Tora-san Plays Cupid | |
---|---|
Directed by | Yoji Yamada |
Written by | Yoji Yamada Yoshitaka Asama |
Starring |
Kiyoshi Atsumi Shiho Fujimura |
Cinematography | Tetsuo Takaba |
Edited by | Iwao Ishii |
Music by | Naozumi Yamamoto |
Distributed by | Shochiku |
Release date |
|
Running time | 95 minutes |
Country | Japan |
Language | Japanese |
Tora-san Plays Cupid (男はつらいよ 寅次郎頑張れ!, Otoko wa Tsurai yo: Torajirō Gambare!) aka Tora-san, Hold Out! [1] is a 1977 Japanese comedy film directed by Yoji Yamada. It stars Kiyoshi Atsumi as Torajirō Kuruma (Tora-san), and Shiho Fujimura as his love interest or "Madonna". [2] Tora-san Plays Cupid is the twentieth entry in the popular, long-running Otoko wa Tsurai yo series.
Tora-san plays at matchmaker, trying to arrange a romance between Ryōsuke and Sachiko. His advice proves disastrous and Tora-san instead falls in love with Ryōsuke's sister. [3] [4] [5]
Kiyoshi Atsumi was nominated for Best Actor at the Japan Academy Prize ceremony for his performances in Tora-san Plays Cupid, Tora-san Meets His Lordship and Yatsuhaka-mura (all 1977). Chieko Baisho was also nominated for Best Actress and Shinobu Otake for Best Supporting Actress at the same ceremony. [7] Stuart Galbraith IV judges the film to be another good entry in the Otoko wa Tsurai yo series, funny and with a strong supporting cast. [4] The German-language site molodezhnaja gives Tora-san Plays Cupid three and a half out of five stars. [8]
Tora-san Plays Cupid was released theatrically on December 29, 1977. [9] In Japan, the film was released on videotape in 1996, and in DVD format in 1998, 2002, and 2008. [10]