“Tall Story” (のっぽ物語), Original Release Japanese Movie Poster 1960, B2 Size (51 x 73cm) ZA1162
This is an original Japanese B2 theatrical poster printed for the 1960 Japanese release of Tall Story (のっぽ物語), the American romantic comedy directed by Joshua Logan. The film stars Anthony Perkins and Jane Fonda, with Ray Walston, Marc Connelly, Murray Hamilton, and Anne Jackson in supporting roles. It is especially significant as Jane Fonda’s screen debut.
Film background
Released in 1960, Tall Story is a campus romantic comedy centred on basketball, student life, and romantic misunderstanding. Directed by Joshua Logan, known for Picnic and South Pacific, the film presents Anthony Perkins in his pre-Psycho image as an awkward, clean-cut romantic lead, opposite the young Jane Fonda at the beginning of her screen career.
In Japan, the film also gained a particular afterlife through its association with 1960s Ivy League style. Perkins’ wardrobe — button-down shirts, narrow ties, and collegiate tailoring — resonated strongly with Japanese fashion culture and later became part of the visual vocabulary admired by readers of magazines such as Men’s Club.
Poster design
A bright and appealing Japanese theatrical design, dominated by a large colour image of Jane Fonda and Anthony Perkins. Fonda leans toward Perkins while pulling at his tie, creating an immediately comic and romantic visual tension. The warm yellow background gives the poster a light, youthful energy suited to the film’s campus setting.
The Japanese title のっぽ物語 is arranged in playful, uneven lettering at the upper left, visually echoing the “tall” theme of the title. The top billing highlights Anthony Perkins and Jane Fonda, while the director credit names Joshua Logan. Across the yellow band above the image, the Japanese campaign copy reads: 「学生諸君！教室は結婚媒介所か？親達には絶対見せられない笑いとロマンスの最高傑作！」 — broadly, “Students! Is the classroom a marriage agency? A masterpiece of laughter and romance you absolutely can’t show your parents!”
Rarity and significance
This is a desirable early Japanese poster for a film of notable Hollywood importance: Jane Fonda’s first screen appearance and one of Anthony Perkins’ final romantic-lead roles before his image was transformed by Psycho, released the same year. Original 1960 Japanese B2 posters for American campus comedies are not commonly encountered, and this example is particularly attractive for its period colour, star appeal, and Japanese graphic treatment.
Condition
Very Good / Excellent. Please review the photos—they show the exact poster for sale.
It is over 66 years old!
It is not a reproduction or a reprint.
Certificate of Authenticity included.
