", "Gigantis the Fire Monster", "Rodan", "The Mysterians", "The H-Man", "Varan the Unbelievable", "Battle in Outer Space", "The Three Treasures", "The Secret of the Telegian", "Mothra", "The Last War", "Gorath", "King Kong vs. Godzilla", "Matango", "The Lost World of Sinbad", "Atragon", "Godzilla vs. the Thing", "Frankenstein Conquers the World", "Godzilla vs. Monster Zero", "War of the Gargantuas", "Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster", and "Latitude Zero", and was special effects director on "Dogora the Space Monster", "Ultra Q", "Ultraman", "King Kong Escapes", "Ultra Seven", "Son of Godzilla", "Mighty Jack", "Destroy All Monsters", "Yog -- Monster from Space", "Warrior of Love Rainbowman", and "The Mighty Peking Man". He also did special effects on "The Human Vapor" and "Don't Call Me a Con Man".
"Izo" premieres in Finland at the Helsinki International Film Festival.
The U.S. version of "Dark Water" is released in Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, and the German-speaking region of Switzerland.

2006: The U.S. version of "Pulse" is released in Lithuania.

2010: "Higanjima: Escape from Vampire Island" premieres in Germany at the Berlin Fantasy Filmfest.

2011: "Trollhunter" is released in Portugal.