FIVE FINGERS OF DEATH AKA KING BOXER (1972) MOVIE POSTER, DAYBILL
Size Custom Size (see Description)
FIVE FINGERS OF DEATH AKA KING BOXER (1972) MOVIE POSTER DAYBILL – Lo Lieh, Wang Ping, James Tien, Directed by Jeong Chang-hwa is in Very Fine Condition. Movie Poster and...
FIVE FINGERS OF DEATH AKA KING BOXER (1972) MOVIE POSTER DAYBILL – Lo Lieh, Wang Ping, James Tien, Directed by Jeong Chang-hwa is in Very Fine Condition.
Movie Poster and Condition.
Condition: This poster is presented in Very Fine condition, 2 Daybill folds as issued, measures at 33.5 x 25 inch unique for a daybill poster. Paper wear all around and flattened out dog ear bottom left hand corner otherwise in excellent condition with a clean presentation and vibrant colours. This authentic Australian Daybill movie poster is a highly desirable format amongst collectors due to its distinctive size and striking artwork. Although the original poster artist is uncredited, the dramatic martial arts imagery perfectly captures the explosive action and intensity that made Five Fingers of Death one of the defining kung fu films of the early 1970s.
Movie Synopsis
Five Fingers of Death, also released internationally as King Boxer, is one of the most influential martial arts films ever produced and is widely credited with introducing the kung fu movie phenomenon to mainstream Western audiences. Released in 1972 by Hong Kong's legendary Shaw Brothers Studio, the film became a massive international success and paved the way for the global popularity of martial arts cinema that would soon be fuelled even further by Bruce Lee.
Directed by acclaimed Korean filmmaker Jeong Chang-hwa and written by Ni Kuang, the story follows the talented martial artist Chao Chih-Hao, played by Shaw Brothers superstar Lo Lieh. Chao enters a prestigious martial arts tournament with the hope of bringing honour to his master and fellow students. However, powerful rival schools, corrupt clans and ruthless assassins conspire to eliminate the competition before the tournament can even begin.
As Chao battles increasingly dangerous opponents, he suffers devastating injuries that appear to end his fighting career. During his recovery, he is taught the legendary Iron Palm technique, a secret martial arts skill capable of delivering incredible power through his hands. Armed with this deadly new ability, Chao returns to face his enemies in a thrilling series of spectacular duels that build towards one of the most memorable tournament finales in martial arts cinema.
The film also stars Wang Ping as the compassionate Meng Tung-shan, alongside James Tien, who would later appear in several classic Bruce Lee productions. The supporting cast includes many familiar faces from the Shaw Brothers stable, each bringing remarkable athleticism and authentic martial arts choreography to the screen. Unlike many action films of the era, King Boxer balances its expertly choreographed fight scenes with themes of honour, perseverance, loyalty and personal sacrifice.
One of the film's greatest achievements was its enormous international impact. Distributed in the United States by Warner Bros., it became one of the first Hong Kong martial arts films to enjoy widespread commercial success outside Asia. Its popularity inspired countless audiences to discover the Shaw Brothers catalogue and significantly influenced future action filmmakers throughout the 1970s and beyond. The film's famous glowing hand effect during the Iron Palm sequences became an instantly recognisable visual trademark and has been referenced in numerous films, television shows and popular culture ever since.
Today, Five Fingers of Death (1972) remains an essential classic for collectors of vintage martial arts cinema. Original Australian Daybill posters from this groundbreaking release are increasingly difficult to locate, particularly examples displaying strong colour, excellent presentation and desirable collector condition. Combining iconic artwork with historical importance, this authentic poster represents an outstanding piece of kung fu movie history and a fantastic addition to any collection of original movie posters, Shaw Brothers memorabilia or classic martial arts film artwork.
To find out more about Five Fingers of Death (1972) 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.