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: The Legend Is Reborn ... (Story)
- Making of The Return of Godzilla ... (Production Supervisor)
1984
- The Return of Godzilla ... (Story)
- Ohan ... (Executive Producer)
- Sayonara Jupiter ... (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)
- The War in Space ... (Executive Producer)
- Godzilla ... (Producer)
- Mount Hakkoda ... (Producer)
- High Seas Hijack ... (Executive Producer)
1976
- Human Revolution II ... (Executive Producer)
- Zero Fighter ... (Executive Producer)
1975
- Conflagration ... (Executive Producer)
- Terror of Mechagodzilla ... (Executive Producer)
- Tidal Wave ... (Executive Producer)
1974
- Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla ... (Executive Producer)
- ESPY ... (Executive Producer)
- Prophecies of Nostradamus ... (Executive Producer)
1973
- Godzilla vs. Megalon ... (Producer)
- Submersion of Japan as Government official (uncredited)
- Horror of the Wolf ... (Executive Producer)
- The Human Revolution ... (Producer)
- Zone Fighter ... (Producer)
1972
- Godzilla vs. Gigan ... (Producer)
1971
- Godzilla vs. Hedorah ... (Executive Producer)
1970
- The Vampire Doll ... (Executive Producer)
- Space Amoeba ... (Executive Producer)
- Terror in the Streets ... (Executive Producer)
1969
- All Monsters Attack ... (Executive Producer)
- Samurai Banners ... (Producer)
- Portrait of Hell ... (Producer)
- Latitude Zero ... (Executive Producer)
- Battle of the Japan Sea ... (Production Director)
1968
- Destroy All Monsters ... (Producer)
- Admiral Yamamoto ... (Producer)
- Judge and Jeopardy ... (Producer)
- Kill! ... (Producer)
- Golden Eyes ... (Executive Producer)
- 風来忍法帖 八方破れ ... (Executive Producer)
1967
- Son of Godzilla ... (Executive Producer)
- King Kong Escapes ... (Executive Producer)
- Samurai Rebellion ... (Producer)
- Japan's Longest Day ... (Producer)
- The Age of Assassins ... (Executive Producer)
- The Killing Bottle ... (Executive Producer)
1966
- Ebirah, Horror of the Deep ... (Executive Producer)
- The War of the Gargantuas ... (Executive Producer)
- What's Up, Tiger Lily? ... (Producer)
- The Mad Atlantic ... (Producer)
- Adventure in Kigan Castle ... (Executive Producer)
- Zero Fighter ... (Producer)
1965
- Red Beard ... (Producer)
- Invasion of Astro-Monster ... (Executive Producer)
- Frankenstein Conquers the World ... (Executive Producer)
- Fort Graveyard ... (Producer)
- Sanshiro Sugata ... (Producer)
- Ironfinger ... (Executive Producer)
- The Retreat from Kiska ... (Producer)
- 風来忍法帖 ... (Executive Producer)
- Samurai Assassin ... (Producer)
- Key of Keys ... (Executive Producer)
1964
- Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster ... (Executive Producer)
- Mothra vs. Godzilla ... (Executive Producer)
- Dogora ... (Executive Producer)
- Whirlwind ... (Producer)
- Oh, Bomb! ... (Producer)
- Ant Hell War ... (Producer)
- Jakoman and Tetsu ... (Producer)
- Trap of Suicide Kilometer ... (Executive Producer)
- Blood and Diamonds ... (Executive Producer)
- A Keg of Powder ... (Executive Producer)
- Tiger Flight ... (Producer)
1963
- High and Low ... (Producer)
- Matango ... (Executive Producer)
- Legacy of the 500,000 ... (Producer)
- King Kong vs. Godzilla ... (Producer)
- The Sun is Calling You ... (Producer)
- Siege of Fort Bismarck ... (Producer)
- Attack Squadron ... (Producer)
- Warring Clans ... (Producer)
- Interpol Code 8 ... (Executive Producer)
- Samurai Pirate ... (Executive Producer)
- Operation Mad Dog ... (Producer)
- Outpost of Hell ... (Producer)
- Young Swordsman ... (Executive Producer)
- Atragon ... (Producer)
1962
- Sanjuro ... (Producer)
- King Kong vs. Godzilla ... (Producer)
- Chûshingura ... (Producer)
- Gorath ... (Producer)
- Varan the Unbelievable ... (Producer)
- Operation Enemy Fort ... (Executive Producer)
- Counterstroke ... (Producer)
- Operation Sewer Rats ... (Producer)
- The Weed of Crime ... (Executive Producer)
