“Bride of Frankenstein” (フランケンシュタインの花嫁), Ultra‑rare Original Japanese pre‑war mini poster / ad sheet for the first Japanese release, c. July 1935 Size: c. 19 × 26 cm

Ultra‑rare Original Japanese pre‑war mini poster / ad sheet for the first Japanese release, c. July 1935
Size: c. 19 × 26 cm (approx. 7.5 × 10.25 in, B5‑type) • Letterpress/halftone on thin newsprint‑like paper • Issued for Universal Pictures, Japan

Why this matters

James Whale’s 1935 masterpiece—Boris Karloff as the Monster, Elsa Lanchester as both Mary Shelley and the Bride—is the crown jewel of the Universal Monster cycle. Japanese pre‑war paper for this title almost never survives; handout/mini posters like this were posted or given away and typically destroyed. Finding one in this condition is exceptional.

About this piece

• Format: Japanese 広告ビラ (theatre advertising handbill / mini poster), printed for the first 1935 release.

• Paper/print: Very thin, lightly toned stock with letterpress text and halftone photo montage; meant for short‑term display and street distribution.

Design & iconography

A jagged lightning‑bolt runs across the sheet, framing a stark, full‑face Karloff portrait. At right: two production stills—the laboratory and the Bride’s reveal—and at lower left a hand‑drawn figure of the Monster lunging forward. The electrified katakana headline screams the title across the top, mixing photomontage, hand lettering and ballyhoo copy—pure 1930s Universal shock advertising filtered through Japanese print culture.

Translations of the main captions

• Credits column (beside Universal globe):
  「ボリス・カーロフ主演／コリン・クライヴ助演／エルザ・ランチェスター … ユニヴァーサル社製作／ジェームス・ホエール監督」
  “Starring Boris Karloff; co‑starring Colin Clive; Elsa Lanchester … Produced by Universal; directed by James Whale.”

• Small still, upper right: 「『花嫁』製造の場面」 — “Scene of creating the Bride.”

• Vertical caption by the full‑length Bride still:
  「生返った百年前の處女—花嫁として登場」 — “A virgin from a hundred years ago, brought back to life—appearing as a bride.”

• Bottom hype line (sales copy, 1930s style):
  An exhortation not to miss the ultimate spectacle of terror—roughly:
  “Not for the faint‑hearted! Come and see, with your own eyes, this unparalleled, hair‑raising clash of monstrosities!”

Rarity & significance

• Pre‑war survival on fragile stock—almost unheard‑of today.

• Earliest Japanese paper for Bride of Frankenstein; an authentic artifact of the 1935 run.

• Display impact: the lightning‑bolt layout and photo/illustration collage capture Universal’s global horror brand filtered through Japanese typographic bravura.

Condition

Excellent for the type and age. Even, honest toning; light handling and minor edge nicks; faint fold/crease traces visible at certain angles. No significant paper loss; imagery remains strong. Please review imagery provided—this is the exact piece offered.

Details

• Country: Japan

• Year of issue: 1935 (first Japanese release)

• Format: Advertising handbill / mini poster (広告ビラ)

• Size: c. 19 × 26 cm (B5‑type)

• Authentication: Original period printing; not a reproduction.

• COA included.