A somewhat prim and proper Englishman is hired as the tutor to the son of the Japanese ambassador. His life changes when he and the boy are kidnapped by terrorists for political purposes.A somewhat prim and proper Englishman is hired as the tutor to the son of the Japanese ambassador. His life changes when he and the boy are kidnapped by terrorists for political purposes.A somewhat prim and proper Englishman is hired as the tutor to the son of the Japanese ambassador. His life changes when he and the boy are kidnapped by terrorists for political purposes.
- Awards
- 1 nomination total
Toshirô Mifune
- The Ambassador
- (as Toshiro Mifune)
Hardy Krüger
- Muller
- (as Hardy Kruger)
Kazuhito Andô
- Koichi
- (as Ando)
Salleh Ben Joned
- Sokono
- (as Salleh Joned)
Mustapha Maarof
- Marco
- (as Mustafa Maarof)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Featured reviews
Simple premise of don't pretend to be what you are not. Safe family action film that is quite well acted and with decent cine-photographic shots of the far east ( think might be Hong Kong area ). Well acted with a safe plot. Motto of the story being not to pretend you are something you are not cause it could bite you in the arse..
The story is admittedly very simple: elderly British "Major" Walter Bradbury (David Niven) is engaged by the Japanese ambassador to an unnamed Southeast Asian country, Kagoyama (Toshirô Mifune) as tutor to his enchanting 11-year-old son Koichi (Kazuhito Ando). "Mister Bladbelly" soon wins the reverence of the ever-trusting and perfectly-mannered Koichi by spinning yarns about his heroic wartime exploits that could hardly be further removed from his quiet nonentitous life, but is unexpectedly and severely put to the test when they are both kidnapped by guerrillas.
However simple though, the story is still a good one and it is fantastically well and charmingly acted by all three of the main characters. Anybody who has known a paper tiger, especially the more amiable types who, like Niven, have twinkles in their eyes gently hinting at their harmless fraud, will surely warm to his authentic depiction of one.
Paper Tiger is a gripping story, alternately funny, tense and moving, but above all it is a thoroughly warm-hearted and tenderly told tale of redemption.
Edmund Marlowe, author of Alexander's Choice, a novel of Eton, www.amazon.com/dp/1481222112
However simple though, the story is still a good one and it is fantastically well and charmingly acted by all three of the main characters. Anybody who has known a paper tiger, especially the more amiable types who, like Niven, have twinkles in their eyes gently hinting at their harmless fraud, will surely warm to his authentic depiction of one.
Paper Tiger is a gripping story, alternately funny, tense and moving, but above all it is a thoroughly warm-hearted and tenderly told tale of redemption.
Edmund Marlowe, author of Alexander's Choice, a novel of Eton, www.amazon.com/dp/1481222112
PAPER TIGER is an intriguing little comedy thriller with an unusual storyline. The film as a whole has a number of diverse ingredients which gel together quite well and lead up to a satisfying whole. It's entirely forgotten these days, despite the starring roles and the presence of Hollywood director Ken Annakin (SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON), which is a bit of a shame.
David Niven nails his character just right in playing a Walter Mitty type who regales his associates with stories of derring-do in the war (the flashback scenes are very funny). He travels to a made-up Far Eastern country to become English tutor to a Japanese ambassador, and the film chronicles their friendship. Ando, the child actor, stars in his only screen role and is very endearing, but all eyes are on the excellent Toshiro Mifune playing his father. I noted that Mifune nearly got his son kidnapped in Kurosawa's HIGH & LOW, well it really does happen here!
The film has a fairly slow first half although the second half picks up with all manner of terrorist activities and some choppy action. The latter scenes with Niven and Ando are very well handled and the film narrowly avoids being overly sentimental, remaining funny instead. The Malaysian locations standing in for the made-up country are fun and Hardy Kruger is great as a reporter. Overall, PAPER TIGER is a fun, warming little thriller with Niven on top form.
David Niven nails his character just right in playing a Walter Mitty type who regales his associates with stories of derring-do in the war (the flashback scenes are very funny). He travels to a made-up Far Eastern country to become English tutor to a Japanese ambassador, and the film chronicles their friendship. Ando, the child actor, stars in his only screen role and is very endearing, but all eyes are on the excellent Toshiro Mifune playing his father. I noted that Mifune nearly got his son kidnapped in Kurosawa's HIGH & LOW, well it really does happen here!
The film has a fairly slow first half although the second half picks up with all manner of terrorist activities and some choppy action. The latter scenes with Niven and Ando are very well handled and the film narrowly avoids being overly sentimental, remaining funny instead. The Malaysian locations standing in for the made-up country are fun and Hardy Kruger is great as a reporter. Overall, PAPER TIGER is a fun, warming little thriller with Niven on top form.
By this time in his career, debonair British actor David Niven was making films purely for the money. This effort was strangely different from other entries under this guise. The story of a dreamer facing the consequences of his masculine boasts is entertaining, and draws on his performance in Separate Tables.
There is a certain sadness, watching Niven as one of life's losers trying to make amends with one last act of heroism, full of pathos and regret. The film itself is nothing spectacular, but Niven manages to rescue it from oblivion, and credit where credit's due, he almost succeeds.
There is a certain sadness, watching Niven as one of life's losers trying to make amends with one last act of heroism, full of pathos and regret. The film itself is nothing spectacular, but Niven manages to rescue it from oblivion, and credit where credit's due, he almost succeeds.
Having seen this film as a child in the 1970s I have fond memories of this film.
Watching it now it is very dated.
However, unlike the mass of mediocrity from Hollywood today, it does have a charming story and Niven and Mifune admirably carry the film by their presence.
What I liked
It's a charming film with a lovely story, and is wathable for all the family
David Niven and Toshiro Mifune are both high calibre actors and genuine veterans of WWII as was Hardy Kruger, each for their respective countries.
What I didn't like
Made in the 1970s it's very dated, special effects and 'dubbed' voices into English, all jarring to the modern viewer used to CGI etc
I think this film is a solid 6/10 bearing in mind its age. I've given it a 7 but part of that was for nostalgia.
Watching it now it is very dated.
However, unlike the mass of mediocrity from Hollywood today, it does have a charming story and Niven and Mifune admirably carry the film by their presence.
What I liked
It's a charming film with a lovely story, and is wathable for all the family
David Niven and Toshiro Mifune are both high calibre actors and genuine veterans of WWII as was Hardy Kruger, each for their respective countries.
What I didn't like
Made in the 1970s it's very dated, special effects and 'dubbed' voices into English, all jarring to the modern viewer used to CGI etc
I think this film is a solid 6/10 bearing in mind its age. I've given it a 7 but part of that was for nostalgia.
Did you know
- GoofsWhen the Bedford 4-Ton truck is tipped over the cliff, the model that's initially pushed with a digger is the mid 1970's model previously driven into the scene, but the one that tumbles down the hill is a much older (late 1950's/early 1960's) model with different style of cab.
- Crazy creditsOpening credits prologue: This is the story of a man and a boy.
The events in which they become involved are, unhappily, happening almost daily in some part of the world.
It must therefore be emphasised that all the characters are fictitious, as is the country in which the story takes place.
KULAGONG is somewhere in South East Asia.
- ConnectionsReferenced in V.I.P.-Schaukel: Episode #5.3 (1975)
- SoundtracksMain Theme
(uncredited)
Music by Roy Budd and Jack Fishman (uncredited)
Sung by the Ray Conniff Singers
- How long is Paper Tiger?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Paper Tiger
- Filming locations
- Malacca, Malaysia(filmed entirely on location in)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime
- 1h 39m(99 min)
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1
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