“The Viking Queen” (虐殺の女王), Original First-Release Japanese Movie Poster 1967, Hammer Films, B2 Size (51 × 73 cm) S157
This is an original Japanese B2 theatrical poster produced for the first Japanese cinema release of Hammer Films’ historical adventure The Viking Queen (虐殺の女王), directed by Don Chaffey and starring Don Murray, Carita, Donald Houston, Andrew Keir and Adrienne Corri. The film was produced in 1967 and opened theatrically in Japan on 14 October 1967, distributed domestically by 20th Century Fox.
Set in Roman Britain, the film follows Salina, daughter of the dying king of the Iceni, who inherits leadership of her people and initially seeks peaceful coexistence with the Roman commander Justinian. Their developing relationship is threatened by political intrigue, Roman brutality and resistance among the Britons, ultimately driving Salina toward open revolt. Although the title invokes a “Viking Queen,” the story contains no Norse Vikings; instead, it freely draws on elements associated with Boudica, the Iceni and rebellion against Roman occupation, reshaped as a colourful Hammer historical spectacle.
Poster design
A spectacular and uncompromising Japanese first-release design, dominated by an enormous image of a chained woman screaming against a blazing orange battlefield. Her raised arms and heavy iron restraints cut dramatically through the centre of the composition, while burning structures and smoke turn the entire background into an inferno.
At lower left, Carita as Queen Salina advances in armour with sword and large round shield, surrounded by scenes of Roman soldiers, captives and violent uprising. The densely layered photographic montage gives the poster the feverish intensity of exploitation advertising while still conveying the film’s large-scale historical setting.
The enormous rough-edged red Japanese title 虐殺の女王 runs vertically down the right side, translating approximately as “The Queen of Massacre”—a far more sensational title than the original The Viking Queen. The Japanese campaign copy across the top amplifies the brutality still further, promising a blood-soaked, savage battle spectacle, while the English THE VIKING QUEEN logo and 20th Century-Fox branding anchor the lower-right corner.
The cast billing printed on the poster includes Don Murray, Carita, Donald Houston and Adrienne Corri, while the film was directed by Don Chaffey, already well known for Jason and the Argonauts and One Million Years B.C..
The combination of Hammer Films, Roman-Britain spectacle, incendiary imagery and exceptionally aggressive Japanese typography makes this a fantastic example of late-1960s Japanese marketing for imported British genre cinema.
It is nearly 59 years old!
Condition
Excellent. A remarkably strong surviving example for an original Japanese theatrical poster from 1967. The fiery oranges, deep blacks and vivid red title remain exceptionally saturated, while the central photographic montage retains excellent clarity and impact. There are only minor signs of age and handling consistent with a poster of this vintage, with no significant issue detracting from the principal artwork or typography.
Please review the photograph carefully—it shows the exact poster for sale.
It is not a reproduction or a reprint.
Certificate of Authenticity included.
