“Invitation to a Gunfighter” (ガンファイトへの招待), Original Japanese Movie Poster 1965, Yul Brynner / Janice Rule, STB Tatekan Two-Sheet Format (c. 51 × 145 cm) — U2
This is an original Japanese STB tatekan theatrical poster for the 1965 Japanese release of Invitation to a Gunfighter, released in Japan as ガンファイトへの招待. Over sixty years old, this cinema-used two-sheet example combines dramatic Western imagery with towering red typography and an imposing illustration of Yul Brynner.
Directed by Richard Wilson and produced by Stanley Kramer, the American Western stars Yul Brynner, Janice Rule, George Segal, Pat Hingle, and Brad Dexter. Set in New Mexico after the American Civil War, the story follows a returning Confederate veteran whose property has been taken from him and the hired gunfighter recruited to eliminate him. Beneath its confrontations and gunplay, the film explores corruption, prejudice, and the moral failures of a frontier community.
Printed on two sheets arranged vertically, the design makes forceful use of the tall tatekan format. The upper section combines shadowy photographic imagery of a violent confrontation with a stagecoach action scene. Below, a monumental illustration of Brynner with his revolver extended towards the viewer carries the composition across the join. His wide stance and dark clothing dominate the lower section, with smaller scenes of frontier conflict arranged around his legs.
The oversized red lettering 「ガンファイトへの招待」, the film’s Japanese title, runs down the right-hand side across both sheets. Japanese cast and production credits appear along the left of the lower section, while the English title, Stanley Kramer production credit, and United Artists logo occupy the lower-right corner. The contrast between photographic scenes, strongly hatched illustration, and vivid lettering gives the design considerable visual impact.
The opening line of the white promotional text reads:
「屍臭におびきよせられて無法の町に現われた黒づくめの殺し屋」
“Drawn by the stench of death, a killer dressed in black appears in a lawless town.”
The combination of Brynner’s commanding screen presence, stark action imagery, and emphatic Japanese typography makes this an especially appealing example for collectors of Yul Brynner, American Westerns, Stanley Kramer, and Japanese film poster design of the 1960s.
Condition: Very Good+, cinema used.
The poster shows horizontal and vertical folds, and areas of corner paper loss, together with old tape repairs, adhesive residue, and age-related toning and staining. The red title lettering and principal artwork retain strong visual impact.
Once framed, this poster will display very well. We have taken the condition into account when pricing.
Please review all photographs, including the individual sheets, condition close-ups, and reverse, as they show the exact poster for sale.
STB tatekan format: approximately 51 × 145 cm when assembled.
Stock code: U2.
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.
