Atragon (1963) in the PNW

Details: Written by: Mortado; Category: The 1960s in Northwest Cinemas

This is a collection of media from the initial runs of "Atragon" (1963) in the Pacific Northwest. Portland got "Battle of the Worlds" (1961) for a second feature while Seattle got "The Lost World of Sinbad" (1963).

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Atragon (1963)
The legendary empire of the lost continent of Mu reappears, threatening the world with domination. As countries unite to resist, an isolated World War II captain has secretly created the greatest warship ever seen—the Atragon. This powerful submarine may be the surface world’s only defense against Mu’s aggressive plans. Strange occurrences unfold globally, including the disappearance of two engineers and the near-kidnapping of Admiral Kosumi and his goddaughter, Makoto Jinguji. The Mu Empire, which vanished 12,000 years earlier, is responsible for these events and aims to reclaim their supposed colonies by invading the surface world. As tensions rise, Captain Jinguji’s bitter past collides with the present, and the fight becomes personal when Makoto and photographer Susumu Hatanaka are captured by the Muans. Now, the fate of humanity rests on the Atragon’s capabilities and the courage of its crew as they confront the underwater menace and its giant monster guardian, Manda.

Directors: Ishirô Honda, Shûe Matsubayashi
Writers: Shin'ichi Sekizawa, Shunrô Oshikawa, Shigeru Komatsuzaki
Stars: Tadao Takashima, Yôko Fujiyama, Yû Fujiki
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Battle of the Worlds (1961)
The film is a science fiction thriller directed by Antonio Margheriti and starring Claude Rains as Professor Benson, a brilliant but arrogant mathematician who predicts the arrival of a rogue planet called the Outsider. The Outsider threatens to collide with Earth, but instead orbits around it and launches a fleet of flying saucers that attack the human space stations2. Benson devises a way to take control of the alien ships and leads an expedition to the Outsider, where he discovers a dead civilization that was once ruled by a supercomputer.

Director: Antonio Margheriti
Writer: Ennio De Concini
Stars: Claude Rains, Bill Carter, Umberto Orsini
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The Lost World of Sinbad (AKA "Samurai Pirate," 1963)
In this Arabian Nights-inspired tale, a courageous sailor named Luzon (known as Sinbad in the American version) washes up on the shore of a mysterious Middle Eastern island kingdom. There, he becomes embroiled in local politics, court intrigue, and rebellion. Along the way, he encounters a princess-in-distress, an ancient wizard, and a band of rebels. The film combines elements of adventure, magic, and drama, featuring sword-wielding battles, exotic dancers, and a treacherous stone-turning witch. Japanese veteran actor Toshiro Mifune leads the cast, alongside beautiful Japanese belles Mie Hama, Kumi Mizuno, and Akiko Wakabayashi. With a catchy music score by composer Masaru Sato, this handsomely mounted costume fantasy adventure is sure to captivate both adults and children alike.

Director: Senkichi Taniguchi
Writers: Takeshi Kimura, Shin'ichi Sekizawa, Toshio Yasumi
Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Tadao Nakamaru, Mie Hama

January 5, 1963 ad (Portland)