“Return of Sabata” (西部決闘史), Original Release Japanese Movie Poster 1972, B2 Size (51 × 73 cm) O527
This is an original Japanese B2 poster printed in 1972 for the first Japanese theatrical release of Return of Sabata (西部決闘史), directed by Gianfranco Parolini (credited as Frank Kramer) and distributed in Japan by United Artists. The film is the third entry in the Sabata trilogy of Italian “spaghetti westerns”, bringing Lee Van Cleef back to the title role after he sat out the second film.
Film background
Set in the post‑Civil War American West, the movie finds master gunslinger Sabata working as a sharpshooter for a travelling circus when he arrives in the dusty town of Hobsonville. There he discovers that local land baron Joe McIntock is bleeding the townsfolk dry with rigged taxes and a counterfeit money scheme, hiding the real fortune in gold. Sabata, aided by a colourful troupe of accomplices including acrobats and con‑men, sets out to expose McIntock’s swindle and reclaim the money he is owed, unleashing a barrage of trick shots and elaborate stunts along the way.
Poster design
The Japanese B2 design pushes the series’ larger‑than‑life gunplay to the fore. The top half shows a stylised, grainy image of a gunslinger reeling backwards as a bullet streaks toward him, set against a town street and distant church steeple, evoking the chaotic shoot‑outs of the film. Dominating the left side is the bold vertical title 「西部決闘史」 in vivid red kanji. Below, a close‑up of Lee Van Cleef’s steely eyes peers out from under the brim of his hat, framed by a cluster of multi‑barrelled revolvers pointing straight at the viewer, emphasizing Sabata’s deadly marksmanship. Smaller “pinned” photo‑portraits of the main characters dot the composition, while at the bottom a line of riders and townspeople advances across a burnt‑orange Western landscape, with the English credit “RETURN of SABATA” anchored in the centre.
This poster is in very good / excellent condition (please refer to the imagery of the exact poster for sale).
It is over 53 years old.
It is not a reproduction or a reprint.
Certificate of Authenticity included.
