Seven Samurai 1954 Japanese roadshow regional original "B3" poster. ...

Description

Seven Samurai 1954 Japanese roadshow regional original "B3" poster. (Toho, 1954) "Shichinin no samurai" (U.S. title: Seven Samurai) is universally hailed as, arguably, the greatest, if not the most recognized Japanese samurai film of all time, chronicling the end times for this noble warrior society forced to wander the land, selling themselves as bodyguards and paid assassins. This timeless classic by one of Japan's most respected directors, Akira Kurosawa, was not only honored with an American remake (The Magnificent Seven), it was itself already honoring the great American Western-film tradition established by John Ford. First release material of any sort on this exceptional film is extremely rare and highly prized. This "regional" style served the film's initial roadshow release through outlying areas of Japan, away from the cities, and only a handful are known to have survived. This example, archivally conserved on Japan paper and canvas, is likely the finest extant, as it retains both its printing details and its blank playdate section at bottom, which on this type poster is nearly always trimmed off for continued use. This is legitimately a very fine original.

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