Tomoyuki Tanaka
Born: 1910-04-26 in Osaka, Honshu, Japan
Died: 1997-04-02
Known For: Production
Biography
Born in Osaka Prefecture, Tomoyuki Tanaka was head man at Toho Studios and one of its most prolific producers. Throughout his career he would produce the films of notable filmmakers such as Akira Kurosawa, Senkichi Taniguchi, Kon Ichikawa, and Mikio Naruse. However, he is probably best remembered as the creator of Godzilla. After graduating from the Economic Department at Kansai University, Tanaka joined Toho in 1940. In 1954 Tanaka would spearhead the original Godzilla film with director Ishiro Honda. After Godzilla's monumental success, Tanaka was instructed to "make another one". Tanaka would produce every Toho monster film up until Godzilla vs Destoroyah. Tanaka was also a heavy supporter of Toshiro Mifune, producing his films with Kurosawa as well as Mifune's own production company and sole directorial effort in Legacy of the 500,000. Tanaka would champion Godzilla's return in 1984 and be heavily involved in the series until his death in 1997. In his near 60 year career Tanaka would go on to produce over 200 films.
Filmography
1998
- Godzilla ... (In Memory Of)
1997
- Rebirth of Mothra II ... (Producer)
1996
- Rebirth of Mothra ... (Original Story)
1995
- Godzilla vs. Destoroyah ... (Executive Producer)
1994
- Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla ... (Executive Producer)
1993
- Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II ... (Executive Producer)
1992
- Godzilla vs. Mothra ... (Executive Producer)
1991
- Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah ... (Executive Producer)
1989
- Godzilla vs. Biollante ... (Executive Producer)
- Gunhed ... (Executive Producer)
1987
- Princess from the Moon ... (Executive Producer)
- Actress ... (Producer)
1986
1985
- Godzilla 1985 ... (Story)
- Making of The Return of Godzilla ... (Production Supervisor)
1984
- The Return of Godzilla ... (Story)
- Sayonara Jupiter ... (Executive Producer)
- Ohan ... (Executive Producer)
- Zero ... (Producer)
1983
- The Makioka Sisters ... (Executive Producer)
1982
- The Longest Tunnel ... (Producer)
1981
- The Imperial Navy ... (Executive Producer)
- The Last Days of Planet Earth ... (Executive Producer)
1980
- Kagemusha ... (Executive Producer)
- Magnitude 7.9 ... (Executive Producer)
1977
- House ... (Producer)
- Mount Hakkoda ... (Producer)
- The War in Space ... (Executive Producer)
- Godzilla ... (Producer)
- High Seas Hijack ... (Executive Producer)
- Bloodthirsty Hawk ... (Executive Producer)
1976
- Zero Fighter ... (Executive Producer)
- Human Revolution II ... (Executive Producer)
1975
- Terror of Mechagodzilla ... (Executive Producer)
- Conflagration ... (Executive Producer)
- Tidal Wave ... (Executive Producer)
1974
- Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla ... (Executive Producer)
- Prophecies of Nostradamus ... (Executive Producer)
- ESPY ... (Executive Producer)
1973
- Godzilla vs. Megalon ... (Producer)
- Submersion of Japan as Government official (uncredited)
- The Human Revolution ... (Producer)
- Zone Fighter ... (Producer)
- Horror of the Wolf ... (Executive Producer)
1972
- Godzilla vs. Gigan ... (Producer)
1971
- Godzilla vs. Hedorah ... (Executive Producer)
1970
- Space Amoeba ... (Executive Producer)
- Terror in the Streets ... (Executive Producer)
- The Vampire Doll ... (Executive Producer)
1969
