Golden Bat: The Phantom of the Skyscraper (lost tokusatsu film adaptation based on Kamishibai character; 1950)

The poster for the film.

Status: Lost

Golden Bat: The Phantom of The Skyscraper (黄金バット摩天楼の怪人, Ōgon Batto: Matenrô no Kaijin) is a 1950 Tokusatsu film produced by Tokyo Eiga Haigyo (now known as Toei) and Shineigasha. Released sometime in December of that year, the film is the first live-action adaptation and film adaptation of the Japanese Kamishibai hero, "Golden Bat" - often claimed to be not only the first ever Japanese superhero, but potentially the first ever modern superhero.

Plot

According to a Japanese Golden Bat fansite and a newspaper advertisement for the film, the film's plot was as follows:

"Evil mad scientist Dr. Nazo alongside his QX gang target the discoverer of the Ultron superatom under the name of Dr. Ogata, producing a power far greater than that of a hydrogen bomb and is made in an attempt for peace. Soon shows up the protector of humanity under the name of Golden Bat to stop Nazo's evil plans."^[1]

Cast

Ryuji Ueda (Ryuji Ueda) as the Golden Bat
Hiroshi Sugi as Seiichiro Ogata
Yukio Mosaki as Masaru
Reiko Suzuoka as Kazuko
Ryuko Kawaji as Ranko
Takehiko Kobe as Puku-chan
Ryuji Ueda as Yuji Oki
Taizo Fukami as Teruyuki Maki
??? as Doctor Nazo
Arata Sejima Dobsky
Masao Shimizu as Inspector Horie
Hibari Misora as ???

Availability

Due to the age of the film and the overall obscure status of the Golden Bat as a character, the chances of this film surviving are incredibly low unless Toei themselves or a collector reveals they have a copy of it. As of now, the only surviving elements of the film are its poster, some newspaper snippets, and some on-set photos that were auctioned off, though even most of these are unseen to the public.^[2]