Talk:Godzilla (1954)

Are the firearms real?

As far as I know, the Japanese laws strictly prohibit using real firearms in filming industry. Are the guns in this movie real ones or mockups/non-guns/flashpaper guns/etc.? According to the fact that 155mm howitzers can be seen, the movie seems to be filmed with the help of Japanese Self-Defense Forces. I'm especially interested because I have several Godzilla movies of 1960-70s and if real firearms are used there then I'll create pages. Greg-Z (talk) 10:16, 19 May 2013 (EDT)

I don't know specifically about using them in the film industry, but I think the restrictions on firearms in Japan was only officially put into place in 1958, after this film was made. Regardless, I suspect that they had some input from the JGSDF (or possibly still called the National Security Force at the time, not sure) as along with the M114 howitzers you also have M24 Chaffee tanks which were the standard light tank of the Japanese forces at the time. --commando552 (talk) 11:14, 19 May 2013 (EDT)

Thanks for clarification. Greg-Z (talk) 12:11, 19 May 2013 (EDT)

Some scenes featured actual maneuvers by the JDF that were filmed by Honda (M1 Garand, Browning M2, M114 howitzer). The close-ups (Browning M1917 and Browning M1919A4) were shot in a studio. Whether the weapons were real or props is not discussed by any of the several accounts of the film that I have read. - Elzzupa (talk) 11:46, 19 May 2013 (PDT)

I'm pretty sure that most (or all) of the guns are real ones. When you see the machine gunners firing their Browning M1919s at Godzilla during his first appearance in Tokyo Bay, one of the guns seems to be jamming repeatedly (presumably, with blank ammunition) and the guy firing it keeps racking the charging handle to clear the jams. The movie is on Netflix if anyone wants to check it out and see what I mean. -MT2008 (talk) 23:03, 12 May 2014 (EDT)