Ishirô Honda

**Ishiro Honda**  (本多猪四郎,   *Ishiro Honda*?) is a Director born In 1911.

#### Yamagata

Ishiro Honda was born on May 7, 1911, in Japan in his home town Yamagata as the last of 5 children, his name was from the Chinese year of the boar that he was born from the I of the Japanese word *ino*, and *shiro* as fourth son (Over the years, Many people thought it was *Inoshiro*). Ishiro's father Yoshihiro was the high priest at Mount Yuden's temple, Yoshihiro sold talismans in the Summer and Ishiro's Mother Miyo was a Assistant charcoal burner. Ishiro's home was also used to grow Rice, Chestnuts, and in winter Ishiro helped harvest potatoes, radishes and Carrots. Ishiro's earliest memory was with his friends, and once later they built a dam in the Mogami River. Shimekake was the village Ishiro lived in, and Ishiro tried his best in competitions as he was never competitive, and even some times went to Asahimura. When Ishiro was growing up, as there was no electricity and Japanese Radio's, He would listen to local legends, and eventually, Ishiro's Oldest Brother graduated from medical school. Telling him to study, Ishiro got scientific journals and Magazines, Ishiro also sent essays and poems to the Magazines Creators.

#### Tokyo

In 1921, His family moved to Tokyo, Yoshihiro worked at the Iou Temple and Ishiro was in third grade when they moved, so Ishiro was now at the Takadio Elementary School. Though at his school there was mean kids, but one thing there changed him forever.

One day, a movie night in the Playground, and Ishiro Honda was amazed by the film, as he did not know they existed, as it was his first film. The film was a 1920's American bluebird western type, Honda watched more films. He then payed closer attention to the films and developed his own philosophy. Ishiro moved again in grade 6 on September 1st 1923 (the day of the great Kanto Earthquake), know living in Kanagawa and at Tachibana Elementary School. Ishiro Often went to Sangenjyaya for movies alone because two things:'His fathers Religion Forbade him, and it was illegal for a kid at Ishiro's age to go a theater alone, and Ishiro saw silent films that had a *Benshi*/*Katsuben*, and two Ishiro saw was *The Last Laugh* and
 *Man of Aran*  that both made Ishiro Honda amazed. In 1928 Ishiro attended Kougyokusya Middle School, as Ishiro liked Science there.

### Film Career Part 1

Ishiro graduated from Kougyokusya in 1931, Ishiro Honda entered Nihon Daigaku, but it was a Disappointment as Ishiro Honda said Later that it was Bad. In 1932, was his second year of College, Ishiro met 33 year old Iwao Mori who was a Executive at the Point Cloud Library ( a.k.a. P.C.L.) that was made the same year. Ishiro had Four friends in College and be after School to talk about movies for about two years, But they just Did Drinking and Partying. Years later he made a confession, and then in august of 1933, Mori Invited Ishiro, the old graduate to the Production Department at P.C.L. . Ishiro entered P.C.L. as an Assistant Director. In 1933, Ishiro got his first film credit in "Just an Average Kid" as an Assistant Director under Director Sotoji Kimura. In 1934 Ishiro met Kajiro Yamamato, Which Ishiro would Direct for in a few years. Also Ishiro joined the Japanese Military and Directed with Shigeo Yagura on Old Silk Shoes and Mikio Narise on Three Madien Sisters.

### Entering The Wars

#### Japan Against China 1&2

Ishiro went into his Tour of Duty in the Mukden Incident in 1932, but as a Solider he had low pay as $2.36 a Month, and then on July 7th, 1937 he was in the The Marco Polo Bridge Incident and his first firing of a Gun.

#### Joining Toho

In 1937, P.C.L. and other studio's merged together To Create Toho, and Ishiro worked with Yamamato on Chastity of a Good Man, but Then Ishiro met Akira Kurosawa who trained under Yamamato. In 1937 Ishiro did many Films for Yamamato, such as "The Beautiful Hawk", Two Enoken Films ("Part One: Momma, The hat - The Nice Way" and Part Two: "Returning is scary but the weather will clear if you wait"), then for Mikio Narise's "Avalanche", and Sadao Yamanaka's "Humanity and Paper Ballons". In 1938 Ishiro worked with Kurosawa on Eisuke Takizawa's "Geothermal", and Mansaku Itami's "Legend of the Giant". Ishiro was Chief Supporting Director in Takeshi Sato's "Chocolate and the Soldier", and Assistant Director on Yamamato's "Toujiro's Love".

#### Kimi

Ishiro met Kimi Yamazaki after Returning from his Tour of duty, With Kimi working there. After a while, Ishiro Proposed to Kimi, Kimi said yes, but People doubted about them. Kurosawa thought they would break up due to there different Natures, and Kimi's parents disapproved, but Yamamato was on Ishiro and Kimi's side. In 1939 Ishiro and Kimi where married, and Kimi retired from Toho.

