“The Night of the Iguana” / 「イグアナの夜」, Original Japanese Movie Poster 1964, B2 Size (51 × 73 cm) — T200

This is an original Japanese B2 theatrical poster for the 1964 first Japanese release of The Night of the Iguana, John Huston’s adaptation of Tennessee Williams’s celebrated stage play.

Starring Richard Burton, Ava Gardner, Deborah Kerr and Sue Lyon, the film opened in Japan on 28 August 1964, distributed by MGM.

The Japanese design combines nocturnal swimming scenes with a sequence of star portraits, using vivid pink typography against deep blue-green and black backgrounds to communicate the film’s atmosphere of desire, conflict and emotional uncertainty.

Film background

The story follows Reverend T. Lawrence Shannon, played by Richard Burton, a troubled former clergyman working as a tour guide in Mexico.

Travelling with a group of American women, Shannon finds his precarious position threatened by his involvement with the young Charlotte Goodall, played by Sue Lyon. He brings the party to a secluded coastal hotel run by Maxine Faulk, played by Ava Gardner, where tensions intensify.

The arrival of Hannah Jelkes, an itinerant artist played by Deborah Kerr, and her elderly poet grandfather introduces a quieter counterpoint to the surrounding turmoil. Over the course of a charged night, the characters confront loneliness, frustrated desire, spiritual doubt and their need for companionship.

Directed by John Huston, who co-wrote the screenplay with Anthony Veiller, the film translates Williams’s intimate theatrical drama into a vivid coastal setting. Its ensemble brings together Burton’s volatility, Gardner’s earthy confidence and Kerr’s restrained compassion.

Poster design

The upper section is filled with dark, rippling water. A large photograph shows a couple embracing in the sea, their illuminated faces and pale reflections standing out against the surrounding blue-green shadows.

A smaller swimming scene at the upper right extends the nocturnal setting, presenting figures splashing together in the water. These images emphasise the sensuality and emotional abandon foregrounded by the Japanese campaign.

Across the top, the white headline reads:

「むき出しの本能だけがのたうつ狂熱の夜！」

“A feverish night where raw instinct alone runs wild!”

Turquoise text at upper right announces:

「名匠と4大スターが組んだ最高の話題作」

“A master director and four major stars unite in a much-talked-about production.”

The central title:

「イグアナの夜」

appears in large pink lettering. The angular strokes of the final character, 夜, meaning “night,” give the otherwise broad title an especially sharp, expressive finish.

Above it, pale blue text credits Tennessee Williams and Seven Arts Productions. Below, John Huston’s directing credit appears alongside the Metroscope format billing.

The lower half presents individual portraits of the four principal stars, arranged at different heights between pale horizontal rules. Richard Burton appears above Ava Gardner, Deborah Kerr and Sue Lyon, with their names printed in matching pink Japanese lettering.

This arrangement gives each performer a distinct place within the composition while reinforcing the campaign’s emphasis on its celebrated ensemble.

The compact English title logo, “THE NIGHT OF THE IGUANA,” sits to the right of Burton’s portrait, incorporating a stylised iguana motif. The MGM lion emblem and Japanese MGM credit appear at lower left.

The combination of dark water, brightly tinted portraits and pink typography makes this a distinctive example of 1960s Japanese advertising for literary and psychological drama.

Condition

Very Good+ / Excellent condition.

Once framed, this poster will display excellently.

Reference: T200.

Please review all photographs, including the front and reverse, as they show the exact poster for sale.

It is now over 60 years old.

It is not a reproduction or a reprint.

Certificate of Authenticity included.