The Toy Tiger

The plot to "The Toy Tiger" makes little sense and is, if you think about it, pretty creepy. Despite this, however, I recommend this film as it's very sweet. My recommendation is don't think too much about the plot...just enjoy it for hat it is.

Timmie Harkinson (Tim Hovey) is a very sad kid. He's lived most of his life at a boys school and seldom sees his mother, as she's a big-time executive with little time for him. As for his father, the man died before Timmie was born. However, Timmie has a VERY active imagination and instead of admitting to the other kids at school that he hasn't a father, he has created an imaginary one...and even going to the trouble of buying foreign postage stamps and writing fake letters from this mythical dad. As for the father, Timmie's told everyone that the reason the man never visits is because he's an explorer who travels the world capturing exotic animals for zoos.

After some time, the kids at the school have become suspicious and the boy is in a panic. He doesn't want to admit that his father is fictional....and he even goes to the trouble of heading into town to meet this dad as his train supposedly arrives! But then something odd happens....Timmie is able to convince a nice guy, Rick (Jeff Chandler) to pose as his dad! What's next? Well, see the film as I don't want to tell you too much.

The film is fun...period. Is it brilliant? No. In fact, it's a remake of an earlier Deanna Durbin movie. But I really enjoyed watching it...something you cannot say about many other films.

Young Timothy Hovey is very cute and charming, and quite an actor for his young age. His diction is very good for a child, which makes it easy to understand the numerous comments he makes under his breath. Several particularly funny moments in this film include the dock scene when Gwen goes to "Wash up", the "Arrest" scene, and of course Chandler's very deadpan story about the elephant. If you have not seen the other film which "features" Tim Hovey, I recommend you see The Private War of Major Benson, starring Charlton Heston, Tim Considine, and Sal Mineo. It is also very funny and was still available on VHS in 2005 (MCA). I am glad to see that these films are getting some attention, they are certainly rare in the film industry as being entirely inoffensive, family fare.

Hollywood made a number of movies about one-parent children who had lost a mother or father. Whether drama or comedy, such films always tugged at the audiences' hearts. "The Toy Tiger" is one such film, with a very cute child, Tim Hovey, playing Timmie Harkinson. Laraine Day plays his mother, who goes by the name of Gwen Taylor, and Jeff Chandler, as Rick Todd, becomes the unwitting dad to fill the shoes of the make-believe father Timmie has created to impress his mates at the private school his mom has enrolled him in.

Timmie says to Rick that he wasn't telling a lie because when he crosses his fingers it's just making believe, or a fairy tale. Rick lets that go and no one ever corrects Timmie on that point. But it turns out well after some funny scenes get Rick hooked into assuming the role of Timmie's mysterious explorer father. It is a bit hard to take Gwen's sudden warming up to and romantic attraction to Rick at the end. She had been a tough, hard as nails ad agency manager, and even Rick doubted her first efforts at letting her hair down. She had been too serious and all business and cut-throat before that.

But, this is Hollywood and a film meant to entertain and it does that, built around a young boy with a terrific imagination. Hovey was quite small for his age. He's supposed to be and looks and acts the part of a seven-year-old boy in this picture. But he was actually 11 years old when the movie came out. He didn't stay in movies beyond 1959, but worked in the music field. He died of a drug overdose at age 44 in 1989.

There are few movies as sweet and likeable as this one. Most movies strain to impress, forgetting, that relaxed unpretentiousness is a good thing. Movies should be good, not great or grand. Few movies exhibit let alone exemplify family values. This is a rare exception.

This is one of my all time favourite movies. It is the story of a small fatherless boy, Timmie Harkinson, played by Tim Hovey, and his smile will captivate you. Timmie is sent to a Boarding School by his mother, Gwen Taylor (Laraine day), which is run by two brothers, played by Richard Hayson and Cecil Kellaway who do an excellent bit of acting in their roles. Timmie's mom sends her art director, Rick Todd ( Jeff Chandler) to find and bring back an artist. Where this story knits itself together is when Timmie, who has fabricated an "Explorer father" and, unknowingly to Rick, recruits him to be his "father." I'm sure that this story will touch your heart. I, personally can't wait for them to bring it out on DVD. For many years, this film was shown on TV late night movies. I can't remember when I last saw it, but it is still very much in my head and heart. I truly hope & pray that someone will change that for us all, and bring it out on DVD in the very near future.