This is an original Japanese STB / tatekan signboard poster, formed from two matching B2 panels, produced for the first Japanese theatrical release of The Reivers—the 1969 American comedy-drama adventure directed by Mark Rydell and starring Steve McQueen, Sharon Farrell, Mitch Vogel, and Rupert Crosse. Released in Japan under the poetic title 華麗なる週末 (Karei naru Shūmatsu / “The Magnificent Weekend”), this is a superb and highly desirable surviving example of early-1970s Japanese theatre display paper, and an especially striking Steve McQueen poster in the coveted tall-format signboard style.
Film background
Released in 1969, The Reivers was adapted from the final novel by William Faulkner and presents a warmer, more playful side of Steve McQueen than audiences knew from films such as Bullitt or The Great Escape. Set in the American South at the start of the twentieth century, the story follows Boon Hogganbeck, a young boy named Lucius, and their companion Ned as they embark on an impulsive journey to Memphis in a stolen Winton Flyer automobile. The film blends humour, nostalgia, and coming-of-age adventure, while its score by John Williams received an Academy Award nomination. Today it remains one of the most distinctive and underrated titles in McQueen’s filmography.
Poster design
A spectacular, high-impact Japan-only STB composition that uses the extreme verticality of the format to foreground Steve McQueen’s star power. The upper panel is dominated by an enormous, intense close-up portrait of McQueen, his piercing blue eyes and weathered features filling almost the entire sheet. This bold “mega-portrait” approach is exactly the kind of design language Japanese distributors often used when marketing McQueen at the height of his popularity.
The lower panel shifts into an evocative collage of the film’s supporting imagery and characters. A soft pink rose rises beneath McQueen’s face, while a cluster of scenes at the right evokes the film’s humour, sensuality, and Southern atmosphere. At the centre, the bright yellow Winton Flyer drives toward the viewer, brilliantly anchoring the composition and instantly identifying the film’s period setting and adventure premise. The typography is equally strong: スティーヴ・マックィーン appears prominently above the title, while the Japanese title 華麗なる週末 is rendered in large, elegant red lettering across the bottom. The small boxed copy at left promotes the film as a high-spirited Southern road adventure and emphasises McQueen’s charisma. The design is stylish, unusual, and unmistakably of its era.
About STB (Tatekan) posters
STBs, or tatekans, are tall, two-panel Japanese cinema signboard posters measuring approximately 51.5 × 145.6 cm—about 20.3 × 57.3 inches. Each is made from two separate B2 sheets, designed to be aligned vertically for display in theatre entrances, narrow signboards, and other high-visibility advertising positions. Because they were created as practical promotional material rather than collectible objects, complete surviving examples are far scarcer than standard B2 posters. Their unusual proportions also make them especially dramatic for display.
Condition
Excellent vintage condition, presenting strongly when assembled. The poster retains excellent visual impact, with strong colour, attractive saturation, and a very striking overall appearance. Please review the photographs carefully—they show the exact poster for sale.
It is over 55 years old!
It is not a reproduction or a reprint.
Certificate of Authenticity included.
