“Massacre Time” (真昼の用心棒), Original Japanese Movie Poster 1967, Franco Nero / George Hilton, STB Tatekan Two-Sheet Format (c. 51 × 145 cm) — U3
This is an original Japanese STB tatekan theatrical poster for the 1967 Japanese release of Massacre Time, released in Japan as 真昼の用心棒. This complete two-sheet example combines an extraordinary close-up of Franco Nero with vivid brush lettering and an atmospheric Western landscape.
Directed by Lucio Fulci, the 1966 Italian Western stars Franco Nero, George Hilton, and Nino Castelnuovo. Nero plays Tom Corbett, who returns to his hometown to discover that a powerful landowner and his sadistic son have taken control. Reunited with his estranged brother, he confronts the violence surrounding his family and their former home. The film brings together revenge, family conflict, and the brutality associated with the Italian Western at the height of its 1960s popularity.
Printed on two sheets arranged vertically, the design gives each section a distinct visual identity. The upper sheet is dominated by an enormous close-up of Nero’s face beneath the shadow of his hat, his pale eyes contrasting with the grainy, earth-toned image. The complete Japanese title, 「真昼の用心棒」, appears across this upper sheet in oversized red brush lettering. White cast credits and the TOWA distributor logo complete the composition.
The lower sheet opens into a stylised yellow-orange landscape beneath an immense white sun. A cropped gunman seen from behind occupies the left foreground, his lowered revolver beside a large dark wooden cross. Smaller figures, a distant horseman, and further grave markers recede towards the sun, creating an ominous sense of depth. The English lettering “LUCIO FULCI’S MASSACRE TIME” appears in white towards the lower right.
The prominent green tagline reads:
「必殺のコルトをだいて ふるさとに帰って来た さすらいの男——」
“A wanderer returns to his hometown, carrying his deadly Colt.”
An additional promotional line advertises the film as the third instalment in Towa’s “Yojimbo” series, preserving a distinctive feature of its Japanese theatrical marketing. This distributor branding grouped Westerns under the familiar “bodyguard” theme, rather than identifying a continuous narrative series.
The combination of Nero’s intense close-up, expressive Japanese lettering, and the sunlit graveyard composition gives this poster a distinctive presence. It is an especially appealing example for collectors of Franco Nero, Lucio Fulci, George Hilton, Spaghetti Westerns, and Japanese film poster design of the 1960s.
Condition: Excellent.
Please review all photographs, including the individual sheets and reverse, as they show the exact poster for sale.
STB tatekan format: approximately 51 × 145 cm when assembled.
Stock code: U3.
It is not a reproduction or a reprint.
Certificate of Authenticity included.
About STB (Tatekan) posters
Japanese STB / tatekan posters were tall standing-board advertisements, printed in two pieces to be joined vertically for cinema display. Typically measuring around 51 × 145 cm, their elongated proportions offered considerable scope for distinctive compositions. Designed for temporary theatrical use, complete surviving examples preserve an important part of Japan’s cinema advertising history.
