ENTER THE NINJA (1981) Movie Poster, Original Daybill, MARTIAL ARTS
Size AU Daybill Post-War (13" x 30")
ENTER THE NINJA (1981) Movie Poster, Original Daybill, Martial Arts, Starring Franco Nero, Sho Kosugi, Susan George, Directed by Menahem Golan is in Very Fine+ Condition. Movie Poster and Condition....
ENTER THE NINJA (1981) Movie Poster, Original Daybill, Martial Arts, Starring Franco Nero, Sho Kosugi, Susan George, Directed by Menahem Golan is in Very Fine+ Condition.
Movie Poster and Condition.
Condition: This Original Daybill, Movie Poster is presented in Very Fine+ condition, 2 Daybill folds as issued, and minimal edgewear on the left top and bottom right, otherwise this poster presents in excellent condition with a colourful clean presentation. This original Australian Daybill movie poster is an attractive piece of vintage 1980s martial arts cinema memorabilia, celebrating one of the films that helped introduce ninja-themed action movies to mainstream international audiences.
Movie Synopsis
Enter the Ninja (1981) is an action-packed martial arts adventure directed by Menahem Golan and starring Franco Nero, Sho Kosugi, Susan George and Christopher George. Combining traditional Japanese ninjutsu, spectacular fight sequences, deadly assassins and an international adventure setting, the film became an important early entry in the 1980s ninja movie phenomenon. Produced by The Cannon Group and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, it established a distinctive formula of martial arts action that would influence numerous ninja-themed films throughout the decade.
The story follows Cole (Franco Nero), an American military veteran who has travelled to Japan to complete his training in the ancient martial art of ninjutsu. After successfully passing the demanding final tests under the supervision of Master Komori, Cole is awarded the title of ninja. However, his achievement is not accepted by everyone. Hasegawa (Sho Kosugi), another highly skilled martial artist, resents Cole's promotion and believes that a foreigner should not be permitted to receive such recognition within the traditional Japanese fighting school. Their rivalry establishes an underlying tension that will eventually lead to a spectacular confrontation.
Following his training, Cole travels to the Philippines to visit an old military friend, Frank Landers (Alex Courtney), who owns a large agricultural plantation with his wife, Mary Ann (Susan George). Frank and Mary Ann have built their lives around the property, but their peaceful existence is threatened by a wealthy and ruthless businessman named Charles Venarius (Christopher George). Venarius wants control of the land for his own commercial interests and is prepared to use intimidation, violence and hired muscle to force the couple to sell.
When Cole arrives, he quickly discovers that his friend's problems are far more serious than an ordinary property dispute. Workers on the plantation are being threatened, local businesses are being intimidated and Venarius's men are increasingly aggressive. Cole's military experience and newly acquired ninja skills make him a formidable opponent. Rather than allowing Frank and Mary Ann to be driven from their home, he decides to help them defend their property against the powerful businessman and his hired criminals.
Venarius, however, has an especially dangerous weapon at his disposal. He recruits Hasegawa, Cole's former rival from the Japanese ninja school, to eliminate the interference. Hasegawa is a highly trained assassin whose skills and knowledge of ninjutsu make him an exceptionally dangerous opponent. The confrontation becomes much more than a fight over land, developing into a personal battle between two warriors with very different motivations. As the violence escalates, Cole must rely on everything he has learned to protect his friends and defeat the forces working against them.
The film also features a colourful supporting cast, including Will Hare as Dollars, Zachi Noy as the intimidating hook-handed character known as The Hook, Dale Ishimoto as Master Komori and Joonee Gamboa as Mr Mesuda. Franco Nero, already internationally recognised for his performances in European cinema and westerns, brings a distinctive screen presence to the role of Cole. Sho Kosugi, meanwhile, delivers the martial arts expertise and physical intensity that would make him one of the most recognisable ninja performers of the 1980s.
The screenplay was written by Dick Desmond, based on an original story by martial arts champion Mike Stone, who also received credits for fight choreography and stunt coordination. Interestingly, Stone was originally intended to play Cole before Franco Nero was cast during production. Director Menahem Golan also took over filmmaking duties from original director Emmett Alston after production had commenced. These changes helped shape the finished film, which was shot primarily in Manila, Philippines, with additional filming in Tokyo, Japan.
Produced by Golan and Yoram Globus, Enter the Ninja was an important early success for the Cannon Films action formula. Its combination of international locations, martial arts choreography, colourful ninja costumes and revenge-driven storytelling helped establish a new audience for ninja cinema. The film also launched Sho Kosugi's international screen career, leading to further appearances in popular martial arts productions, including Revenge of the Ninja (1983) and Ninja III: The Domination (1984). It became the first instalment in what is commonly known as Cannon's Ninja Trilogy.
