Jerry Ito as Clark Nelson in Toho`s 1961 classic MOTHRA, and as a guest (with Godzilla suit actor Tsutomu Kitagawa) at BAFE`s Godzillafest in 2004. MOTHRA © 1961 Toho Co., Ltd.

On Sunday, July 8, actor Jerry Ito passed away from pneumonia following a long illness. Today would have been his 80th birthday. A talented performer on stage and screen, Mr Ito may be best known as Clark Nelson, the lead villain in the classic Toho kaiju film MOTHRA (Mosura, 1961). Among his many other credits are the films HEY PINEAPPLE (Pineapple Butai, 1960), THE LAST WAR (Sekai Daisenso, 1961), THE MANSTER (1962), INTERPOL CODE 8 (Kokusai Himitsu Keisatsu: Shirei Dai Hachigo, 1963), and YOU CAN SUCCEED, TOO (Kimi Mo Shusse Ga Dekiru, 1964). Many of us here at SciFi Japan got to know Jerry when he appeared as a guest at Bay Area Film Events` Godzillafest in November 2004, and we had kept in touch with him in the years since then. We are now working on a tribute that will include comments from his friends and family, including his MOTHRA co-star Hiroshi Koizumi. Please visit this site next week for a look at the life and career of Jerry Ito, and in the meantime enjoy these video clips of Jerry at Godzillafest and acting in the American/Japanese production THE MANSTER... Jerry Ito introduces the Godzillafest screening of MOTHRA in 2004 Jerry Ito in THE MANSTER, footage courtesy of Fred Olen Ray and Retromedia May he rest in peace.