Themes: Midlife Crises, Work Ethics, Crisis of Conscience
Main Cast: Jack Lemmon, Jack Gilford, Laurie Heineman, Norman Burton, Patricia Smith
Release Year: 1973
Country: US
Run Time: 99 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
Star Jack Lemmon was so eager to see Save the Tiger make it to the big screen that he waived his salary rather than have the film exceed its tiny budget. Lemmon portrays "the great American tragedy" as upwardly mobile garment manufacturer Harry Stoner, whose underhanded business tactics are beginning to catch up with him, and whose keeping-up-appearances lifestyle has forced him into bankruptcy. The script, by producer Steve Shagan, does nothing to endear us to Stoner: he flagrantly cheats on his wife, arranges business deals by servicing his clients with prostitutes, and finally agrees to torch his warehouse to collect the insurance money, all the while paying empty lip service to his lost ideals. Nonetheless, one "feels" for Stoner throughout, especially when he breaks down while giving a speech to his assembled buyers, imagining that the audience is populated by his dead army buddies, who gave up their lives to make the world safe for good-for-nothings like himself. Lemmon's performance won him an Academy Award. Appearing in supporting roles are Jack Gilford as Lemmon's conscience-stricken partner and Thayer David as a smarmy arsonist. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
Although Jack Lemmon had played "serious" roles before (such as his turn in Days of Wine and Roses), in 1973 he was still primarily considered a comic actor, albeit one of tremendous range. After Save the Tiger, Lemmon's gifts as a serious actor were confirmed beyond any doubt. His unflinching, Oscar-winning portrayal is the centerpiece of this disquieting movie. A character study of a man who is dissatisfied with his life but too moored in the superficial trappings of it to move beyond, the movie is essentially a prolonged character study, and it succeeds because Lemmon, under John G. Avildsen's assured direction, fills every moment. Avildsen trains the camera on Lemmon throughout, capturing telling nuances even in such mundane moments as Lemmon's wait for an elevator to arrive. Lemmon's initial encounter with free spirit Laurie Heineman is a small treasure; the pleasure underneath his dialogue -- inspired both by his attraction to the girl and his secret pride at being propositioned by her -- is a delight. And he holds nothing back during the "big" scenes, either. He is ably supported by Jack Gilford, whose performance perfectly compliments Lemmon's. The script is intelligent and perceptive, and Avildsen's direction is understated and assured. Avildsen would mark time with his next two films before hitting a career high with Rocky in 1976. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
Jack T. Collis - Art Director, John G. Avildsen - Director, David Bretherton - Editor, Marvin Hamlisch - Composer (Music Score), Marvin Hamlisch - Musical Direction/Supervision, Harry Ray - Makeup, Jack T. Collis - Production Designer, James A. Crabe - Cinematographer, Ed Feldman - Producer, Martin Ransohoff - Producer, Steve Shagan - Producer, Ray Molyneaux - Set Designer, Bud Alper - Sound/Sound Designer, Robert Knudson - Sound/Sound Designer, Steve Shagan - Screenwriter
Jack Lemmon plays Harry Stoner, an executive at an L.A. apparel company on the edge of ruin. Throughout the film, Stoner struggles with the complexity of modern life versus the simplicity of his youth. He longs for the days when pitchers wound up, jazz filled the air, and the flag was more than a pattern to put on a jock-strap. He wrestles with the guilt of surviving the war and yet losing touch with the ideals for which his friends died. To Harry Stoner, the world has given up on integrity, and threatens to destroy anyone who clings to it. He is caught between watching everything he has worked for evaporate, or becoming another grain of sand in the erosion of the values he once held so dear.
Save the Tiger is a bleak story that depicts an outwardly successful man questioning the value of the material prosperity he's desperately trying to maintain. Lemmon plays Harry Stoner, an executive at an L.A. apparel company close to ruin. With no legal way to keep the company from going under, Stoner considers torching his warehouse for the insurance settlement. Meanwhile, he drinks, laments the state of the world, and tries his best to keep the business rolling as usual. This last task is complicated when a client has a heart attack in the arms of a prostitute Stoner sent him to. With nerves still bristling, Stoner takes the stage at the premiere of his company's new line, only to be overcome by war memories. He ends the day spontaneously deciding to go home with a young, free-spirited hitchhiker, whose ignorance of his generation underscores his isolation from the world around him. At the end of the film, Stoner walks by a Little League game and attempts to act as pitcher to the children. One child shouts out, "You can't play with us, Mister!", leaving Stoner yet again isolated from another part of society.
Production and reception
The movie was written by Steve Shagan and directed by John G. Avildsen.
Lemmon was determined to make the movie, despite its limited commercial prospects, and so he waived his usual salary and worked for scale.
The movie was filmed in sequence after three weeks of rehearsal in Los Angeles.
