Compare/Contrast: 'King Kong vs. Godzilla'- US Version to Japanese Version

 Awhile back, I re-watched the classic Toho Film that pit King Kong against Godzilla.
Of course, that was the US Version.

Let's compare and contrast...

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Like the original Godzilla, there was a bit of a delay between the 2 Films coming out.  It's not like today where they just make a Subbed or Dubbed Version quickly- it was a Year.

Instead, a US Company 'made' a Version of the Film that became the predominant copy around the World.

Ishiro Honda was apparently not great about preserving the original copy, supposedly Editing from the Negative!

In 2019, the Criterion Collection Version featured a good copy of the Japanese Version.  Here's what's different...

The Japanese Version has this guy appear in the beginning (and never again) to start pushing the idea of picking sides in the fight.

In the US Version, this guy at the UN appears to brief us on Godzilla (figuring that we'd all forgotten about the last 2 Films released in the US just a few years earlier) and King Kong (who was last seen in a US re-release in 1952).

In a weird addition, they will sometimes mention and show an 'International Space Station' (that has no bearing on the Plot).

It is Stock Footage from The Mysterians, a different Toho Film.  Weird.

Oh and this guys pops up WAY TOO MANY TIMES.

Him and another guy (some sort of Science Expert) pop up between big Scenes to explain what is happening, since I guess they think the American Kids are too dumb.

They even show up at the Finale to tell us about Kong swimming away...which is on-screen.

There's also one Scene which is played straight- in which one of the Characters is nervous about catching Kong- that is then re-dubbed comedically to have him 'complain about the corns on his feet.'
Huh?

The Soundtrack was also replaced with lots of good (but stock) Music from Universal Films like The Creature from the Black Lagoon and others.  Necessary?

They also cut Scenes of people betting on the fight.  Why?

Lastly, for the finale, they didn't think that there was enough going on, so they inserted disaster footage from, again, The Mysterians to heighten things.

Lastly, the final shot has Kong swimming away, while Godzilla is absent.  
In the Japanese Version, we hear both roars to end the Film.
In the American Version, we only hear Kong's.  I guess 'our guy' won more?

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The American Version- the predominant version even in 2021- sure is different, huh?

Were these changes necessary?  No.
Were they all bad?  I guess not.
Should you check out the Japanese Version?  Yes.