“Cinderella” (シンデレラ姫), Original Japanese First-Release Movie Poster 1952, Ultra Rare B2 Size (approx. 51.5 × 72.8 cm) Q98

A refined 1952 Japanese first-release B2 poster for Walt Disney’s Cinderella—the studio’s landmark return to feature-length fairy-tale animation, issued for the film’s original Japanese theatrical campaign. The sheet is anchored by the period distribution credit 日本RKOラヂオ映画 配給 (“Distributed by Japan RKO Radio Films”) and the RKO Radio Pictures shield, placing it firmly within the coveted RKO era of Disney’s international theatrical history.

This poster is over 74 years old!

For collectors, this is a true post-war Japanese Disney trophy: an elegant, design-forward composition; the original Japanese release title シンデレラ姫; a lavish red-and-gold Japanese title treatment; English Walt Disney’s Cinderella branding; and the full Japan RKO distribution line. Original Japanese first-release Disney B2 posters from this period are exceptionally elusive, and this example survives with unusually strong colour and visual presence.

Date & Japanese Theatrical Release

Cinderella premiered in the United States in 1950. Japan’s first theatrical release followed in 1952, during the early post-war period when major Disney features were reintroduced to Japanese audiences as premium imported entertainment.

The Japanese release title used here, シンデレラ姫, together with the 日本RKOラヂオ映画 配給 credit, confirms this as an original Japanese first-release campaign poster from the RKO distribution period.

The Film & Its Place in Disney’s Legacy

Produced by Walt Disney Productions, Cinderella is one of the defining works of Disney’s mid-century animated canon. Directed by Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, and Hamilton Luske, the film restored Disney’s position at the forefront of feature animation after the difficult wartime and immediate post-war years.

The film’s voice cast includes Ilene Woods as Cinderella, Eleanor Audley as Lady Tremaine, Verna Felton as the Fairy Godmother, and James MacDonald as Jaq and Gus. Its music, fairy-tale atmosphere, and transformation sequence became central to Disney’s post-war identity.

Cinderella was also a major prestige release in its era, receiving three Academy Award nominations, including recognition for its music and song.

Disney, Japan RKO, and Post-War Reception in Japan

This B2 belongs to a crucial moment in Japanese cinema history, when Disney features were promoted not simply as children’s animation, but as major imported screen events. The Japanese copy describes the film as 色彩長篇絵物語—a “colour feature-length illustrated story”—and presents it as Disney’s greatest work since Snow White.

The Japan RKO credit is a key historical fingerprint, linking the poster to the original theatrical distribution network active in Japan at the time. For Disney collectors, this is precisely the kind of period detail that separates a true first-release Japanese poster from later reissues or decorative reproductions.

Design Notes

A poster built for theatrical elegance: the composition is unusually sophisticated for a mid-century animation sheet. A deep violet night sky, illuminated castle, village rooftops, carriage chase, and Cinderella’s pale blue gown combine to create a richly staged fairy-tale world.

Iconic narrative staging: the design compresses the film’s romance and urgency into a single illustrated field—Cinderella poised in her ball dress, the castle above, the carriage racing below, and the mice gathered along the lower border.

Typographic theatre: the Japanese title シンデレラ姫 is rendered in bold textured red characters with yellow edging and green shadowing, giving the lower portion of the poster exceptional graphic force.

Prestige bilingual branding: the English Walt Disney’s Cinderella logotype appears across the upper sky, while the Japanese title and release copy below ground the design firmly in the Japanese theatrical campaign.

RKO-era authenticity: the lower-left RKO Radio Pictures shield and 日本RKOラヂオ映画 配給 line are among the most important identifying features, confirming the poster’s original Japanese distribution context.

Condition

Excellent. The poster presents beautifully, with rich colour, strong image registration, and excellent overall visual impact for a Japanese theatrical poster from 1952. There is a tiny area missing at the top left corner. Please review the photos—they show the exact poster for sale.

It is not a reproduction or a reprint.

Certificate of Authenticity included.