“Bullitt” (ブリット), Ultra‑Rare Original Japanese B1 First‑Release Poster — 1968 First Japanese Release (21 December 1968) — approx. 28.7 × 40.6 in (72.8 × 103.0 cm) (G)
This is an original Japanese poster printed for the film’s first Japanese theatrical release. The film premiered in Japan on 21 December 1968, with distribution by Warner / ワーナー・ブラザース映画, and Japanese B1 is the large-format size of 728 × 1030 mm. The poster also preserves the period Warner Bros.-Seven Arts branding in the lower margin, tying it squarely to the original release campaign.
About the film
Directed by Peter Yates and starring Steve McQueen, Robert Vaughn, Jacqueline Bisset, Don Gordon, Robert Duvall, Simon Oakland, and Norman Fell, Bullitt was based on Robert L. Pike’s 1963 novel Mute Witness. It follows San Francisco detective Frank Bullitt as a witness-protection assignment collapses into murder, political pressure, and a citywide pursuit.
The Film & Its Place in McQueen’s Legacy
Bullitt remains one of McQueen’s defining roles: terse, watchful, physically controlled, and effortlessly cool. Its reputation rests above all on the San Francisco chase, a sequence that helped set the template for the modern movie car chase; in 2011, TIME placed it among the “15 Greatest Movie Car Chases of All Time” and called it “the one, the first, the granddaddy.” The film’s stature was further cemented when Frank P. Keller won the Academy Award for Best Film Editing, and when the Library of Congress selected Bullitt for the National Film Registry.
Bullitt in Japan
This poster is especially appealing because its Japanese campaign does not rely on McQueen’s image alone. The enormous katakana title ブリット, the multicoloured テクニカラー (technicolor) banner, and the headline copy selling the picture as a maximum-speed thrill machine give it a distinctly Japanese late-1960s flavour. The side copy even calls attention to McQueen’s turtleneck-and-gun-belt look, showing how the Japanese release sold not just the plot, but the entire Bullitt persona.
Poster design
A spectacular, highly displayable Japanese design gives collectors the best of both worlds: a commanding portrait of McQueen and a full-throttle visualization of the chase. The giant red title block dominates the left side, while a black muscle car hurtles diagonally through smoke beneath it; smaller vignettes of pedestrians, gunplay, and supporting characters turn the sheet into a compact action montage. Unlike many posters for the film that foreground only McQueen, this design also gives the legendary car chase real visual weight.
Why collectors prize this example
Collectors respond strongly to Bullitt because it sits at the intersection of several enduring interests: Steve McQueen at peak star power, one of the signature action films of the late 1960s, and a chase sequence that remains central to the film’s legend. This Japanese B1 adds a further layer of desirability, because the larger format is far less commonly seen and does not surface very often. Just as importantly, this country-specific artwork unites McQueen’s portrait with the film’s most famous action motif in one sheet, which is a major part of its appeal.
Condition
Professionally linen backed by Fourth Cone and restored to excellent condition, close to near mint. It presents beautifully, with strong colour, a clean overall appearance, and outstanding wall presence for a large-format Japanese poster of this vintage. Please review the supplied photograph carefully—shown is the exact poster offered.
It is not a reproduction or a reprint. It is almost 6 decades old.
A rare opportunity to acquire an original first-release Japanese Bullitt B1 poster in the most dramatic format: a scarce, visually arresting McQueen piece that combines the star’s cool, the film’s legendary San Francisco chase, and the bold graphic energy of late-1960s Japanese poster design.
