Americanization of Godzilla’s debut film to be commemorated

Event Date & Time: Dedication Ceremony
Location: Belmont School – Vermont Avenue and First Street in Los Angeles
In Person: J.D. Lees, Peter H. Brothers, Damon Foster

Attention, G-Fans, the Godzilla Society of North America is planning to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Godzilla, King of the Monsters with a dedication ceremony on March 25 at 11:00am.

The first Godzilla film began life as Gojira (1954) in Japan. For the film’s American release two years later, additional scenes with actor Raymond Burr were filmed in Los Angeles at a facility called Visual Drama, Inc. On the site of that facility now stands the new Belmont Elementary School, which is where the dedication ceremony will take place.

A plaque will be placed on the site, commemorating the filming of Burr’s scenes at the former studio — it was the Americanized version of the film that helped introduce Godzilla to the rest of the world outside Japan.

J.D. Lees (of G-Fan magazine) will be in attendance, among others. Following the ceremony, fans will head on over to Shakey’s Pizza at 5170 W. Sunset Blvd in Hollywood (near Normandie).