{"product_id":"1941-１９４１-いちきゅうよんいち-rare-original-japanese-first-release-advance-teaser-movie-poster-1979-b1-size-c-72-103-cm-hak-a","title":"“1941” (１９４１ \/ いちきゅうよんいち), Rare Original Japanese First-Release Advance Teaser Movie Poster 1979, B1 Size (c. 72 × 103 cm) HAK-A","description":"\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis is an \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eoriginal Japanese B1 advance teaser poster produced for the first-release campaign of Steven Spielberg’s \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e1941\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e. The film is an anarchic Second World War comedy starring John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Ned Beatty, Robert Stack, Nancy Allen, Christopher Lee and Japanese screen legend Toshirō Mifune.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSet in Southern California shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the film transforms public fear of a possible Japanese invasion into an enormous ensemble farce filled with aircraft, tanks, submarines, explosions and escalating civic chaos. Although the poster carries a \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e1979 copyright line\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e and is conventionally dated according to the film’s original production year, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003e1941\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e opened theatrically in Japan on \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e8 March 1980\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e. This is original first-release Japanese advertising and not material from a later revival.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDesign\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis is one of the most eccentric and brilliantly self-referential Japanese designs created for a Steven Spielberg film. Rather than presenting the enormous ensemble cast or the explosive Hollywood battle scenes, the poster turns \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSpielberg himself—and the reputation of his earlier blockbusters—into the central attraction\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe entire composition is enclosed within the enormous open jaws of a shark, an unmistakable visual reference to Spielberg’s \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eJaws\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e. Its pale, hand-drawn teeth surround a midnight-blue seascape, transforming the shark’s mouth into both a frame and a theatrical proscenium.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eInside the jaws, a caricature of Spielberg appears wearing his trademark glasses and a vivid red baseball cap marked \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e“1941.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e He rides astride a submarine periscope like a hobby horse, pointing decisively toward the horizon as a white wake cuts through the water behind him. The periscope also alludes to the film’s opening sequence, which mischievously recreates the moonlit swimming scene from \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eJaws\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e before replacing the expected shark attack with the sudden appearance of a Japanese submarine.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe deep field of stars, distant mountain silhouettes and mysterious glow rising from the horizon simultaneously evoke the celestial atmosphere of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eClose Encounters of the Third Kind\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e. The result is a knowing visual collision between Spielberg’s two preceding blockbusters: the threatening jaws of the ocean below and the unexplained light of the heavens above.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe original Japanese campaign line across the top reads:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e「でっかいことやるなアメリカ映画。『ジョーズ』『未知との遭遇』のスピルバーグがまたまた何かをたくらんでいるぞ！」\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e“American cinema really does things big. Spielberg of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eJaws\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e and \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eClose Encounters of the Third Kind\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e is up to something again!”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAcross the bottom, the title \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e1941\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e is rendered in immense solid-black numerals. Small phonetic characters beneath the numbers establish the intended Japanese pronunciation—\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eいち・きゅう・よん・いち\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e—rather than reading the date as \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003esen kyūhyaku yonjūichi\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e. The extraordinary scale of the numerals gives the lower section a heavy, monolithic presence, while the shark’s lower teeth puncture the interior of the zero.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe absence of a conventional cast montage, release date or extensive credit block reinforces the poster’s status as an \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eadvance teaser\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e. It sells the film through anticipation, visual wit and the recognisable Spielberg name rather than through narrative detail.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eRarity\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eJapanese B1 posters measure approximately \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e72.8 × 103 cm\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, providing roughly twice the printed surface area of the standard Japanese B2 format. They were intended for larger, high-impact theatrical displays and are encountered considerably less frequently than their smaller B2 counterparts.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis particular B1 teaser is especially scarce. It was created for the early promotional stage of the film’s original Japanese campaign and would have been displayed only until cinemas received the principal release artwork. Unlike the much busier Japanese B2 campaign poster, which presents the film’s cast and scenes of Hollywood destruction, this B1 reduces the entire concept to the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eshark’s mouth, Spielberg caricature, submarine periscope and glowing celestial horizon\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOriginal examples rarely appear, particularly in strong, unbacked condition. The combination of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003elarge B1 format, first-release teaser status, Japan-specific artwork and direct visual references to both \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eJaws\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e and \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eClose Encounters of the Third Kind\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e makes this a particularly desirable piece for collectors of Steven Spielberg, Toshirō Mifune and late-1970s Japanese film-poster design. Contemporary poster archives likewise describe this format as a scarce Japanese B1 teaser.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCondition\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eExcellent condition overall\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, with rich blue colouring across the ocean and night sky, deep black typography and strong cream and sepia tones throughout the surrounding shark illustration. Spielberg’s red cap and the metallic periscope remain exceptionally vivid, giving the poster tremendous display impact.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThere are some \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003esoft handling creases, shallow surface impressions and light natural paper undulation\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, principally across the central and lower portions of the sheet. A few gentle horizontal storage lines and minor age-related edge and corner marks are also visible under close inspection. These are modest for an unbacked B1 theatrical poster of this age and do not detract from the strength of the artwork.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe reverse is \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eclean and unbacked\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, with corresponding soft creasing and light handling consistent with the poster’s substantial size. There is no significant staining, foxing, paper loss or restoration apparent in the supplied photographs. Once professionally framed, the poster will display exceptionally well.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePlease review all photographs carefully; they show the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eexact poster for sale, front and back\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis is an \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eoriginal Japanese B1 advance teaser poster from the film’s first-release campaign\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIt is \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003enot a reproduction or a reprint\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIt dates from \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e1979\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e and is \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eover 46 years old\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCertificate of Authenticity included.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Japan Poster Shop","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57185163313530,"sku":null,"price":425.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0424\/8859\/4591\/files\/man-looking-at-an-art-gallery-wall-2026-08-20T061207.339.jpg?v=1787173937","url":"https:\/\/japanposter.co.uk\/products\/1941-%ef%bc%91%ef%bc%99%ef%bc%94%ef%bc%91-%e3%81%84%e3%81%a1%e3%81%8d%e3%82%85%e3%81%86%e3%82%88%e3%82%93%e3%81%84%e3%81%a1-rare-original-japanese-first-release-advance-teaser-movie-poster-1979-b1-size-c-72-103-cm-hak-a","provider":"Japan Poster Shop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}