“Black Orpheus” (黒いオルフェ / Orfeu Negro), Original Japanese First-Release Movie Poster 1960, Artwork by Hisamitsu Noguchi, B2 Size (c. 51 × 73 cm) N129A

This is an original Japanese theatrical B2 poster produced for the 1960 Japanese release of Black Orpheus, directed by Marcel Camus, starring Breno Mello and Marpessa Dawn, and distributed in Japan by Towa.

Measuring approximately 51 × 73 cm, it features signed artwork by Hisamitsu Noguchi, combining intimate portraiture with the colour and movement of Rio de Janeiro’s Carnival.

Film background

First released internationally in 1959, Black Orpheus opened in Japan on 7 July 1960. Adapted from a play by Vinicius de Moraes, it relocates the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice to contemporary Rio, where a young tram driver and a newly arrived woman fall in love amid Carnival celebrations.

The film won the 1959 Palme d’Or at Cannes and the 1960 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, both prominently advertised on this poster.

Its music by Antônio Carlos Jobim and Luiz Bonfá helped bring Brazilian music to a wider international audience. The contrast between exuberant celebration and tragic romance gives the film its distinctive emotional character.

Poster design

Noguchi’s signature, “h. noguchi”, appears at the lower right of the illustration. His expressive drawing places the lovers’ faces against a luminous field of ochre, gold and warm orange, with their exchanged gaze forming the centre of the composition.

Below, a procession of dancers moves beneath strings of coloured bunting. Their loosely rendered costumes and gestures introduce rhythm and animation beneath the stillness of the portraits.

The upper tagline reads:

「爆発するサンバ！リオのカルナバルに結ばれた若者オルフェと乙女ユリディスの生命かけた恋！」
“Explosive samba! A love staked on life itself between young Orpheus and Eurydice, brought together by Rio’s Carnival!”

The Portuguese title “ORFEU NEGRO” appears at upper left, while the large, angular Japanese lettering anchors the lower sheet in black and reddish brown. The Towa distribution emblem sits at bottom right.

Cultural significance

This poster brings together a landmark of international cinema and the distinctive illustration of Hisamitsu Noguchi. Its balance of romantic intimacy and communal celebration captures the film’s central contrasts, while demonstrating the expressive possibilities of Japanese painted film advertising.

Condition

Excellent+. The poster retains rich colour and clear printed detail. Horizontal folds are visible, with light associated wear and handling creases. Age-related toning and scattered staining are present, particularly on the reverse and around the edges. Please review the photographs—they show the exact poster for sale.

This is an original Japanese theatrical B2 poster from 1960.
It is not a reproduction or a modern reprint.

It is approximately 66 years old.

Certificate of Authenticity included.