Stage-Struck Tora-san
| Stage-Struck Tora-san | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical poster | |
| Directed by | Yoji Yamada |
| Written by | Yoji Yamada Yoshitaka Asama |
| Starring | Kiyoshi Atsumi Nana Kinomi |
| Cinematography | Tetsuo Takaba |
| Edited by | Iwao Ishii |
| Music by | Naozumi Yamamoto |
| Distributed by | Shochiku |
Release date |
|
Running time | 107 minutes |
| Country | Japan |
| Language | Japanese |
Stage-Struck Tora-san (男はつらいよ 寅次郎わが道をゆく, Otoko wa Tsurai yo: Torajirō Wagamichi o Yuku) aka Tora-san's Stage-Struck[1] is a 1978 Japanese comedy film directed by Yoji Yamada. It stars Kiyoshi Atsumi as Torajirō Kuruma (Tora-san), and Nana Kinomi as his love interest or "Madonna".[2] Stage-Struck Tora-san is the twenty-first entry in the popular, long-running Otoko wa Tsurai yo series.
Synopsis
[edit]Tora-san returns from his travels throughout Japan to his family's home in Tokyo to find his uncle recovering from an illness. After a family fight erupts, he returns to the road and becomes friends with Tomekichi. When the pair come to Tokyo, they both fall in love with stage dancers.[1][3][4]
Cast
[edit]- Kiyoshi Atsumi as Torajirō[5]
- Chieko Baisho as Sakura
- Nana Kinomi as Nanako Beni
- Tetsuya Takeda as Tomekichi Gotō
- Masami Shimojō as Kuruma Tatsuzō
- Chieko Misaki as Tsune Kuruma (Torajiro's aunt)
- Gin Maeda as Hiroshi Suwa
- Hayato Nakamura as Mitsuo Suwa
- Hisao Dazai as Boss (Umetarō Katsura)
- Gajirō Satō as Genkō
- Hiroshi Inuzuka
- Raita Ryū as Detective
- Chishū Ryū as Gozen-sama
- Shinobu Azusa as Shinobu Fuji
Critical appraisal
[edit]Kiyoshi Atsumi was nominated for Best Actor at the Japan Academy Prize ceremony for his work in Stage-Struck Tora-san and the following film in the series, Talk of the Town Tora-san (also 1978). Yoji Yamada was also nominated for Best Director for these two films.[6]
Stuart Galbraith IV writes that Stage-Struck Tora-san is one of the weaker entries in the Otoko wa Tsurai yo series. He notes that co-star Tetsuya Takeda, a popular comic actor in Japan at the time, comes across as hammy in western eyes. According to Galbraith, the film works best as a nostalgic look at late-1970s popular culture. The opening dream segment is a spoof of Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), and there are references to Pink Lady as well as glimpses into Japan's economic situation of the era.[1] The German-language site molodezhnaja gives Stage-Struck Tora-san three out of five stars.[7]
Availability
[edit]Stage-Struck Tora-san was released theatrically on August 5, 1978.[8] In Japan, the film was released on videotape in 1996, and in DVD format in 2002 and 2005.[9]
References
[edit]- Notes
- ^ a b c Galbraith IV, Stuart (2006-03-14). "Tora-san 21: Tora-san's Stage-Struck (Region 3)". DVD Talk. Retrieved 2010-01-19.
- ^ "男はつらいよ 寅次郎わが道をゆく (Madonna)" (in Japanese). www.tora-san.jp. Retrieved 2010-01-19. (official site)
- ^ 男はつらいよ 寅次郎わが道をゆく (in Japanese). Kinema Junpo. Archived from the original on 2012-03-09. Retrieved 2010-01-19.
- ^ "OTOKO WA TSURAIYO: TORAJIRO WAGA MICHI O YUKU (1978)". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 2012-10-17. Retrieved 2010-01-19.
- ^ 男はつらいよ 寅次郎わが道をゆく (in Japanese). Japanese Movie Database. Retrieved 2010-01-19.
- ^ "Awards for Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro wagamichi wo yuku (1978)". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 2010-01-19.
- ^ "Tora-San's Stage-struck" (in German). www.molodezhnaja.ch. Retrieved 2010-01-19.
- ^ "男はつらいよ 寅次郎わが道をゆく". Japanese Cinema Database (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Archived from the original on 2012-03-11. Retrieved 2010-01-19.
- ^ 男はつらいよ 寅次郎わが道をゆく(1978) (in Japanese). allcinema.net. Retrieved 2010-01-19.
- Bibliography
English
[edit]- "OTOKO WA TSURAIYO: TORAJIRO WAGA MICHI O YUKU (1978)". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 2012-10-17. Retrieved 2010-01-19.
- "OTOKO WA TSURAIYO -TORAJIRO WAGA MICHI". Complete Index to World Film. Retrieved 2010-01-19.
- Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro wagamichi wo yuku (1978) at IMDb
- Galbraith IV, Stuart (2006-03-14). "Tora-san 21: Tora-san's Stage-Struck (Region 3)". DVD Talk. Retrieved 2010-01-19.
German
[edit]- "Tora-San's Stage-struck" (in German). www.molodezhnaja.ch. Retrieved 2010-01-19.
Japanese
[edit]- 男はつらいよ 寅次郎わが道をゆく(1978) (in Japanese). allcinema.net. Retrieved 2010-01-19.
- "男はつらいよ 寅次郎わが道をゆく". Japanese Cinema Database (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Archived from the original on 2012-03-11. Retrieved 2010-01-19.
- 男はつらいよ 寅次郎わが道をゆく (in Japanese). Japanese Movie Database. Retrieved 2010-01-19.
- 男はつらいよ 寅次郎わが道をゆく (in Japanese). Kinema Junpo. Archived from the original on 2012-03-09. Retrieved 2010-01-19.
External links
[edit]- Stage-Struck Tora-san Archived 2013-06-15 at the Wayback Machine at www.tora-san.jp (official site)