This is an original Japanese poster, printed in 1967 for the first Japanese release of Sergio Leone’s A Fistful of Dollars (distributed domestically by Tōwa). This is not the advance/teaser—it is the main first‑release B2 whose artwork is unique to Japan and exceptionally desirable among collectors. The striking country‑specific design was used only on the original first‑release Japanese poster.
Sergio Leone’s groundbreaking film launched the Spaghetti Western into global consciousness and introduced Clint Eastwood—here in his first leading role—as the cool, amoral drifter later marketed as “The Man with No Name.” Made on a shoestring budget (around $200,000, with Eastwood reportedly paid $15,000), the movie’s stark close‑ups, choreographed gunplay, and Ennio Morricone’s unforgettable score redefined the Western. It also bears a famous connection to Akira Kurosawa’s Yojimbo (1961)—so close that Toho successfully sued, cementing the film’s place in the history of international film exchange. Many European participants adopted American‑sounding pseudonyms for export prints—Leone as “Bob Robertson,” Gian Maria Volonté as “Johnny Wels,” and Morricone as “Dan Savio.” Shot largely in Spain (Hoyo de Manzanares, the Tabernas Desert, and Cabo de Gata–Níjar), it opened in Italy in 1964 and, together with its sequels For a Few Dollars More and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, formed the era‑defining “Dollars Trilogy.”
Design notes: the bold vermillion kanji title 荒野の用心棒 (Kōya no Yōjinbō) surges across the top, with a small Italian slug PER UN PUGNO DI DOLLARI above; below, a kinetic photo‑montage shows Eastwood tipping his hat in the foreground while chaos erupts in a smoky frontier town—imagery that perfectly mirrors Leone’s tension‑soaked vistas and moral ambiguity. This country‑exclusive artwork appears only on the first‑release Japanese B2—later issues used different designs—making this piece especially coveted.
This is a true first‑release Japanese‑issue collectible prized by aficionados of Spaghetti Westerns and Japanese poster art alike. It is not a reproduction or a reprint—this is an original 1967 theatrical poster.
It is over 58 years old!
Condition: Unrestored and excellent—approaching near‑mint. Crisp paper, vivid inks, and clean margins, with only the most minimal, age‑commensurate handling. Not linen‑backed. Please refer to the photos; the images show the exact poster you will receive.
Certificate of Authenticity included.