- All Monsters Attack ... (Executive Producer)
- Samurai Banners ... (Producer)
- Battle of the Japan Sea ... (Production Director)
- Latitude Zero ... (Executive Producer)
- Portrait of Hell ... (Producer)
1968
- Destroy All Monsters ... (Producer)
- Admiral Yamamoto ... (Producer)
- Kill! ... (Producer)
- Judge and Jeopardy ... (Producer)
- Golden Eyes ... (Executive Producer)
- 風来忍法帖 八方破れ ... (Executive Producer)
1967
- Samurai Rebellion ... (Producer)
- Son of Godzilla ... (Executive Producer)
- Japan's Longest Day ... (Producer)
- King Kong Escapes ... (Executive Producer)
- The Killing Bottle ... (Executive Producer)
- The Age of Assassins ... (Executive Producer)
1966
- Ebirah, Horror of the Deep ... (Executive Producer)
- The War of the Gargantuas ... (Executive Producer)
- Adventure in Kigan Castle ... (Executive Producer)
- The Mad Atlantic ... (Producer)
- Zero Fighter ... (Producer)
- What's Up, Tiger Lily? ... (Producer)
1965
- Red Beard ... (Producer)
- Frankenstein Conquers the World ... (Executive Producer)
- Invasion of Astro-Monster ... (Executive Producer)
- Samurai Assassin ... (Producer)
- The Retreat from Kiska ... (Producer)
- Sanshiro Sugata ... (Producer)
- Fort Graveyard ... (Producer)
- Ironfinger ... (Executive Producer)
- Key of Keys ... (Executive Producer)
- 風来忍法帖 ... (Executive Producer)
1964
- Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster ... (Executive Producer)
- Mothra vs. Godzilla ... (Executive Producer)
- Dogora ... (Executive Producer)
- Oh, Bomb! ... (Producer)
- Whirlwind ... (Producer)
- Tiger Flight ... (Producer)
- Blood and Diamonds ... (Executive Producer)
- Jakoman and Tetsu ... (Producer)
- Trap of Suicide Kilometer ... (Executive Producer)
- A Keg of Powder ... (Executive Producer)
- Ant Hell War ... (Producer)
1963
- High and Low ... (Producer)
- Atragon ... (Producer)
- Matango ... (Executive Producer)
- Warring Clans ... (Producer)
- Samurai Pirate ... (Executive Producer)
- Attack Squadron ... (Producer)
- Siege of Fort Bismarck ... (Producer)
- Legacy of the 500,000 ... (Producer)
- King Kong vs. Godzilla ... (Producer)
- Interpol Code 8 ... (Executive Producer)
- The Sun is Calling You ... (Producer)
- Young Swordsman ... (Executive Producer)
- Outpost of Hell ... (Producer)
- Operation Mad Dog ... (Producer)
- A Photo journalist's Story: Risk Your Life for the Moment ... (Producer)
1962
- Sanjuro ... (Producer)
- King Kong vs. Godzilla ... (Producer)
- Chûshingura ... (Producer)
- Gorath ... (Producer)
- Counterstroke ... (Producer)
- Operation Enemy Fort ... (Executive Producer)
- Operation Sewer Rats ... (Producer)
- The Weed of Crime ... (Executive Producer)
- Varan the Unbelievable ... (Producer)
1961
- Yojimbo ... (Executive Producer)
- Mothra ... (Producer)
- The Last War ... (Executive Producer)
- Big Shots Die at Dawn ... (Executive Producer)
- Blueprint of Murder ... (Executive Producer)
- The Witness Killed ... (Executive Producer)
- Eternity of Love ... (Producer)
- The Merciless Trap ... (Producer)
- Blood on the Sea ... (Executive Producer)
- A Man in Red ... (Executive Producer)
1960
- The Bad Sleep Well ... (Producer)
- The Storm of the Pacific ... (Producer)
- The Human Vapor ... (Executive Producer)
- The Secret of the Telegian ... (Producer)
- The Last Gunfight ... (Executive Producer)
- Westward Desperado ... (Executive Producer)
- Man Against Man ... (Executive Producer)
