“On Any Sunday” (栄光のライダー), Original Release Japanese Movie Poster 1971, Double-Sided B3 Size (36 × 50 cm) M139A

This is an original Japanese B3 poster printed in 1971 for the first Japanese theatrical release of On Any Sunday (栄光のライダー), Bruce Brown’s landmark motorcycle documentary featuring Steve McQueen, Mert Lawwill, and Malcolm Smith. This is not a nakazuri poster, but a B3-size theatrical / press-style Japanese poster, printed with dramatic colour artwork on the front and extensive Japanese publicity material on the reverse.

Original Japanese paper for On Any Sunday is highly collectible, particularly because of the film’s close association with Steve McQueen and its importance in motorcycle culture.

Film background
Released in 1971, On Any Sunday was directed by Bruce Brown, best known for The Endless Summer. The film documents the world of motorcycle racing and riding across a wide range of disciplines, from desert racing and motocross to flat-track competition and recreational riding. Rather than treating motorcycling simply as sport, the film presents it as a way of life: fast, dangerous, communal, and intensely physical.

The film is especially treasured by collectors because of Steve McQueen’s involvement. McQueen was not merely a celebrity cameo, but a serious motorcycle enthusiast and competitor, and his presence gives the film a rare authenticity. On Any Sunday remains one of the most important motorcycle films ever made and a defining screen document of early-1970s racing culture.

Poster design
This Japanese B3 design is bold, direct, and highly effective. The front is dominated by a large colour portrait of Steve McQueen in a racing helmet, his face cropped tightly and set against an explosive red action background filled with motorcycle racing imagery. The use of red gives the composition a sense of speed, dust, danger, and competition.

Across the centre appears the English title ON ANY SUNDAY, while the Japanese title 栄光のライダー — “Rider of Glory” — is printed in large orange lettering across the lower section. The Japanese copy reads:

「生きもののようにマシンが唸り声を上げるとき、男のいのちが精悍に燃える」

roughly:

“When the machine roars like a living creature, a man’s life burns with fierce spirit.”

The reverse is especially appealing, printed in red with extensive Japanese text, stills, production information, and promotional material. A central silhouette of a rider on a motorcycle anchors the verso, giving the piece the feel of both a poster and a press sheet. This double-sided format adds considerable collector interest, as it preserves period Japanese publicity material from the film’s original release.

About the format
This is a B3-size Japanese theatrical / press poster, approximately 36 × 50 cm. It is not a train nakazuri. The format is smaller than a standard B2, but extremely attractive for display and especially interesting because of the printed reverse. Pieces of this type were often folded, handled, filed, or discarded after use, making clean surviving examples increasingly difficult to find.

Condition
Very Good to Excellent vintage condition. Please review the photos; they show the exact poster for sale.

This poster is an original Japanese first-release B3 poster from 1971.
It is not a reproduction or a reprint.

It is over 55 years old!

Certificate of Authenticity included.