“Blacula” / 「吸血鬼ブラキュラ」, Original Japanese Movie Poster 1973, B2 Size (51 × 73 cm) J276
This is an original Japanese B2 theatrical poster printed for the first Japanese release of Blacula / 「吸血鬼ブラキュラ」, William Crain’s landmark American horror film starring William Marshall and Vonetta McGee.
Produced in 1972, the film opened theatrically in Japan on 16 June 1973. This striking Japanese campaign poster combines vampire imagery, sensational promotional copy, and an intense red, blue, black, and cream palette.
Film background
In 1780, African prince Mamuwalde and his wife Luva visit Count Dracula in Transylvania, hoping to secure his support in opposing the slave trade.
Dracula instead imprisons Luva and transforms Mamuwalde into a vampire, condemning him to remain sealed inside a coffin under the mocking name “Blacula.”
Nearly two centuries later, the coffin is transported to Los Angeles and accidentally opened. Mamuwalde returns to the modern world, where he encounters Tina Williams, a woman who bears an extraordinary resemblance to his lost wife.
As Mamuwalde attempts to reclaim the love taken from him, a series of unexplained deaths attracts the attention of pathologist Dr. Gordon Thomas and police lieutenant Jack Peters.
The film was directed by William Crain, from a screenplay credited to Joan Torres and Raymond Koenig, with music composed by Gene Page.
The principal cast includes:
William Marshall as Prince Mamuwalde / Blacula
Vonetta McGee as Tina Williams / Luva
Denise Nicholas as Michelle Williams
Thalmus Rasulala as Dr. Gordon Thomas
Gordon Pinsent as Lieutenant Jack Peters
Charles Macaulay as Count Dracula
William Marshall gave Mamuwalde unusual dignity and emotional depth, presenting him not simply as a monster but as a tragic figure shaped by enslavement, separation, and loss.
Blacula became an important success within early-1970s Black-led genre cinema. It won the inaugural Saturn Award for Best Horror Film and was followed by the sequel Scream Blacula Scream.
Poster design
This forceful Japanese poster is dominated by an enormous portrait of William Marshall as Blacula, his head tilted backwards to reveal a pair of prominent white fangs.
A wooden stake appears to pierce his chest, surrounded by a stylised eruption of bright red blood. The image combines photographic portraiture with bold hand-drawn horror graphics, giving the central figure the heightened appearance of a pulp magazine cover.
At lower left, Blacula attacks a terrified woman, his face emerging from the shadows as she recoils in a white dress.
At lower right, a group of female figures in purple cloaks appears alongside another dramatically lit portrait. These smaller images expand the design into a dense montage of vampirism, ritual, and supernatural threat.
The jagged red English headline across the top reads:
“BLOODSUCKER!”
The main Japanese promotional text reads:
「吸血鬼史上初の恐るべき
ブラック・ドラキュラ
戦慄の登場！」
Translated:
“The terrifying first Black Dracula in vampire history makes his chilling appearance!”
The accompanying copy continues:
「ショック！血も凍る怪奇の世界！
美女の生暖かい血を求め
地獄からよみがえった悪魔の使いは
野獣の血をもつブラック・ドラキュラ！」
Translated:
“Shock! A blood-freezing world of horror! Seeking the warm blood of beautiful women, an emissary of the devil rises from hell—the savage Black Dracula!”
The Japanese title:
「吸血鬼ブラキュラ」
appears across the lower section in enormous distressed red lettering with a heavy black outline.
The title may be translated as:
“Vampire Blacula.”
The lower billing identifies William Marshall, Denise Nicholas, Vonetta McGee, Gordon Pinsent, and Thalmus Rasulala, together with director William Crain and the Warner Bros. Japanese distribution marks.
The result is an exceptionally vivid example of 1970s Japanese horror advertising, combining exploitation-style copy, bold collage imagery, and one of the defining characters of Black horror cinema.
Condition
Very Good+ / Excellent condition. The poster retains powerful red, blue, black, and cream colour, clear photographic imagery, strong typography, and excellent overall display impact.
The reverse shows age-related toning and staining, together with old tape residue near the lower-right edge. Despite these points, the poster remains complete and displays extremely well.
Reference: J276.
Please review all photographs carefully, including the reverse, as they show the exact poster and its condition.
This is an original Japanese B2 theatrical poster from the film’s first 1973 Japanese release campaign, not a reproduction or reprint.
It is now over 50 years old.
Certificate of Authenticity included.
