The Human Vapor

Detective Okamoto (Tatsuya Mihashi) is on the trail of a mysterious bank robber. The investigation leads him to a dancer, Fujichiyo Kasuga (Kaoru Yachigusa), and her servant, Jiya. Okamoto's girlfriend, newspaper reporter Kyoko Kono (Keiko Sata), insists on helping him investigate, despite him not taking her seriously. Shortly thereafter, another bank is robbed, with the culprit somehow evading all security measures, surviving gunfire from a cop, killing the cop and an employee, and then vanishing.

Kyoko informs Okamoto that Fujichiyo is from a wealthy and respected family but has not performed in some time. Okamoto also learns from his boss Tabata (Yoshifumi Tajima) that the cop and employee killed at the bank died by asphyxiation. Okamoto and Kyoko then discover that Fujichiyo is planning to perform again but is reticent about the details. They follow her to a library where the librarian Mizuno (Yoshio Tsuchiya) tells them that she has been studying ancient songs and engravings. Fujichiyo also approaches a respected chamber music tutor named Osaki (Kamayuki Tsubono) and offers him 200,000 yen to perform. Okamoto relays these findings, and his suspicion of her possible sponsor, to Tabata, who recommends continuing to investigate Fujichiyo's dealings.

Kyoko's newspaper office receives a call from a man claiming to be the bank robber and giving the time and location of his next crime. Okamoto and several other cops infiltrate the bank disguised as employees and apprehend a man who claims to have made the call but does not know where the stolen money is. Okamoto and Kyoko feel that his story does not add up. Their suspicions of Fujichiyo appear confirmed when she attempts to pay for a theater space with stolen money. She is arrested and questioned but refuses to say where the money came from.

Some time later, the librarian Mizuno arrives at police headquarters and claims that he is the culprit. Okamoto recognizes him and Mizuno offers to show the police the method he used. He is brought to the second bank he robbed, where he demonstrates his ability to turn himself into a gaseous form, thus allowing him to evade gunfire, pass through vault bars, kill another cop by asphyxiation, and escape through an overhead window before telling the police that Fujichiyo is not guilty and they must release her from custody.

Fujichiyo still refuses to cooperate with them in capturing Mizuno and is kept in custody. Mizuno attempts a rescue, killing two policemen and unlocking the dancer's cell. Fujichiyo tells him that if she escapes with him, she will be considered a criminal. Mizuno instead releases the other prisoners, causing a clash with police.

Kyoko suggests contacting the Human Vapor for an interview. The newspaper prints an invitation to him and Mizuno arrives at the designated time and place. He explains that a scientist named Dr. Sano (Fuyuki Murakami), who was working on a project for the space program, experimented on him and caused his transformation. Feeling betrayed upon discovering the result, Mizuno killed Dr. Sano. Mizuno admits to his interviewers that he is now grateful for his powers and the chance to help his love Fujichiyo dance again. The police arrive and attempt to subdue Mizuno, but he escapes once again.

The police and Dr. Tamiya (Hisaya Ito) ask Fujichiyo to help them set a trap for Mizuno. She refuses and the police are forced to release her as she cannot be charged. Fujichiyo meets Osaki and is told that the musicians are too scared to perform, but she decides to continue without them. Mizuno appears to Fujichiyo and declares his love for her, saying he would do anything for her. Dr. Tamiya meets with Okamoto and Tabata to devise a plan to destroy the Human Vapor using explosive gas in the theater where Fujichyo will perform. Kyoko pleads with Fujichiyo to cancel the performance, but she refuses, feeling it is her destiny and expressing love for Mizuno.

On the night of the recital, an unruly mob and a frenzied media gather outside the theater, along with police and firefighters. A number of onlookers enter the theater demanding to see the Human Vapor. Mizuno stands before them, announces that he is the Human Vapor, and transforms, scaring all but one man out of the theater. Kyoko runs to the stage pleading with Fujichiyo to leave, but she and Jiya refuse. Mizuno alerts Okamoto and Kyoto to the fallen man, whom they take to safety.

Despite Kyoto's pleas, the switch is thrown to detonate the theater, but Fujichiyo has sabotaged the circuit board. As the performance ends, Fujichiyo and Mizuno embrace. Fujichiyo clandestinely pulls out a cigarette lighter and strikes it. The theater is incinerated and the onlookers watch as the Human Vapor tries and fails to escape, returning to his original form in death.

• Tatsuya Mihashi as Detective Okamoto
• Keiko Sata as reporter Kyoko Kono
• Kaoru Yachigusa as Fujichiyo, the dancer
• Yoshio Tsuchiya as Mizuno the Vapor Man
• Bokuzen Hidari as Fujichiyo's guardian
• Hisaya Ito as Dr. Tamiya
• Takamaru Sasaki
• Tetsu Nakamura
• Murakami Fuyuki
• Ren Yamamoto

[1]

The film was distributed in Japan by Toho on December 11, 1960.[1] It was later released in the United States as The Human Vapor by Brenco Pictures with an English-language dub May 20, 1964.[1] The film was released as a double feature with Gorath, and was edited down to 79 minutes.[1]

In a contemporary review, "Whit." of Variety declared the film plot superior to its companion double feature Gorath and that its special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya were "expert", while the acting was "competent".[2] The review concluded that the English-language dub they watched was "far from gratifying" and that when the lips did not match the English dialogue it "decreased realism".[2]

Wikiquote has quotations related to: The Human Vapor

• The Human Vapor on IMDb
• The Human Vapor at the TCM Movie Database
• Scheib, Richard. THE HUMAN VAPOR (Gas Ningen Daiichigo)
• "ガス人間第一号 (Gasu ningen dai ichigo)" (in Japanese). Japanese Movie Database. Retrieved 2007-07-13.