1961
- Yojimbo ... (Executive Producer)
- Mothra ... (Producer)
- The Last War ... (Producer)
- Wakarete ikiru toki mo ... (Producer)
- Blood on the Sea ... (Executive Producer)
- Big Shots Die at Dawn ... (Executive Producer)
- The Merciless Trap ... (Producer)
- Blueprint of Murder ... (Executive Producer)
- A Man in Red ... (Executive Producer)
- The Witness Killed ... (Executive Producer)
1960
- The Bad Sleep Well ... (Producer)
- The Storm of the Pacific ... (Producer)
- The Human Vapor ... (Executive Producer)
- Westward Desperado ... (Executive Producer)
- Man Against Man ... (Executive Producer)
- The Last Gunfight ... (Executive Producer)
- The Secret of the Telegian ... (Producer)
1959
- The Three Treasures ... (Producer)
- Gigantis, the Fire Monster ... (Producer)
- A Whistle in My Heart ... (Executive Producer)
- Samurai Saga ... (Producer)
- Desperado Outpost ... (Executive Producer)
- The Adventures of Sun Wu Kung ... (Executive Producer)
- The Big Boss ... (Executive Producer)
- The Terrible Game ... (Producer)
- Battle in Outer Space ... (Producer)
1958
- Little Peach ... (Producer)
- The Rickshaw Man ... (Producer)
- Varan ... (Producer)
- The Spell of the Hidden Gold ... (Producer)
- Who Is the Informer? ... (Production Director)
- The H-Man ... (Producer)
1957
- Tokyo 1960 ... (Producer)
- The Lower Depths ... (Producer)
- The Mysterians ... (Producer)
- Untamed Woman ... (Producer)
- Yagyu Secret Scrolls ... (Producer)
- The Lonely Swordsman (Part 2) ... (Producer)
- A Man in the Storm ... (Producer)
- Godzilla, the Monster of the Pacific Ocean ... (Producer)
- Half Human: The Story of the Abominable Snowman ... (Producer)
- Rodan! The Flying Monster ... (Associate Producer)
- Reign of Terror ... (Producer)
- The Decoy ... (Producer)
1956
- Rainy Night Duel ... (Producer)
- Scoundrel ... (Producer)
- Love on Rainbow Island ... (Producer)
- The Lonely Swordsman (Part 1) ... (Producer)
- The Maiden Courtesan ... (Executive Producer)
- Rodan ... (Producer)
- Godzilla, King of the Monsters! ... (Story)
- The Legend of the White Serpent ... (Executive Producer)
1955
- Godzilla Raids Again ... (Producer)
- Mother and Son ... (Executive Producer)
- Love Never Fails ... (Producer)
- Tomorrow I'll Be a Fire-Tree ... (Producer)
- Beast Man Snow Man ... (Producer)
- To Love and Forgive ... (Producer)
- Lovetide ... (Executive Producer)
- Ticket to Hell ... (Producer)
- No Response from Car 33 ... (Producer)
1954
- Godzilla ... (Producer)
- Itsuko to sono haha ... (Producer)
- The Surf ... (Producer)
- Farewell Rabaul ... (Producer)
- 君死に給うことなかれ ... (Producer)
1953
- My Wonderful Yellow Car ... (Producer)
- The Last Embrace ... (Producer)
- Adolescence Part II ... (Producer)
- Red-Light Bases ... (Producer)
- Youth of Heiji Senigata ... (Producer)
- Their Father's Wife ... (Producer)
- Yasugorō shusse ... (Producer)
1952
- The Man Who Came to Port ... (Producer)
- Sword for Hire ... (Producer)
- Swift Current ... (Producer)
- Foghorn ... (Producer)
- Shanghai Rose ... (Producer)
- Adolescence ... (Producer)
1951
- The White Orchid ... (Producer)
- Beyond Love and Hate ... (Producer)
- Who Will Judge Me? ... (Producer)
- Sekidô matsuri ... (Producer)
- Swords and Brocade ... (Producer)
1950
- Devil's Gold ... (Producer)
- White Beast ... (Producer)
- The Angry Street ... (Executive Producer)
- Heat and Mud ... (Producer)
- Tokyo Gate ... (Producer)
- Escape at Dawn ... (Producer)
1949
- Jakoman and Tetsu ... (Producer)
- Lady From Hell ... (Producer)
- Kirare no Senta ... (Producer)
1947
- Snow Trail ... (Producer)
- Four Love Stories ... (Producer)
- Chikagai nijuyojikan ... (Producer)
1946
- Those Who Make Tomorrow ... (Executive Producer)
- Yoki na onna ... (Producer)
- As Long as I Live ... (Producer)
- Eleven High School Girls ... (Producer)
1945
- Three Women of the North ... (Executive Producer)
- Duel at Yagyu Valley ... (Producer)