“Notorious” (汚名／おめい), Ultra‑Rare Original Japanese 1967 Release STB Tatekan Poster, STB Size (c. 51 × 145 cm) O593
This is an original Japanese STB tatekan (two‑panel standing) poster issued in Japan (in 1967) for Alfred Hitchcock’s immortal romantic‑espionage masterpiece Notorious (汚名／おめい), starring Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman, and Claude Rains—and produced by David O. Selznick (as credited on the poster).
Film background
Few Hitchcock films balance romance, psychological cruelty, and pure suspense mechanics as flawlessly as Notorious. Made in the immediate post‑war moment, it takes the bones of a spy thriller—an infiltration mission, a dangerous enemy circle, a constant risk of exposure—and makes the real danger emotional: mistrust, jealousy, manipulation, and the brutal cost of “doing the job.”
It’s also one of Hitchcock’s most influential “adult” thrillers: Notorious is famous for its slow‑burn tension, its iconic set‑pieces (the key, the party, the cellar), and the way it turns a love story into a pressure cooker. For many collectors, it sits firmly in that top tier of Hitchcock titles where the film is canon—and the paper is correspondingly hard to find in anything beyond standard formats.
Poster design
This STB is an absolute Japanese design knockout—and a perfect example of why tatekan pieces can feel more like graphic art than advertising. The tall composition is built around a dramatic profile silhouette, “hung” at the top by a chain like a tag or talisman, with the famous close‑embrace kiss imagery floating inside the form. Down the center, a jagged torn‑paper reveal slices through the design, turning the poster into a visual metaphor for secrets, hidden motives, and lives being pulled apart.
The typography is equally strong: the giant orange title calligraphy 「汚名」 (with the reading おめい) punches off the warm brown field, while the cool blue vertical copy on the right drives the suspense hook with classic mid‑century intensity. The lower panel flips the mood from romance to dread—Grant in tense concentration, Bergman vulnerable in bed, and Rains looming behind—creating a two‑act narrative that reads beautifully in the tall STB format.
Rarity and condition
Japanese STB tatekan posters were produced for theatrical display in far smaller quantities than standard B2 sheets, and survival rates are notoriously low—especially for major classic Hollywood titles from Hitchcock’s prime period. This example is extremely rare in STB, and—the first time we have seen this title in this format, which is exactly the kind of scarcity advanced Hitchcock collectors chase.
Condition is very good overall: strong colour and presentation, with the expected handling/edge wear and minor evidence from cinema use (visible in the photos), plus typical storage wear on the blank reverse. It displays beautifully for framing in the dramatic tall format. Please inspect the photos carefully as they show the exact poster for sale.
It is over 59 years old.
It is not a reproduction or a reprint.
Certificate of Authenticity included.
