Gamera, the Giant Monster[3] (大怪獣ガメラ Daikaijū Gamera, lit. Giant Monster Gamera)[4] is a 1965 Japanese kaiju film directed by Noriaki Yuasa and produced and distributed by Daiei Film. As the first film in the Gamera franchise, it marks the debut appearance of the giant monster Gamera. The film stars Eiji Funakoshi, Harumi Kiritachi, and Junichiro Yamashita, and was released in Japan on November 27, 1965. A re-edited version with new footage was released the following year in the United States as Gammera the Invincible. This was the only film in the original series to be given a theatrical release in the United States.