Tora-san, the Good Samaritan explained

Tora-san, the Good Samaritan
Director:	Yoji Yamada
Starring:	Kiyoshi Atsumi Rumi Sakakibara
Music:	Naozumi Yamamoto
Cinematography:	Tetsuo Takaba
Editing:	Iwao Ishii
Distributor:	Shochiku
Runtime:	92 minutes
Country:	Japan
Language:	Japanese

is a 1971 Japanese comedy film directed by Yoji Yamada. It stars Kiyoshi Atsumi as Torajirō Kuruma (Tora-san), and Rumi Sakakibara as his love interest or "Madonna".^[1] Tora-san, the Good Samaritan is the seventh entry in the popular, long-running Otoko wa Tsurai yo series.

Cast

• Kiyoshi Atsumi as Torajirō^[2]
• Chieko Baisho as Sakura
• Rumi Sakakibara as Hanako Ōta
• Sachiko Mitsumoto as Fuyuko
• Chōchō Miyako as Kiku
• Kunie Tanaka as Prof. Fukui
• Hiroshi Ōtsuka as Policeman
• Gin Maeda as Hiroshi Suwa
• Chieko Misaki as Torajiro's aunt
• Hisao Dazai as Tarō Ume

Critical appraisal

For his work on Tora-san, the Good Samaritan, the previous entry in the Otoko wa Tsurai yo series, Tora-san's Shattered Romance, and the following entry, Tora-san's Love Call (all 1971), Yoji Yamada tied for Best Director at the Mainichi Film Awards with Masahiro Shinoda.^[3] The German-language site molodezhnaja gives Tora-san, the Good Samaritan three and a half out of five stars.^[4]

Availability

Tora-san, the Good Samaritan was released theatrically on April 28, 1971.^[5] In Japan, the film was released on videotape in 1983 and 1995, and in DVD format in 1998 and 2008.^[6]

Bibliography

English

• Web site: OTOKO WA TSURAI YO FUNTO-HEN (1971). https://web.archive.org/web/20121017211917/http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/305820. dead. 2012-10-17. 2010-01-18. British Film Institute.
• Web site: OTOKO WA TSURAIYO -FUNTO HEN. 2010-01-18. Complete Index to World Film.

German

• Web site: Tora-San, the Good Samaritan. 2010-01-18. www.molodezhnaja.ch. German.

Japanese

• Web site: http://www.allcinema.net/prog/show_c.php?num_c=143565. ja:男はつらいよ 奮闘篇(1971). 2010-01-18. allcinema.net. Japanese.
• Web site: 男はつらいよ 奮闘篇. 2010-01-18. Japanese Cinema Database (Agency for Cultural Affairs). dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20111008093955/http://www.japanese-cinema-db.jp/details/11564. 2011-10-08.
• Web site: http://www.jmdb.ne.jp/1971/cu001110.htm. ja:男はつらいよ 奮闘篇. 2010-01-18. Japanese. Japanese Movie Database.
• Web site: http://www.kinejun.jp/cinema/id/19502. ja:男はつらいよ 奮闘篇. 2010-01-18. Japanese. Kinema Junpo. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20120309141443/http://www.kinejun.jp/cinema/id/19502. 2012-03-09.

External links

• Tora-san, the Good Samaritan at www.tora-san.jp (official site)

Notes and References

1. Web site: 男はつらいよ 奮闘篇 (Madonna). 2010-01-18. www.tora-san.jp. Japanese. (official site)
2. Web site: http://www.jmdb.ne.jp/1971/cu001110.htm. ja:男はつらいよ 奮闘篇. 2010-01-18. Japanese. Japanese Movie Database.
3. Web site: Awards for Otoko wa tsurai yo: Funto hen (1971). 2010-01-18. Internet Movie Database.
4. Web site: Tora-San, the Good Samaritan. 2010-01-18. www.molodezhnaja.ch. German.
5. Web site: 男はつらいよ 奮闘篇. 2010-01-18. Japanese Cinema Database (Agency for Cultural Affairs). dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20111008093955/http://www.japanese-cinema-db.jp/details/11564. 2011-10-08.
6. Web site: http://www.allcinema.net/prog/show_c.php?num_c=143565. ja:男はつらいよ 奮闘篇(1971). 2010-01-18. allcinema.net. Japanese.