#### Back to the War

The Nomonhan IncidentThe Nomonhan IncidentThe Battles Of Khalkhin GolThe Nomonhan IncidentThe Battles of Khalkhin GolThe Nomonhan IncidentThe Nomonhan IncidentThe Battles of Khalkhin GolThe Nomonhan IncidentThe Nomonhan Incident
Ishiro worked with Takeshi again on "Virgin Sarah", then Hideo Koguni on "Roppa goes to the city of Music", and Yamamato on "Enoken's Messy Hair Cut". Ishiro went back to war. Ishiro was in the Nomonhan Incident(Pictures seen above)(Also known as the Battles of Khalkhin Gol), but Ishiro barely returned to see his first Daughter, Takako being born, in 1940. After some time, Honda was in Dangyang where he learned about the Attack on Pearl Harbor . Ishiro saw a film before his 2nd Tour was over, The War at Sea from Hawaii to Malaysia, featuring Eiji Tsuburaya.

Finally his Second tour was over, it being the longest of his tours, Ishiro was promoted to Chief Supporting Director, first with Yamamato in "Soldier Hayato Kato".
Ishiro Worked with Tsuburaya on this film, but it began on the wrong foot. In a scene Ishiro interrupted it, so Tsuburaya told Yamamato Ishiro's interference.

### World War II

His Third Tour happened, as his second son, Ryuji was born. Ishiro was in World War II as a Platoon Sergeant. But Ishiro treated the Chinese kindly such as speaking Chinese to them. On August 14th, 1945, he was one of the Thousands of Japanese Soldiers surrendering.

Returning to Japan, Ishiro passed through Hiroshima, after the Bombing, Ishiro had over seven years in the Japanese Army. When Ishiro returned, he was very Ill.

### The Third Toho Dispute

Ishiro Returned as First Assistant Director in 1946 on Noriyoshi Oda's "Eleven School Girls", and Kunio Watanabe in "A Declaration of Love". In 1947 He did under three Directors for the film "24 Hours in the Underground" and for Yamamato's two other films. In 1948, what was called the "Third Toho Dispute" happened as Many Workers changed from Toho to Shintoho, also known as New Toho, Which Happened In 1947 and Ishiro could not Direct in 1948. In April of 1947, New Toho fired 1,200 Workers, and around Toho for about 200 Days of Barricades, Barbed Wire, and Huge wind Machines by New Toho Workers holding Cayenne Pepper to keep out Strike busters. Many people such as Kon Ichikawa tried to get Ishiro to New Toho, but Ishiro Declined. In 1949 Ishiro worked on Yamamato's "The Wind Child", And "Spring Fun" as also Akira Kurosawa's 10th Film, Stray Dog. Also Ishiro Directed his First Film as a Director (Not Assistant Director), Ise Island. In 1950 he did "The Story of a Consumer Cooper" and 1951 he did his last Yamamato Film, "Erejii" and His First Major Motion Picture, The Blue Pearl. In 1952 his Second Major Film The Skin of the South and Third Major Film The Man who went to Sea, also known as The Man who came to Port. Then he did in 1953 "Adolescence Part 2" and "Eagle of the Pacific". Eagle Of the Pacific had one of the First Haruo Nakajima appearances, as a zero fighter pilot being caught on Fire. In 1954, Ishiro did Farewell Rabaul, his final War Film.

### The Series Begins

#### Hit of Toho

*Main article: Godzilla 1954#Production.*
Tomoyuki Tanaka had a Project for at Indonesia about a Giant Octopus, but it as cancelled. While reading a Cinema Trade Journal, Tomoyuki Found about the American film, "The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms", so Tomoyuki gave his idea to Iwao Mori, who got Eiji Tsuburaya for the film. The story was Similar to the Beast from 20,000 Fathoms: They Have A monster Revived from Atomic test, Both Monsters have teeth and Spikes, Monster attack Important Cities, and Both Monsters Are Killed. Ishiro Directed this Hit of $2.25 million dollars in US dollars.

#### A Beast from the caves

In 1955 Ishiro directed the Comedy Love Makeup, and then his Second Monster Film, Beast-Human Snowman, about the Abominable Snowman, But failed because of Godzilla's success, and it was placed in August when Ishiro's new Comedy Cry Baby came before.

### The 50's end

In 1956 was Young tree and his Daiei Film Night School and after, Then his next was Goodbye To the People of Tokyo.

#### Monsters Return

In August, Gojira from 1954 was released in America was Godzilla, King of The Monsters!, and his final film of the year and first in Color was "Radon:Giant Monster From the Sky" and his third Monster film. In 1957 he Directed "Good Luck to These Two", "A Tea Picker's Song of Goodbye", "A Farewell to the Woman called my Sister", and "A Rainbow Plays in my Heart". Also Radon was released in America to "Rodan!The Flying Monster" and His 4th Japanese Monster film was released, "Earth Defense Force" as also his first Alien film was Released, as his first Widescreen film. In 1958 he released "A Song for a Bride", and his 5th Monster Film, "Beauty and the Liquid Men". After that was 6th and one of his First Big Faliures, "Giant Monster Varan". In America, things got worse as unknown to Ishiro of Beast-Human Snowman was put as Half Human.