"Rebel Without a Cause", Original First Release Japanese Movie Poster 1956, Ultra Rare, B2 Size (51.5 × 72.8 cm) P276

Japanese title: 「理由なき反抗」(Riyū naki Hankō — “Rebellion Without a Cause”)
Size: B2 / 20.3 × 28.7 in (51.5 × 72.8 cm)
Country / Studio: Japan / Warner Bros.

This is an original Japanese poster printed in 1956 for the first Japanese theatrical release of Nicholas Ray’s Rebel Without a Cause. Released in the U.S. in 1955 and in Japan in 1956, the film stars James Dean, Natalie Wood, Sal Mineo, and Jim Backus, with David Weisbart producing and Leonard Rosenman providing the score.

Film background
One of the defining films of postwar youth cinema, Rebel Without a Cause follows troubled teenager Jim Stark as he collides with family tension, alienation, and escalating violence among his peers. Directed by Nicholas Ray, with screenplay credit to Stewart Stern and Irving Shulman, it remains inseparable from James Dean’s screen legend and stands as one of the most influential American films of the 1950s.

Poster design
The Japanese B2 uses one of the most arresting Dean images ever put on paper: a towering, full-length portrait of Dean turning back over his shoulder in black jacket and jeans, rendered in cool blue-grey tones against a pale ground, with the huge vertical red title 「理由なき反抗」 dominating the right side. Yellow copy at left sells the film as a portrait of wounded, rebellious youth, while the lower-right inset of Dean and Natalie Wood adds a romantic and dangerous counterpoint. The large CinemaScope banner and Warner shield complete a design that feels both modernist and explosive. For James Dean collectors, it is exactly the kind of bold, first-release Japanese artwork that elevates the title into another league.

Rarity and condition
First-release Japanese paper for James Dean’s major starring titles is always highly desirable, and an opening-release B2 for Rebel Without a Cause is especially elusive—particularly with such iconic artwork. This is a superb survivor.

Condition is excellent overall, with strong presentation and rich, unfaded colour. Previously folded and subsequently stored flat. The front displays extremely well, showing only minor age toning, light surface creasing, and a little edge/corner wear consistent with age and careful handling. The reverse is blank/unprinted, with expected age toning, soft handling wear, visible show-through from the front, and a small stain / scuff in the left-center area. Please inspect the photos carefully, as they show the exact poster for sale.

Authentication
Guaranteed original; not a reproduction or reprint. Certificate of Authenticity included.

About Japanese B2 posters
B2 is the classic Japanese theatrical one-sheet format and the standard display size for most postwar Japanese cinema posters. At 51.5 × 72.8 cm, it offers strong visual impact while remaining practical to frame and display; for major 1950s first-release titles, surviving examples are far scarcer than later reissues or international paper.