“The Raven”, Original Japanese First Release Movie Poster 1965 (for the 1963 film), Very Rare, B2 Size (51.5 × 72.8 cm) P291
Japanese title: 「忍者と悪女」(Ninja to Akujo — “Ninja and the Wicked Woman”)
Size: B2 / 20 1/4 × 28 5/8 in (51.5 × 72.8 cm)
Country / Distributor: Japan / Okura Film.
Why this is a holy grail
Printed for the film’s first Japanese theatrical release in 1965, this original Japanese B2 is a superb example of how American genre cinema was boldly reimagined for the Japanese market in the 1960s. Although Roger Corman’s The Raven was made in 1963, it opened in Japan on 7 February 1965 through Okura, under the unforgettable local title 「忍者と悪女」 rather than a direct Poe-based translation. That makes this poster especially appealing not only to collectors of Corman, Vincent Price, Peter Lorre, and Boris Karloff, but also to anyone drawn to the wildly inventive alternate marketing of Japanese horror paper.
Design highlights
This is a spectacular multi-image Japanese collage design, dominated by a huge vertical red-and-yellow title exploding down the centre against a black ground. Around it are vivid character portraits and macabre vignette scenes: Hazel Court in glamorous close-up at right, Boris Karloff, Vincent Price, and Peter Lorre billed prominently at left, and comic-gothic torture-chamber imagery unfolding across the lower half. The English title “THE RAVEN” appears at the bottom in pink, while the copy above sells the film as 総天然色 パナビジョン (Full Color / Panavision) and hypes a revenge tale and supernatural “skill duel” in an old castle. It is lurid, theatrical, and completely distinctive—exactly the kind of design that makes Japanese horror posters so memorable.
Cultural impact
Corman’s The Raven is a comic Gothic horror film scripted by Richard Matheson, starring Price, Lorre, and Karloff as rival sorcerers, with a young Jack Nicholson in support. It is widely regarded as one of the lighter, more playful entries in Corman’s celebrated Poe cycle, taking loose inspiration from Edgar Allan Poe and building toward a famous magical duel. The Japanese campaign brilliantly amplifies that duel element, turning the film into something even stranger and more marketable locally through its “ninja” retitling and sensational copy.
Condition
Excellent condition. The poster presents beautifully, with rich colour, strong contrast, and excellent overall eye appeal. Please review the photos carefully, as they show the exact poster for sale.
Authentication
Guaranteed original Japanese theatrical poster for the film’s first local release in 1965; not a reproduction or modern print.
About Japanese B2 posters
The B2 is the standard Japanese theatrical poster format, measuring approximately 51.5 × 72.8 cm (about 20 × 29 inches), and was the most common cinema display size in postwar Japan. Its manageable scale makes it one of the most collected Japanese formats, but original first-release examples for cult horror titles remain especially desirable.
