Check this opening out. Its from a show called Gekkou Kamen(Moonlight Mask) from 1958. Its rumored to be the first tokusatsu in Japan.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrLa1CpMK6w...feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nb7GjSuqU6A...feature=related
We have come a long way.