Keizô Murase
Keizō Murase (村瀬継蔵, Murase Keizō; October 5, 1935 – October 14, 2024) was a Japanese suitmaker, stuntman, sculptor, modeller, and film director. He is particularly well known for his work in giant monster films, including Mothra (1961), King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962), and The Mighty Peking Man (1977). In 1958, Toho hired Murase to sculpt the Varan suit for Varan the Unbelievable. An amateur photographer, Murase extensively documented his work, which was published in his 2015 autobiography, Monster Maker: Keizo Murase. After working for Daiei Film on Gamera, he, Masao Yagi, and Akira Suzuki founded the modelling company Ex Productions; he later left in 1972 to form his own company, Twenty. Murase died from cirrhosis of the liver on October 14, 2024, at the age of 89.
- Known for
- Costume & Make-Up
- Born
- 1935-10-05 · Ikeda, Tokachi, Hokkaido, Japan
- Died
- 2024-10-14
Known for
- Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964) — Costume Design
- King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962) — Costume Designer
- Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster (1964) — Sculptor
- King Kong vs. Godzilla (1963) — Sculptor
- Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975) — Costume Design
- Ebirah, Horror of the Deep (1966) — Costume Designer
- Gamera, the Giant Monster (1965) — Costume Design
- Matango (1963) — Modeling
- Gamera vs. Gyaos (1967) — Costume Design
- Yongary, Monster from the Deep (1967) — Costume Design
- The Seventh Curse (1986) — Special Effects
- The Mighty Peking Man (1977) — Ah Wang / Peking Man (stunts)
- Dogora (1964) — Modeling
- Varan (1958) — Costume Design
- Gammera the Invincible (1966) — Costume Design
- Ultra Q (1966) — Costume Design