Niagara (ナイアガラ) — First release Japanese Large B1 Size, 1953 — Painted Glamour Portrait Style — Linen Backed, Exceedingly Rare, B1 Size (c.73 x105cm)

An ultra rare, first‑release Japanese B1 poster for Niagara—issued for the film’s initial Japanese theatrical run, first released in Japan on 18 April 1953.

While Japanese B2 one‑sheets are the standard format most collectors encounter for vintage releases, this is the larger B1 “B全” size—a true wall‑dominating display piece, and substantially harder to locate in any condition, even in Japan. (B2 is the most commonly used Japanese poster size; B1 is the double‑sized format.) It is incredibly hard to even find this poster in a B2 size, in a B1 size, we believe it has never sold in any major auction in the West.

Professionally linen backed for long‑term stability and presentation, this example displays as excellent / near mint, with striking colour and a clean, exhibition‑ready finish. The timeless beauty of Marilyn Monroe is on full display in this gorgeous B1 poster.

Film background

Released in 1953 and directed by Henry Hathaway, Niagara is a suspense thriller with deep noir DNA—infidelity, jealousy, and murder framed against the tourist spectacle and looming danger of Niagara Falls.

Marilyn Monroe plays the dangerously alluring Rose Loomis opposite Joseph Cotten and Jean Peters; the film is famous for codifying Monroe’s screen persona and for showcasing her star power at the exact moment she became a global phenomenon.

Monroe’s broader cultural impact is beyond cinema: she became one of the world’s most enduring pop‑culture icons and 1950s sex symbols. In Japan, her allure took on a life of its own—her 1954 arrival in Japan was treated as major news, and she remains a widely recognized, highly marketable icon in Japanese popular culture.

Poster design (first issue, painted glamour portrait style)

• Format: Japanese B1 one‑sheet, country of origin theatrical poster.
• Key art: A beautifully rendered, painted‑style glamour portrait of Monroe dominates the sheet—golden curls, luminous skin tones, and a rich crimson dress with an oversized bow, captured in a moment of effortless charisma with her arm raised behind her head.
• Noir vignette: At lower left, a tense illustrated scene shows Monroe startled as a shadowy man in a hat and trench coat grips her—an immediate, graphic promise of danger beneath the glamour.
• Backdrop: A misty, panoramic view of Niagara Falls runs across the upper register, giving the artwork a sense of place and scale—romance and spectacle turning ominous.
• Typography (Japan‑specific impact):
– Huge katakana title 「ナイアガラ」 in yellow with green edging—bold, architectural, and unmistakably Japanese in flavour.
– Tagline across the top: 「ファン待望のマリリン・モンロウ登場！」 (“The long‑awaited Marilyn Monroe appears!”).
– Cast block in red: マリリン・モンロウ / ジョセフ・コットン / ジーン・ピータース.
– Colour callout: 「総天然色」 (full colour).
• Artist note: No artist credit is printed on the sheet. The aesthetic—hand‑rendered portraiture, dramatic vignette storytelling, and oversized katakana title—reads as a quintessentially Japanese interpretation rather than a standard photo‑based international campaign.

For many collectors of Monroe and classic noir, this is the kind of Japan‑only illustrated presentation that elevates Niagara into true centerpiece territory.

Rarity

First‑release Japanese paper for Niagara is scarce, and B1 survivors are notably rarer than B2 due to both original distribution practices and simple survival reality: the larger the sheet, the less likely it was to be stored and the more likely it suffered heavy theatre handling. Collecting references routinely note B1s were produced in smaller numbers than the common B2s, making them significantly harder to find today.

This title is also a collector favourite: a Technicolor‑laced noir thriller with Monroe at peak allure is enduringly desirable across both classic Hollywood and Monroe‑focused collections.

Condition

Excellent / Near Mint (display), linen backed. (please see high resolution photograph - this is the exact poster that is for sale)

Authenticity: Guaranteed original; COA included

Summary

• Title: Niagara (ナイアガラ)
• Director: Henry Hathaway
• Stars: Marilyn Monroe, Joseph Cotten, Jean Peters
• Year / Studio: 1953 / 20th Century‑Fox
• Country / Format: Japan, B1 (approx. 105 × 73 cm)
• Release: First Japanese release (18 Apr 1953)
• Design: Japan‑specific painted glamour portrait + noir vignette; massive katakana title
• Rarity: Ultra rare in B1 (B1 far scarcer than standard B2)
• Condition: Excellent / Near Mint presentation, linen backed
• Authenticity: Guaranteed original; COA included