Prince of Space

1959 1h 25m JA

💀

2.6

SKIP

★2.6TMDB · 32

ActionScience FictionAdventureFamily

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Attracted by the report of the development of a new type of rocket fuel, the vicious dictator of Krangkor, the dark planet, descends on Earth to steal the formula from its creator, the benevolent Dr. Makin.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Tatsuo Umemiya
Prince of Space / Wally
Ushio Akashi
Dr. Macken
Joji Oka
Ambassador Dictator Phantom
Hiroko Mine
Susie
Ken Sudo
Mukai
Takashi Kanda
Inspector Takeda
Junji Masuda
Colonel Watanabe
Takeshi Hasebe
Mr. Tannen

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Eijirō Wakabayashi
Writers: Masaru Igami, Shin Morita
Languages: Japanese
Countries: United States of America, 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

85 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

67 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: United States of America, Japan.

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 Ushio Akashi and Joji Oka 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 United States of America, Japan. Dialogue in Japanese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

185 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
267 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3International production across 2 countries: United States of America, Japan.
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 Ushio Akashi and Joji Oka carry the top of the cast.
9IMDB entry: tt0053464 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Only 32 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
11Classified under 9 themes, including "superhero", "prince", "alien", "space".

The technical file

Cinematography: Masahiko Iimura
Original score: Katsuhisa Hattori
Editing: Yoshiki Nagasawa
Production design: Shûshi Nakamura
Runtime: 85 min · 1h 25m
Status: Released
Original language: JA
IMDB: Prince of Space (1959)

Also by

Eijirō Wakabayashi

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Production companies

Who made it

WA
Walter Manley Enterprises
US
BE
Bellucci Productions
US
Toei Company
JP

Key crew

ProducerWalter Manley
ProducerSanehiko Sonoda
Production AssistantTakeshi Nishii
Sound RecordistShozo Hirogami
GafferKenzo Ginya
Production DesignShûshi Nakamura
Special EffectsShozo Horai
Visual EffectsShozo Horai
Visual Effects DirectorShozo Horai
Assistant DirectorHajime Sato
EditorYoshiki Nagasawa

Themes & keywords

What it's about, really

superhero
prince
alien
space
alien invasion
alternate version
outer space
based on tv series
tokusatsu

Release history · US

When it landed

TV1965-03-06· This film is an American TV compilation made from two 1959 Toei featurettes - Planet Prince and Planet Prince: The Terrifying Spaceship.

Also known as