Planet Prince

1959 0h 57m JA

😐

6.0

MID

★6.0TMDB · 1

Science FictionActionAdventureFamily

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A mysterious hero must intervene when a nefarious presence from outer space arrives to steal a powerful new rocket fuel.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Tatsuo Umemiya
Planet Prince / Waku-san
Joji Oka
Ambassador Maboroshi / Maboroshi taishi
Hiroko Mine
Sachiko Shibasaki

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Eijirō Wakabayashi
Writers: Masaru Igami, Shin Morita
Languages: Japanese
Countries: Japan

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 57-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

67 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "Planet Prince Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Eijirō Wakabayashi, shot by Masahiko Iimura. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Katsuhisa Hattori. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Yoshiki Nagasawa shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Tatsuo Umemiya and Joji Oka and Hiroko Mine carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Eijirō Wakabayashi directs. Masahiko Iimura behind the camera. Katsuhisa Hattori scores. Yoshiki Nagasawa cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Japan. Dialogue in Japanese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 57-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
267 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Part of the "Planet Prince Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
4Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
5Directed by Eijirō Wakabayashi, shot by Masahiko Iimura. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by Katsuhisa Hattori. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Yoshiki Nagasawa shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Tatsuo Umemiya and Joji Oka and Hiroko Mine carry the top of the cast.
9Only 1 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Masahiko Iimura
Original score: Katsuhisa Hattori
Editing: Yoshiki Nagasawa
Production design: Shûshi Nakamura
Runtime: 57 min · 0h 57m
Status: Released
Original language: JA

Part of

Planet Prince Collection

Theatrical film adaptations of the Senkosha tokusatsu superhero series, Planet Prince (遊星王子, Yūsei Ōji) (1958-1959), produced by Toei Films.

Also by

Eijirō Wakabayashi

Production companies

Who made it

Toei Company
JP

Key crew

ProducerSanehiko Sonoda
EditorYoshiki Nagasawa
Production DesignShûshi Nakamura
Sound RecordistShozo Hirogami
GafferKenzo Ginya
Special EffectsShozo Horai
Visual EffectsShozo Horai
Visual Effects DirectorShozo Horai
Assistant DirectorHajime Sato
Production AssistantTakeshi Nishii
SongsKatsuhisa Hattori
LyricistMasaru Igami
MusicHirooki Ogawa

Themes & keywords

What it's about, really

based on tv series
tokusatsu

Release history · US

When it landed

Physical2024-02-27· Shout Factory Blu-ray box set titled "Classic Tokusatsu Collection". Packaged with "Iron Sharp", "Watari, the Ninja Boy", "Golden Bat", "The Magic Serpent", "Ninja Scope", and "Terror Beneath the Sea" (four discs).
TV1965-03-06· Walter Manley Enterprises/Bellucci Productions release titled "Prince of Space". English dubbed, 85-minute compilation film, editing together this film and its sequel, "Planet Prince - The Terrifying Spaceship".

Also known as