Happy birthday, Rhodes Reason!

Rhodes Reason at his home in March 2011. His poster of King Kong Escapes would no doubt be coveted by all sorts of collectors, big and small. Photo by Brett Homenick.

April 19 marks the 81st birthday of Rhodes Reason, the actor most kaiju eiga fans associate with his starring role in King Kong Escapes (1967). As Commander Carl Nelson, Rhodes provided an anchor of credibility to the picture, which was an otherwise colorful, over-the-top adventure.

In 2007, Rhodes headlined G-FEST XIV, which highlighted the King Kong movies made by Toho Studios. Shelley Sweeney (Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla 1993) was also on hand for the festivities.

Happy birthday, Rhodes! (Oh, and by the way, I did enjoy The King's Speech. Thank you for the recommendation!)