Saving the Earth in L.A.!

Adryan Russ. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On Sunday, October 20, I made my out to Los Angeles and had a great time there. The first meeting I had was with Adryan Russ, who performed the iconic "Save the Earth" song for the AIP release of Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster (1971). Even though I interviewed Ms. Russ way back in 2007, this was our first visit in person.

We met at the Lonny Chapman Theatre for a performance of The Orphan's Revenge, which was pretty enjoyable. The melodramatic show encouraged audience participation in the form of booing and hissing the villains and cheering the good guys. I don't think I'll ever forget the name of "Yack" Phillips.

"Save the Earth!" Photo by Brett Homenick.

After the show, we noticed a massive fire close to our vicinity. The smoke happened to be billowing from an area directly behind Joe's Smog Check, which, given the circumstances, was quite a coincidence. It looked like Godzilla and Hedorah were duking it out behind a sign warning the world about smog! If only Yoshimitsu Banno and his camera crew were there, it would have been complete.

It was great to meet Adryan in person and to chat about not just Smog Monster but a variety of other topics. I look forward to meeting up again in the future.

A piece of Godzilla history could be yours!

Tempted yet? An original Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster one-sheet is being offered for sale by one of the participants who made the American version so iconic! Photo by Adryan Russ.

In 1972, Adryan Russ urged us to save the Earth.

In 2011, Ms. Russ urges us to save a piece of film history!

Although we see Keiko Mari crooning "Save the Earth" in Yoshimitsu Banno's controversial Godzilla film, it's Adryan Russ' voice we hear on the soundtrack of the American version. Ms. Russ, who told her Godzilla tale in an interview with yours truly published in G-FAN #81, is putting up her Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster poster for sale. This piece of G-history could be yours!

Ms. Russ describes the poster:

The colors of the poster are actually deeper and more vibrant. It is an original 1972 poster, from American International Pictures. The bottom line reads: 72/40. I believe that indicates the year it was printed and "40" refers to one of the dimensions of the poster. It's in perfect shape, in a frame that I purchased for it.

Adryan Russ poses with her Smog Monster poster in 2007. Photo courtesy Adryan Russ.

I would be happy to forward any serious inquiries on to Ms. Russ. Please feel free to contact me via the comments below or directly through e-mail: thehumanvapor [at] yahoo [dot] com.