Wikipedia

Stage-Struck Tora-san

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.

Stage-Struck Tora-san
Theatrical poster
Directed byYoji Yamada
Written byYoji Yamada
Yoshitaka Asama
StarringKiyoshi Atsumi
Nana Kinomi
CinematographyTetsuo Takaba
Edited byIwao Ishii
Music byNaozumi Yamamoto
Distributed byShochiku
Release date
  • August 5, 1978 (1978-08-05)
Running time
107 minutes
CountryJapan
LanguageJapanese

Synopsis

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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

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Critical appraisal

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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

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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

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Notes
  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ "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)
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ "OTOKO WA TSURAIYO: TORAJIRO WAGA MICHI O YUKU (1978)". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 2012-10-17. Retrieved 2010-01-19.
  5. ^ 男はつらいよ 寅次郎わが道をゆく (in Japanese). Japanese Movie Database. Retrieved 2010-01-19.
  6. ^ "Awards for Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro wagamichi wo yuku (1978)". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 2010-01-19.
  7. ^ "Tora-San's Stage-struck" (in German). www.molodezhnaja.ch. Retrieved 2010-01-19.
  8. ^ "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.
  9. ^ 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

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German

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Japanese

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