"The Longest Day (史上最大の作戦)", Original Japanese Movie Poster 1972, Re-Release, B2 Size (51 × 73 cm) N186

This is an original Japanese B2 poster printed in 1972 for the re-release of The Longest Day (史上最大の作戦), the epic World War II film originally released in 1962. Japanese posters for war epics of this era are highly collectible, particularly for films with all-star casts and historical significance.

Film background
Based on Cornelius Ryan’s best-selling book, The Longest Day (1962) was produced by Darryl F. Zanuck and directed by an ensemble of filmmakers including Ken Annakin, Andrew Marton, Bernhard Wicki, and Gerd Oswald. The film dramatizes the D-Day landings at Normandy on June 6, 1944, one of the most decisive moments of World War II. It was notable for its international cast, featuring John Wayne, Henry Fonda, Richard Burton, Robert Mitchum, Sean Connery, and many others, presenting the story from both Allied and German perspectives. The film won two Academy Awards and remains one of the definitive cinematic depictions of D-Day.

Poster design
The Japanese 1972 re-release poster presents a dramatic and stylized battlefield composition. Soldiers storm the beaches under a fiery red sky, with planes and explosions overhead, capturing the intensity of the invasion. At the bottom, the bold Japanese title 「史上最大の作戦」 is emblazoned in red, alongside a photographic strip of the film’s many star actors, emphasizing the epic ensemble nature of the production. The central image of a broken drum evokes both the military march and the cost of war. It is a powerful and striking design, combining both spectacle and gravitas.

This poster is in excellent condition (please refer to imagery, both front and back, of the exact poster for sale).

It is over 50 years old.

It is not a reproduction or a reprint.

Certificate of Authenticity included.