“Catch-22” (キャッチ22), Original Japanese Movie Poster 1971, Alan Arkin / Orson Welles, STB Tatekan Two-Sheet Format (c. 51 × 145 cm) — U11
This is an original Japanese STB tatekan theatrical poster for the 1971 Japanese release of Catch-22. Over fifty years old, this complete two-sheet example combines surreal photographic imagery, an ensemble cast montage, and bold red typography.
Directed by Mike Nichols, with a screenplay by Buck Henry adapted from Joseph Heller’s novel, the film stars Alan Arkin, supported by Orson Welles, Anthony Perkins, Martin Balsam, Paula Prentiss, Jon Voight, and Art Garfunkel. Set at a Mediterranean bomber base during the Second World War, it follows Captain Yossarian’s attempts to escape combat duty while trapped within the contradictory logic of military bureaucracy. Its mixture of black comedy, disturbing violence, and absurdity gives the film its distinctive anti-war character.
Printed on two sheets arranged vertically, the design makes striking use of the tall tatekan format. The upper section features Arkin as Yossarian, wearing only his boots, perched in the branches of a leafless tree. Aircraft cross the pale sky around him, while a jeep and burning wreckage introduce further wartime imagery below. A dark blue panel bearing the white stencil-style English title “CATCH-22” occupies the upper-right corner.
The lower section gathers the ensemble portraits above the oversized red Japanese title 「キャッチ22」, with Mike Nichols’ director credit printed beneath. Below the lettering, a panorama of parked bombers stretches across an airfield, accompanied by a foreground scene of two uniformed men in conversation. The photographic montage connects the film’s individual characters with the military world surrounding them.
The prominent red tagline on the jagged blue strip reads:
「陽気で狂気で みだらで猛烈 戦争映画の大傑作！」
“Cheerful, crazy, bawdy and wild—a masterpiece of war cinema!”
The combination of the tree-bound Yossarian, contrasting blue and red lettering, and expansive airfield imagery gives this poster a distinctive presence. It is an especially appealing example for collectors of Mike Nichols, Alan Arkin, Joseph Heller, New Hollywood cinema, and Japanese film poster design of the 1970s.
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: U11.
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.
