the original story rather than the final film, with the summary referring to the Shobijin as the "Ailenas". Columbia's press book advised theater owners to add police or armed services and a weapons display in the lobby with the caption "These weapons couldn't stop Mothra!"; To put signs on construction sites with the caption "Mothra was here!"; Send two attractive street valley girls in abbreviated space suits through the main business district and school vicinities with signs on their backs reading "Mothra, the world's most fantastic love story!"; Arrange a display of radioactive materials with a geiger counter in the lobby to emphasize Mothra's power. Theatrical Mothra was released in Japan on July 30, 1961 where it was distributed by Toho. The film was ranked 10th place in Kinema Junpo's annual box office tally. The film was released by Columbia Pictures with an English dub produced by Titra Studios on May 10, 1962. Columbia released Mothra on a double-bill with The Three Stooges in Orbit in some markets. The American version runs at 90 minutes. Columbia acquired the North American rights to the film during pre-production. The film has been re-released theatrically in Japan since its release. This includes a shorter version of the film distributed by Toho with a 62-minute running time on December 14, 1974. This version was edited by Ishiro Honda. Mothra was re-released theatrically in Japan on November 21, 1982 as part of Toho's 50th anniversary. Hiroshi Koizumi believes the success of the film was attributed to the Peanuts' involvement, due to the twins being popular at the time of the film's release. Critical response Film critic A. H. Weiler in The New York Times gave the film a generally positive review, singling out the color and special effects for praise. "There's that color, as pretty as can be, that now and then smites the eye with some genuinely artistic panoramas and décor designs." Hazel Flynn of the Los Angeles Citizen News stated, "the sight of the huge flying monster flapping its wings is one of the most impressive special effects I've ever encountered." Boxoffice magazine called the film "one of the best of its kind." A reviewer for Variety called the film "ludicrous" and "half hazardly executed", stating, "the post-dubbed film is too awkward in dramatic construction and crude in histrionic style to score appreciably at the box office." Home media In 2009, the Japanese