For collectors of original vintage movie posters, martial arts films and 1980s action cinema memorabilia, this Australian Daybill represents an appealing piece of film history. Featuring the excitement and distinctive appeal of one of the decade's pioneering ninja movies, it is a great collectible for fans of Franco Nero, Sho Kosugi, Cannon Films and classic martial arts action adventures.
To find out more about Enter the Ninja (1981) click here to go to IMDB.com.
Special Notes.
Images may have a small 'MPA' digital watermark and this does not appear on the poster. Posters are being held by magnets in the corners to take photographs, so you may see some magnet and shadows from the magnets in these areas. The magnets are not included in the sale of the item.
Postage, Insurance & Your Country Taxes
Postage costs are quoted for this item, include insurance up to AUD$100, but if you reside outside of Australia, the price does not include any import taxes/fees that you may be required to pay when the item reaches your borders. Please check with your local authorities for any additional taxes or fees. If you would like full insurance coverage for your purchase, please message me and I would be happy to quote the additional cost (estimate is AUD$2.50 p/AUD$100 or 2.5% of the item value, up to a maximum item value of AUD$5,000).
FAQ
At Movie Posters Australia, the love and conservation of movie posters comes first, and we like to share this passion. Our commitment to quality means we will provide high quality memorabilia to our customers. Posters are carefully chosen and authenticated to ensure originality and value. We want our customers to trust MPA, so we always try to be as open and transparent as we can, provide detailed condition information and images, to ensure customers are comfortable and confident in their purchase.
While the industry does have a few condition rating standards, there is no movie poster condition rating system that has become the accepted standard world wide. This unfortunately makes condition terms vary from movie poster dealer to movie poster dealer. Terms like Mint, Near Mint, Very Fine, Fine, Very Good, Good, Fair, Poor, seem to be universal to most condition rating standards, but most standards still lack definition about what and how many flaws/defects/damage defines a specific condition level. For more information on how Movie Posters Australia grades the condition of its movie posters, daybills, lobby cards and other ephemera please see out Movie Poster Condition and Grading page.
In the early days of cinema, posters were primarily hand-drawn and printed in various sizes, often tailored to fit the available space in theaters or promotional areas. In the United States, the "One Sheet" size (some times called '1 Sheet' or '1SH' approximately 27" x 41", became the standard during the 1930s. This size was manageable for theater display and suited the needs of a growing film industry.
Different countries developed their own poster sizes and styles, which also changed sometimes over the decades, and were influenced by local preferences and practical considerations, like available paper sheet sizes and how many posters could be printed on one sheet.
In Australia, the most popular size, the Daybill, has evolved over the decades. Australian Daybills sizes in chronological order are:
- Long Daybills (15" x 40"), from 1920's to pre-WW2 or pre-1941, were printed two to a sheet, longer than current Daybill versions. There were size variances in width from 14.5" to 15" and in height from 39.5" to 40".
- War Time Daybill (10" x 30"), during WW2, for a short time to conserve paper during a war time shortage, four Daybills were printed on one sheet. Information from Press Sheets also referred to these War-Time sizes as "New Size Daybills".
- Post-War Daybill (13" x 30"), this 13" x 30" Post-War size carried through until the 1980's, but also varied in size from 13"-14" x 29.75"-30.25".
- Post-80's Daybill (33cm x 66cm, or 13" x 26"), over a few years in the late 80's, the size changed again to a metric 33cm x 66cm, although these have also varied from 32-33cm x 64.5-66cm. New sizes from the late 80's were created, sometimes called a Mini Daybill or Mini Poster, in 9" x 12", 11" x 17" and 13" x 20".
In the UK, the somewhat unique 'Quad' poster, measuring 30" x 40", became popular, offering a larger landscape format that allowed for more elaborate designs.
In Japan, movie poster sizes were smaller, such as the "B2" (20" x 28"), which suited the more compact living environment of larger cities, smaller advertising spaces, and unique aesthetic sensibilities.
The 1970s and 1980s, witnessed the rise of the "six-sheet" (81" x 81") format, reflecting a trend towards larger and more visually impactful advertising.
Overall, the variation in movie poster sizes across different countries and decades highlights the interplay between technological printing advancements, paper resource availability, paper sheet size changes, cultural preferences, and the evolving nature of movie marketing.
At Movie Posters Australia we tag each poster we sell with a 'size' and 'condition' description at the very top of the page for our customers to easily see. There may however be some slight variations to sizes by up one inch due to variations in production and guillotine methods by printers over the decades.