1960s

The fifth film in EON Productions' James Bond series and the last of Sean Connery's first stint starring as the suave secret agent, it was announced during filming of You Only Live Twice that Connery would retire from the role, although he later returned in 1971's Diamonds Are Forever. With a screenplay by children's author Roald Dahl, You Only Live Twice was the first Bond film to discard most of Ian Fleming's original plot, using only a few characters and locations from the 1964 novel as the basis for an entirely new story. Following the mammoth success of 1965's Thunderball, it was also the first truly epic Bond film - with spaceships, a volcanic lair, SPECTRE, armies of henchmen, ninjas and the threat of nuclear Armageddon. When American and Soviet spacecraft mysteriously disappear and each nation blames the other, Bond travels to Tokyo on the tail of the true perpetrators, finally coming face to face with Ernst Stavro Blofeld, the head of SPECTRE, as the criminal organization attempts to provoke a third world war between the superpowers. The film was a smash, grossing over $111 million at the box office.

Legendary Bond poster artists Robert McGinnis and Frank McCarthy designed three key variants for the You Only Live Twice Campaign, the style A or 'volcano style' pictured 007 in Blofeld's volcanic lair, the style B or 'Little Nellie style' saw Bond flying his armed gyrocopter, while the style C or 'bathtub style' featured the shirtless secret agent surrounded by a bevy of brunette beauties in an exotic bathhouse. This rare style C US Subway poster features the more sought after 'bathtub' artwork by Robert McGinnis.

Most often issued in a horizontal format for advance advertising in subway poster displays ahead of a movie's release, the US Subway poster usually featured a supersized variation of the advance US One Sheet artwork. Printed on a thicker paper stock than US One Sheets with a significantly smaller print run, surviving US Subway posters from the 1960s are particularly scarce in good condition. This unfolded example presents in excellent condition with only the most minor imperfections.

Condition

Excellent (A-)

Unfolded, not backed. A few minor nicks and creases to edges and two small tears to right edge, the largest ½ in. The odd soft crease within margins. Image and colours excellent.