This is an original Japanese B1 theatrical poster printed for the first Japanese release of Shark! / 「シャーク！」, the Italian-Japanese shock documentary also known internationally as Sharks and Men and Uomini e squali.
Directed by Bruno Vailati and released in Japan by Toho-Towa in 1976, the film combines underwater documentary photography with the sensational presentation associated with mid-1970s nature-shock cinema.
Film background
Shark! documents dangerous encounters between divers and sharks in open water, presenting the material as an intense confrontation between human beings and some of the ocean’s most formidable predators.
The Japanese release arrived during the international surge of interest in shark and marine-threat cinema generated by Jaws and the surrounding publicity for ocean-based thrillers and documentaries.
Toho-Towa promoted the film as a dramatic “human versus shark” shock documentary, emphasising close-range underwater photography, diving expeditions, and genuine physical danger rather than a fictional narrative.
The film was directed by Bruno Vailati.
The underwater photography credits include:
Arnaldo Mattei
Michel Lawler
Ron Taylor
Bruno Vailati
The soundtrack was composed by Daniele Patucchi, whose music for Sharks and Men / Uomini e squali was also issued in Japan.
Poster design
This spectacular Japanese poster is dominated by two enormous great white sharks, rendered with sweeping movement and tremendous theatrical force.
The upper shark surges through the water towards the viewer, its jaws open and teeth exposed. Blood marks its mouth as a wounded diver drifts helplessly nearby, trailing red through the blue-green sea.
Below, a second shark tears through the broken framework of a metal diving cage. Its open jaws, the damaged structure, and the surrounding spray create a violent diagonal composition filled with underwater chaos.
The palette is concentrated around deep blue, turquoise, white, black, and vivid blood red, while the loose painterly handling gives the image the immediacy of a pulp adventure illustration.
The title treatment is especially striking:
“SHARK!”
appears at upper right in jagged blue lettering, paired with the bold yellow Japanese title:
「シャーク！」
The headline across the top reads:
「巨大なキバをむき出して、人喰いザメが襲った！
ドキュメントの限界を破った人間対サメの死闘！」
Translated:
“Baring its enormous fangs, the man-eating shark attacks! A life-or-death battle between man and shark that breaks the limits of documentary filmmaking!”
Beneath the title appears:
“A FINVALCO–TOHOTOWA COPRODUCTION
SHARKS AND MEN”
The lower credits describe the production as a colour, feature-length shock documentary and identify Bruno Vailati together with the principal underwater cinematographers.
The artwork is by noted Japanese illustrator Susumu Masukawa / 増川進, whose signature appears at lower left. His dynamic painted film posters are highly regarded by collectors and survive on relatively few known campaigns.
Rarity and significance
Original Japanese shark and nature-shock posters from the 1970s are increasingly difficult to find, particularly in the imposing B1 format.
At approximately twice the area of a standard Japanese B2 poster, this large-format example gives Masukawa’s monumental great white imagery exceptional presence.
Its scale, custom Japanese artwork, Toho-Towa release history, and connection to the shark-film boom of the 1970s make it especially desirable for collectors of Japanese horror, exploitation cinema, creature features, documentary-shock films, and shark-related posters.
It is a standard Japanese B1-size poster, measuring approximately:
72.8 × 103 cm / 28.7 × 40.6 inches
Condition
Very Good condition. The poster retains strong blue, turquoise, white, yellow, and red colour, with powerful painted detail and excellent overall display impact.
There are age-related signs of handling, including creasing, surface marks, edge wear, and areas of cracking and abrasion, particularly near the upper edge. Despite these issues, the poster remains complete and presents very strongly.
Please review all photographs carefully, including the detailed condition images and reverse, as they show the exact poster for sale.
This is an original Japanese B1 theatrical poster from the film’s first 1976 Japanese release campaign, not a reproduction or reprint.
It is now approximately 50 years old.
Certificate of Authenticity included.
