“Spartacus” (スパルタカス), Original Japanese First-Release Movie Poster 1960, Ultra Rare, B2 Size (51 × 73 cm) O688
A striking first-release Japanese B2 poster for Spartacus, presented in a rare, illustration-led layout that reads like a storyboard: dramatic vignettes of revolt, Rome, and arena spectacle set above an enormous, high-impact red title field. The design is pure early-1960s Japanese cinema advertising—bold colour blocking, painterly faces, and a graphic sense of scale that sells the film as an event rather than simply a story.
This example is cinema-used and presents exceptionally well: the colour remains strong, the central title is crisp, and the overall visual impression is powerful and display-ready.
Sourced by Japan Poster Shop from a private collection, this is an extremely rare poster that does not surface often.
Date & Japanese Theatrical Release
Spartacus premiered in the United States in October 1960 and received its Japanese theatrical release on 15 December 1960 - over 66 years ago!
The Film & Its Place in Kubrick’s Career
A landmark of the “swords-and-sandals” epic tradition, Spartacus pairs massive scale—armies, arenas, and political theatre—with unusually sharp character conflict. It stars Kirk Douglas (who also produced via Bryna), alongside Laurence Olivier, Jean Simmons, Charles Laughton, Peter Ustinov, John Gavin, and Tony Curtis.
The film also holds a major place in Hollywood history: screenwriter Dalton Trumbo, blacklisted during the McCarthy era, received credit for his work on Spartacus—a highly public moment in the breaking of the blacklist’s power.
Design Notes
This sheet’s appeal is inseparable from its graphic construction:
Story-panel composition: multiple illustrated scenes (battle, Roman ceremony, portraiture, and arena combat) function like a sequence of “key frames,” promising scope and drama at a glance.
Red-field dominance: the lower half becomes a bold typographic stage—huge white katakana (スパルタカス) against saturated red—minimal, modern, and instantly legible across a theatre lobby.
Iconic militarist motif: the repeating soldier line along the lower border and the small silhouetted figure at right amplify the film’s themes of mass power versus individual defiance.
Notable credit variant (early Kubrick spelling): the director credit reads スタンリー・カブリック (“Kaburiku”)—an early Japanese rendering of Kubrick’s name that predates the later, now-standard スタンリー・キューブリック spelling seen on many subsequent Japanese materials and reissues.
Condition Report
Overall condition: Very good / excellent for age (cinema-used example).
Light handling wear consistent with theatre use; the poster remains flat-display attractive.
Small edge wear and a noticeable nick/tear along the top red border near the English “SPARTACUS” logotype (as seen in the provided images); visually minor when framed or top-matted.
Light surface creasing and general age-appropriate paper wear; colours remain bold and the artwork panels read cleanly.
