{"product_id":"a-night-to-remember-sos-titanic-original-japanese-first-release-movie-poster-1958-hisamitsu-noguchi-artwork-ultra-rare-b2-size-51-73-cm","title":"“A Night to Remember \/ SOS Titanic”, Original Japanese First Release Movie Poster 1958, Hisamitsu Noguchi Artwork, Ultra Rare, B2 Size (51 × 73 cm) - Gallery","description":"\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis is an \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eoriginal Japanese B2 theatrical poster printed for the film’s first Japanese release in 1958\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e. Roy Ward Baker’s \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA Night to Remember\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e was released in Japan under the expanded title \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSOS Titanic: Wasurenu Yoru\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e (SOSタイタニック―忘れえぬ夜―), approximately meaning \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e“SOS Titanic: A Night Never to Be Forgotten.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDistributed in Japan by \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTowa on 28 November 1958\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, the film stars Kenneth More as Second Officer Charles Lightoller, alongside Laurence Naismith, Honor Blackman, Michael Goodliffe, Ronald Allen, Jill Dixon, and David McCallum.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe poster is particularly significant for its magnificent hand-painted artwork by \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHisamitsu Noguchi\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, one of the most important Japanese film-poster designers of the 20th century. This exact Japanese B2 design is recognised within Noguchi’s body of work and is an exceptional surviving example of his painterly approach to European cinema.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFilm background\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBased on Walter Lord’s celebrated 1955 nonfiction book, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA Night to Remember\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e reconstructs the final hours of RMS Titanic, from the ship’s collision with an iceberg on 14 April 1912 through the evacuation, sinking, and rescue of the survivors.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe narrative is structured principally around Second Officer Charles Lightoller, played by Kenneth More, but moves between officers, engineers, wireless operators, passengers, and nearby ships to present the disaster as a complex chain of human decisions and technical failures.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDirected by \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eRoy Ward Baker\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, adapted for the screen by Eric Ambler, produced by William MacQuitty, photographed by Geoffrey Unsworth, and scored by William Alwyn, the film adopts a restrained, almost documentary-like style. It avoids inventing a dominant fictional romance and instead concentrates on the actions of historical participants and the practical realities of the sinking.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe film remains \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003ewidely regarded as one of the finest—and most historically careful—cinematic accounts of the Titanic disaster\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e. The BFI notes that maritime historians have considered it the most authentic screen reconstruction, while later assessments continue to describe it as the most careful depiction of the catastrophe.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA Night to Remember\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e also received the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e1959 Golden Globe for Foreign Film – English Language\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePoster design\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis Japanese B2 is a \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003espectacular hand-painted montage by Hisamitsu Noguchi\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, compressing the enormous physical scale and human tragedy of the sinking into a single densely constructed image.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAt upper right, a monumental portrait of Kenneth More as Charles Lightoller dominates the composition. Dressed in his officer’s cap and heavy naval uniform, he looks towards the unfolding disaster with a controlled but intensely concerned expression.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBehind him, the Titanic rises at a severe diagonal through smoke and darkness. Its funnels, rigging, illuminated portholes, and crowded decks are presented in an almost expressionistic manner, giving the ship the appearance of a vast mechanical structure already collapsing into chaos.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAcross the lower and central sections, Noguchi assembles a sequence of desperate human episodes: passengers gather around the lifeboats, officers attempt to impose order, families cling to one another, and figures struggle through the increasingly crowded decks. A central couple hold each other tightly, while a second painted portrait at lower right conveys shock and helplessness.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eRather than reproducing a single film still, Noguchi creates a complete dramatic narrative. The eye moves from the officer above, through the ship’s descending structure, into the densely packed crowds below—mirroring the escalating progression of the disaster itself.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe dark charcoal background is punctuated by \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eicy turquoise, smoky green, ochre, yellow, white, and coral pink\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, creating a palette that feels both maritime and theatrical. The painted treatment gives the monochrome film a new emotional colour identity specifically for its Japanese release.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eJapanese typography and campaign copy\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe hand-painted blue campaign line at upper left reads:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e「魔の氷山！運命のSOS！\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e世紀の巨船タイタニック号\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e処女航海の悲劇の真相！」\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eApproximately:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e“The deadly iceberg! A fateful SOS! The truth behind the tragedy of the century’s great liner Titanic on her maiden voyage!”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBeneath it, the original English title:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e“A NIGHT TO REMEMBER”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eis presented in distressed white lettering against the black background, retaining the prestige character of the original Rank Organisation production.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe prominent pink institutional endorsements read:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e「文部省選定」\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e“Selected by the Ministry of Education”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eand:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e「青少年映画審議会推薦」\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e“Recommended by the Youth Film Review Council”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThese endorsements demonstrate that the Japanese campaign presented the film not merely as a disaster spectacle, but also as a serious historical and educational work.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAcross the lower section, the Japanese title appears in enormous pink hand-painted lettering:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e「SOS タイタニック」\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003efollowed by the yellow subtitle:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e「忘れえぬ夜」\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e“A Night Never to Be Forgotten”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe original \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTOWA distribution emblem\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, Rank Organisation identification, Japanese credits, and production markings remain visible along the lower border, providing clear first-release campaign provenance.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eArtwork by Hisamitsu Noguchi\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHisamitsu Noguchi (1909–1994) was one of the foremost designers of Japan’s golden age of film-poster art.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Working for Towa for approximately three decades, he created more than a thousand posters and helped establish the Japanese visual identity of imported European cinema. His posters were distinguished by hand-painted portraits, expressive lettering, subtle colour, and an ability to capture the emotional atmosphere of a film rather than merely reproduce publicity photography.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAmong his most celebrated works is the Japanese poster for François Truffaut’s \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe 400 Blows\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e. Truffaut reportedly admired Noguchi’s interpretation so greatly that he kept the poster in his workroom, and it became one of the defining examples of Noguchi’s international reputation.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA Night to Remember\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e B2 demonstrates the same qualities: \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003efinely observed portraiture, painterly atmosphere, entirely integrated typography, and an exceptional sensitivity to the film’s emotional character\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe result is not simply advertising material, but a self-contained work of Japanese graphic art—and one of the most visually accomplished posters created for any film concerning the Titanic.\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+ \/ approaching Near Mint.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e This is an extraordinary state of preservation for an original Japanese theatrical poster printed in 1958.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe front retains \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eexceptionally rich colour, crisp painted detail, strong contrast, and superb overall display impact\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e. Only extremely light evidence of period handling and subtle surface undulation is visible. There are no significant defects that distract from Noguchi’s artwork, and the reverse is remarkably clean for paper of this age.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOnce framed, this poster will form an \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eexceptional museum-quality piece of Japanese film-poster art\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e. Please review the photographs—they show the exact poster for sale.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis poster is an \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eoriginal Japanese theatrical B2 from the 1958 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 modern reprint\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIt is approximately \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e68 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":57181200089466,"sku":null,"price":2350.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0424\/8859\/4591\/files\/wall-shelf-with-ornaments-2026-08-19T134433.923.jpg?v=1787114691","url":"https:\/\/japanposter.co.uk\/products\/a-night-to-remember-sos-titanic-original-japanese-first-release-movie-poster-1958-hisamitsu-noguchi-artwork-ultra-rare-b2-size-51-73-cm","provider":"Japan Poster Shop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}