- Reporters from the Sky ... (Producer)
1959
- The Three Treasures ... (Producer)
- A Whistle in My Heart ... (Executive Producer)
- Desperado Outpost ... (Executive Producer)
- Battle in Outer Space ... (Producer)
- The Big Boss ... (Executive Producer)
- Samurai Saga ... (Producer)
- The Terrible Game ... (Producer)
- The Adventures of Sun Wu Kung ... (Executive Producer)
- Gigantis, the Fire Monster ... (Producer)
1958
- The H-Man ... (Producer)
- The Rickshaw Man ... (Producer)
- Varan ... (Producer)
- Little Peach ... (Producer)
- Who Is the Informer? ... (Production Director)
- The Spell of the Hidden Gold ... (Producer)
- Female Detective Story: S.O.S Woman ... (Producer)
1957
- The Mysterians ... (Producer)
- The Lower Depths ... (Producer)
- Untamed Woman ... (Producer)
- Yagyu Secret Scrolls ... (Producer)
- A Man in the Storm ... (Producer)
- The Lonely Swordsman (Part 2) ... (Producer)
- Godzilla, the Monster of the Pacific Ocean ... (Producer)
- Reign of Terror ... (Producer)
- Tokyo 1960 ... (Producer)
- Half Human: The Story of the Abominable Snowman ... (Producer)
- The Last Escape ... (Producer)
- Rodan! The Flying Monster ... (Associate Producer)
- The Decoy ... (Producer)
1956
- Rodan ... (Producer)
- Godzilla, King of the Monsters! ... (Story)
- The Legend of the White Serpent ... (Executive Producer)
- Rainy Night Duel ... (Producer)
- Love on Rainbow Island ... (Producer)
- The Lonely Swordsman (Part 1) ... (Producer)
- The Maiden Courtesan ... (Executive Producer)
- Scoundrel ... (Producer)
- The Wicked Boy ... (Producer)
1955
- Godzilla Raids Again ... (Producer)
- Beast Man Snow Man ... (Producer)
- Ticket to Hell ... (Producer)
- Tomorrow I'll Be a Fire-Tree ... (Producer)
- No Response from Car 33 ... (Producer)
- Love Never Fails ... (Producer)
- To Love and Forgive ... (Producer)
- Mother and Son ... (Executive Producer)
- Lovetide ... (Executive Producer)
1954
- Godzilla ... (Producer)
- Farewell Rabaul ... (Producer)
- The Surf ... (Producer)
- Itsuko to sono haha ... (Producer)
- 君死に給うことなかれ ... (Producer)
1953
- Youth of Heiji Senigata ... (Producer)
- My Wonderful Yellow Car ... (Producer)
- Yasugorō shusse ... (Producer)
- Red-Light Bases ... (Producer)
- Adolescence Part II ... (Producer)
- Their Father's Wife ... (Producer)
- The Last Embrace ... (Producer)
1952
- Sword for Hire ... (Producer)
- Swift Current ... (Producer)
- Adolescence ... (Producer)
- Shanghai Rose ... (Producer)
- Foghorn ... (Producer)
- The Man Who Came to Port ... (Producer)
1951
- Beyond Love and Hate ... (Producer)
- Sekidô matsuri ... (Producer)
- The White Orchid ... (Producer)
- Who Will Judge Me? ... (Producer)
- Swords and Brocade ... (Producer)
1950
- The Angry Street ... (Executive Producer)
- Devil's Gold ... (Producer)
- White Beast ... (Producer)
- Escape at Dawn ... (Producer)
- Tokyo Gate ... (Producer)
- Heat and Mud ... (Producer)
1949
- Lady From Hell ... (Producer)
- Kirare no Senta ... (Producer)
- Jakoman and Tetsu ... (Producer)
1948
- My Love on the Other Side of the Mountain ... (Producer)
1947
- Snow Trail ... (Producer)
- Chikagai nijuyojikan ... (Producer)
- Four Love Stories ... (Producer)
1946
- Those Who Make Tomorrow ... (Executive Producer)
- Eleven High School Girls ... (Producer)
- Yoki na onna ... (Producer)
- As Long as I Live ... (Producer)
1945
- Three Women of the North ... (Executive Producer)
- Duel at Yagyu Valley ... (Producer)