“Five Giants from Texas” (5匹の用心棒), Original Japanese Movie Poster 1967, Guy Madison / Monica Randall, STB Tatekan Two-Sheet Format (c. 51 × 145 cm) — U5
This is an original Japanese STB tatekan theatrical poster for the 1967 Japanese release of Five Giants from Texas, released in Japan as 5匹の用心棒. Also known as Five for Revenge, this complete two-sheet example combines unsettling imagery, dramatic changes of scale, and bold red typography in a striking composition from Japan’s 1960s Spaghetti Western campaigns.
Directed by Aldo Florio, the film stars Guy Madison and Monica Randall, with José Manuel Martín, Giovanni Cianfriglia, and Vassili Karamesinis among the supporting cast. The story follows five men who undertake to avenge a murdered friend and help his widow recover her kidnapped son and property from the powerful González brothers. Revenge, loyalty, and resistance to ruthless landowners drive the film’s frontier conflict.
Printed on two sheets arranged vertically, the design makes particularly dramatic use of the tall tatekan format. An enlarged image of dangling, sandal-clad feet beneath pale trousers dominates the upper section, looming above a smaller portrait of Madison holding a revolver. The cropped figure, dark background, and extreme disparity of scale establish a threatening atmosphere, reinforced by a long column of yellow promotional lettering.
The oversized red title 「5匹の用心棒」 descends along the left-hand side, with its enormous Arabic numeral “5” crossing the join between the sheets. The lower composition brings together armed confrontations, a distressed woman, and a prominent rifle-bearing figure seen from below. Along the bottom, captives lie restrained on a barren slope beneath the watch of armed men. The English title “FIVE GIANTS FROM TEXAS” and a blue TOWA distributor logo appear towards the lower right.
The prominent yellow tagline reads:
「涯てしない荒野を5匹の用心棒が怒りに燃えてやって来た……」
“Across the endless wilderness come five bodyguards, burning with anger…”
Green promotional copy identifies the film as the latest entry in Towa’s “Yojimbo” series, promising five times the excitement from its five protagonists. This printed branding provides a distinctive record of how the film was presented to Japanese audiences during the Italian Western boom.
The combination of ominous imagery, forceful lettering, and densely arranged action gives this poster considerable visual impact. It is an especially appealing example for collectors of Guy Madison, Aldo Florio, Spaghetti Westerns, and Japanese film poster design of the 1960s.
Condition: Excellent.
Please review all photographs, including the individual sheets and reverse, as they show the exact poster for sale.
STB tatekan format: approximately 51 × 145 cm when assembled.
Stock code: U5.
It is not a reproduction or a reprint.
Certificate of Authenticity included.
About STB (Tatekan) posters
Japanese STB / tatekan posters were tall standing-board advertisements, printed in two pieces to be joined vertically for cinema display. Typically measuring around 51 × 145 cm, their elongated proportions offered considerable scope for distinctive compositions. Designed for temporary theatrical use, complete surviving examples preserve an important part of Japan’s cinema advertising history.
