“Romeo and Juliet” / 「ロミオとジュリエット」, Original Japanese Movie Poster 1967 Re-Release, Rare STB Tatekan Size (51 × 146 cm) G261

This is an original Japanese STB tatekan theatrical poster printed for the 1967 Japanese re-release of Renato Castellani’s acclaimed 1954 adaptation of Romeo and Juliet / 「ロミオとジュリエット」, starring Laurence Harvey and Susan Shentall.

Formed from two vertically aligned B2 sheets, this rare large-format poster transforms Shakespeare’s tragedy into an elegant, romantic composition of intimate portraiture, Renaissance architecture, and sweeping vertical typography.

Film background

Set in Renaissance Verona, the film follows Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet, two young lovers born into rival noble families divided by a violent and seemingly irreconcilable feud.

After meeting at a Capulet celebration, Romeo and Juliet fall immediately in love and marry in secret. Their attempt to escape the hatred surrounding them instead triggers a tragic sequence of duels, exile, misunderstanding, and irreversible loss.

Directed by Renato Castellani, who also adapted William Shakespeare’s play for the screen, the film stars Laurence Harvey, Susan Shentall, Flora Robson, Norman Wooland, Mervyn Johns, and Bill Travers.

The production was filmed extensively on location in Italy, using historic architecture and landscapes in Verona, Venice, Siena, and surrounding regions to create an unusually authentic Renaissance setting.

Romeo and Juliet won the Golden Lion at the 1954 Venice Film Festival and remains admired for its elegant Technicolor cinematography, carefully composed imagery, and richly detailed presentation of Shakespeare’s tragedy.

Poster design

This Japanese STB tatekan design uses the exceptional height of the format to create a romantic composition divided across two complementary sheets.

The upper section is dominated by an enormous close-up of Laurence Harvey and Susan Shentall as Romeo and Juliet, their faces nearly touching immediately before an embrace. The soft Technicolor tones and extreme photographic scale create an intimate, dreamlike atmosphere.

Above them, the principal cast and title appear in English:

“SUSAN SHENTALL
LAURENCE HARVEY
in the film of Renato Castellani
ROMEO and JULIET”

The notation 「テクニカラー」 appears at upper left, emphasising the film’s celebrated colour photography.

The lower sheet shifts to a more formal and tragic composition. Susan Shentall as Juliet stands in an elaborate pink Renaissance gown beneath the arches of an Italian loggia, her hands held solemnly against her chest. At the bottom, Romeo lies in shadow, looking upward toward her.

This arrangement gives the poster a powerful vertical narrative: romantic intimacy above, followed by separation, contemplation, and impending tragedy below.

The large crimson Japanese title runs down the right side:

「ロミオとジュリエット」

Its elongated, sharply stylised katakana lettering follows the full height of the composition and provides a bold modern contrast to the Renaissance imagery.

The central teal and red text reads:

「うつろいやすき運命の糸に哀しくゆれる清烈な二つの魂！
不滅の愛を格調高く謳いあげたシェークスピアの名作完璧の映画化！」

“Two pure souls swaying sorrowfully upon the fragile thread of fate! A perfect screen adaptation of Shakespeare’s masterpiece, sublimely celebrating immortal love!”

Additional text highlights the film’s critical recognition, including its Venice Film Festival award, selection by the Japanese Ministry of Education, and recommendation by film appreciation organisations.

A blue vertical credit block identifies the principal cast, director Renato Castellani, and the original work by William Shakespeare.

Release and format note

The film was originally released in 1954. This poster was printed for its Japanese theatrical re-release in 1967 and distributed in Japan by Nippon Herald Films.

It is an original STB / tatekan two-sheet poster, measuring approximately:

51.5 × 145.6 cm / 20 × 57 inches

STB posters were assembled from two separate B2-size sheets and displayed vertically on cinema doors, walls, and lobby pillars. Their large dimensions and temporary exhibition purpose made them particularly vulnerable to damage and disposal, and complete surviving examples are substantially scarcer than standard B2 posters.

It is an original period Japanese theatrical poster, not a later reproduction or commercial reprint.

Condition

Excellent condition. Both sheets retain attractive colour, sharp photographic imagery, clear typography, and excellent overall display impact.

There are original horizontal fold lines and light signs of age and handling consistent with a large-format Japanese theatrical poster from this period. Some faint show-through is visible on the reverse, but the poster presents extremely well when the two sheets are displayed together.

Reference: G261.

Please review the photographs carefully, as they show the exact two-sheet poster offered for sale.

This is an original 1967 Japanese STB theatrical re-release poster.
It is not a reproduction or a reprint.

It is now nearly 60 years old.

Certificate of Authenticity included.