“Bruce Lee in The Green Hornet” / 「ブルース・リーのグリーン・ホーネット」, Original Japanese Movie Poster 1974, B2 Size (51 × 73 cm) A270
This is an original Japanese B2 theatrical poster printed for the Japanese release of Bruce Lee in The Green Hornet / 「ブルース・リーのグリーン・ホーネット」, the 1974 feature-length compilation assembled from episodes of the American television series The Green Hornet.
Released during the height of international Bruce Lee mania, the film placed his character Kato firmly at the centre of its Japanese advertising. Although Van Williams played the title character, Lee overwhelmingly dominates this extraordinary poster design.
Film background
Newspaper publisher Britt Reid secretly fights crime as the masked Green Hornet, deliberately maintaining the public appearance of a criminal in order to infiltrate the underworld. He is accompanied by his chauffeur and partner Kato, whose extraordinary speed, precision, and martial arts ability make him the pair’s most formidable weapon.
The theatrical feature was compiled from material originally produced for the 1966–1967 television series The Green Hornet, following the enormous worldwide success of Bruce Lee’s later films.
Directed by Norman Foster and produced by Richard Bluel, it stars Bruce Lee, Van Williams, Wende Wagner, Lloyd Gough, and Mako Iwamatsu.
The film holds particular historical importance as a record of Lee’s early American screen work. His portrayal of Kato introduced Western audiences to his remarkable physical presence and martial arts technique several years before he became an international cinema icon.
Poster design
The poster uses an exceptionally dynamic comic-book-style montage, divided into multiple vertical panels filled with bold colour, action imagery, and graphic illustration.
At the centre is a monumental portrait of Bruce Lee, shown with an intense expression and raising his hand toward his mouth in one of his characteristic fighting gestures. The scale of his image makes clear that the Japanese campaign was selling the film primarily as a Bruce Lee vehicle.
The left panel shows Lee in Kato’s black chauffeur uniform and mask, raising a dart above his head. Below him are fragmented scenes of hand-to-hand combat, alongside a large illustrated green-and-yellow hornet, rendered like a pulp comic-book emblem.
The right panel features Van Williams as the Green Hornet, dressed in a dark suit, fedora, and mask. Smaller images beneath him depict gunfights, pursuing police officers, villains, and the Green Hornet’s customised car.
The prominent red headline across the top reads:
「絶賛の歓呼を浴びてブルース・リー《アメリカ主演第1回作品》ついに登場！」
“Showered with acclaim and cheers, Bruce Lee’s first American starring production finally arrives!”
The smaller text at upper left promotes the film’s explosive mixture of nunchaku combat, battle cries, secret weapons, and criminal intrigue.
The lower section is anchored by the Japanese title:
「ブルース・リーのグリーン・ホーネット」
Bruce Lee’s name appears in sharp red lettering, while 「グリーン・ホーネット」 is rendered in a huge, textured dark-green brush style.
The English title:
“BRUCE LEE IN GREEN HORNET”
appears in red across the centre of the Japanese typography. Cast, production, and distribution credits are arranged along the bottom edge, together with the TOWA distributor mark.
Release note
This poster was printed for the film’s original Japanese theatrical release in 1974 and distributed in Japan by TOWA.
It is an original period Japanese cinema poster, not a later reproduction or commercial reprint.
Condition
Excellent condition. A highly attractive example, with vivid colour, sharp imagery, clear typography, and excellent overall display impact.
There are light signs of age and handling consistent with an original Japanese theatrical poster from this period, but overall it presents extremely well.
Reference: A270.
Please review the photographs carefully, as they show the exact poster for sale.
This is an original 1974 Japanese theatrical poster.
It is not a reproduction or a reprint.
It is now over 50 years old.
Certificate of Authenticity included.
