“Red Lion” (赤毛), Original Japanese “Speed” Movie Poster 1969, First Release, Speed Size (26 × 73 cm) O705

This is an original Japanese speed-format theatrical poster printed in 1969 for the first cinema release of Red Lion (赤毛), directed by Kihachi Okamoto and starring Toshirō Mifune and Shima Iwashita—a fierce, genre-bending jidaigeki that shifts from rowdy comedy into political satire and violence with trademark Okamoto bite.

Film background
Set in the volatile final years of the Tokugawa shogunate, Red Lion follows peasant Gonzo (Mifune), who returns to his village impersonating an Imperial officer—only to be pulled into an uprising against corrupt local power. What begins as boisterous masquerade gradually curdles into tragedy, using humour as a blade to expose hypocrisy, propaganda, and opportunism. Today it’s widely appreciated as one of Mifune’s great late-’60s performances: swaggering physical comedy, then sudden brutal intensity when the costs of “justice” arrive.

Poster design
A pure, graphic masterpiece of late-Shōwa minimalism: the sheet is dominated by the colossal, brush-painted title 赤毛 in blazing vermilion—calligraphy as impact weapon—set against a pale, stormy sky. Below, a small but dramatic image of Mifune on horseback charges across barren ground, perfectly underscoring the film’s swing from mythic bravado to hard reality. The tall, narrow speed format amplifies the design—built to stop passers-by instantly—and survivors are increasingly scarce because these were displayed in tight cinema corridors and exterior panels where they took real handling.

Condition
Very Good / Excellent. Please review the photos—they show the exact poster for sale.
(As expected for a genuine 1969 cinema-used speed poster: light age-toning to the verso and an original horizontal fold from period handling.)

It is over 56 years old!
It is not a reproduction or a reprint.
Certificate of Authenticity included.