“West Side Story” (ウエスト・サイド物語), Original First Release Japanese Movie Poster 1961, Style B, B2 Size (51 × 73 cm) Q113
This is an original Japanese B2 theatrical poster printed in 1961 for the film’s first Japanese release of West Side Story, the landmark screen adaptation of the Broadway musical directed by Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins, and starring Natalie Wood, Richard Beymer, Russ Tamblyn, Rita Moreno, and George Chakiris. In Japan, the film was first released on 23 December 1961.
This is the rarer first-release Style B design, a striking and highly desirable country-of-origin variant from the film’s original Japanese campaign. Japanese first-release paper for West Side Story is scarce in any form, and alternate first-release designs such as this are especially sought after by collectors of classic Hollywood musicals and original Japanese poster art.
Film background
Released in the United States in 1961, West Side Story reimagined Romeo and Juliet in contemporary New York, transforming Shakespearean tragedy into one of the great screen musicals of the twentieth century. The film became one of the most celebrated productions of its era and won 10 Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, while its songs — including “Maria,” “America,” “Tonight,” and “Somewhere” — helped secure its place in cinema history.
For collectors, the film remains a cornerstone title: a work that sits at the intersection of classic Hollywood, musical cinema, choreography, and postwar urban myth. Original Japanese posters from the first release are especially appealing because they capture the moment when the film first reached Japanese audiences as a major international cultural event, rather than as an already established classic.
Poster design
This is a superb and highly graphic Japanese design. The composition is built around a collage-like cityscape of tenement façades and fire escapes, immediately rooting the image in the Manhattan setting of the film. Across the lower half are energetic dance tableaux and central confrontation scenes from the musical, while the lower-left inset with Tony and Maria adds a note of intimacy and tragedy. The bold Japanese title at the top has tremendous impact, and the whole image feels unmistakably of its time: modern, urban, and alive with movement.
What makes this Style B poster especially appealing is the balance it strikes between romance and kinetic ensemble energy. It does not rely on a single hero image; instead, it translates the film’s world of gangs, dance, architecture, and doomed love into a vivid and distinctly Japanese graphic statement. As a display piece, it is both elegant and visually busy in exactly the right way.
Condition
Very Good to Excellent. Please review the photos—they show the exact poster for sale. The poster presents very strongly overall, with fresh colour, strong contrast, and excellent display appeal. It was previously folded and subsequently stored flat.
It is over 65 years old!
It is not a reproduction or a reprint.
Certificate of Authenticity included.
