Release CalendarDVD & Blu-ray ReleasesTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsIn TheatersComing SoonMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV NewsIndia TV Spotlight
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Picture WinnersBest Picture WinnersEmmysLGBTQ+ Pride MonthSTARmeter AwardsSan Diego Comic-ConNew York Comic-ConSundance Film FestivalToronto Int'l Film FestivalAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

Paper Tiger

  • 19751975
  • PGPG
  • 1h 39m
IMDb RATING
5.8/10
667
YOUR RATING
David Niven, Toshirô Mifune, Irene Tsu, and Kazuhito Andô in Paper Tiger (1975)
An Englishman is hired as the tutor to the son of the Japanese ambassador. His life changes when he and the boy are kidnapped by terrorists for political purposes.
Play trailer3:35
1 Video
27 Photos
  • Action
  • Adventure
  • Thriller
A somewhat prim and proper Englishman is hired as the tutor to the son of the Japanese ambassador. His life changes when he and the boy are kidnapped by terrorists for political purposes.A somewhat prim and proper Englishman is hired as the tutor to the son of the Japanese ambassador. His life changes when he and the boy are kidnapped by terrorists for political purposes.A somewhat prim and proper Englishman is hired as the tutor to the son of the Japanese ambassador. His life changes when he and the boy are kidnapped by terrorists for political purposes.
IMDb RATING
5.8/10
667
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Ken Annakin
  • Writer
    • Jack Davies
  • Stars
    • David Niven
    • Toshirô Mifune
    • Hardy Krüger
Top credits
  • Director
    • Ken Annakin
  • Writer
    • Jack Davies
  • Stars
    • David Niven
    • Toshirô Mifune
    • Hardy Krüger
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 12User reviews
    • 6Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 nomination

    Videos1

    Trailer
    Trailer 3:35
    Trailer

    Photos27

    David Niven in Paper Tiger (1975)
    Toshirô Mifune in Paper Tiger (1975)
    Toshirô Mifune and Hardy Krüger in Paper Tiger (1975)
    David Niven and Toshirô Mifune in Paper Tiger (1975)
    David Niven and Hardy Krüger in Paper Tiger (1975)
    Paper Tiger (1975)
    Toshirô Mifune and Kazuhito Andô in Paper Tiger (1975)
    David Niven and Kazuhito Andô in Paper Tiger (1975)
    David Niven and Kazuhito Andô in Paper Tiger (1975)
    Hardy Krüger in Paper Tiger (1975)
    David Niven and Kazuhito Andô in Paper Tiger (1975)
    Kazuhito Andô in Paper Tiger (1975)

    Top cast

    Edit
    David Niven
    David Niven
    • 'Major' Bradburyas 'Major' Bradbury
    Toshirô Mifune
    Toshirô Mifune
    • The Ambassadoras The Ambassador
    • (as Toshiro Mifune)
    Hardy Krüger
    Hardy Krüger
    • Mulleras Muller
    • (as Hardy Kruger)
    Kazuhito Andô
    • Koichias Koichi
    • (as Ando)
    Irene Tsu
    Irene Tsu
    • Talahas Talah
    Ivan Desny
    Ivan Desny
    • Foreign Ministeras Foreign Minister
    Miiko Taka
    Miiko Taka
    • Madame Kagoyamaas Madame Kagoyama
    Jeff Corey
    Jeff Corey
    • Mr. Kingas Mr. King
    Patricia Donahue
    Patricia Donahue
    • Mrs. Kingas Mrs. King
    Ronald Fraser
    Ronald Fraser
    • Sergeant Forsteras Sergeant Forster
    Jeannine Siniscal
    • Foreign Minister's Girlas Foreign Minister's Girl
    Kurt Christian
    Kurt Christian
    • Harokas Harok
    Mika Kitagawa
    • Ambassador's Secretaryas Ambassador's Secretary
    Eric Soh
    • Pathetas Pathet
    Salleh Ben Joned
    • Sokonoas Sokono
    • (as Salleh Joned)
    Mustapha Maarof
    • Marcoas Marco
    • (as Mustafa Maarof)
    Gatz Shariff
    • Chief of Policeas Chief of Police
    Takao Okuyama
    • Chargé d'affairesas Chargé d'affaires
    • Director
      • Ken Annakin
    • Writer
      • Jack Davies
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

    More like this

    Machine-Gun Kelly
    6.1
    Machine-Gun Kelly
    Sleeping Car to Trieste
    6.6
    Sleeping Car to Trieste
    River Beat
    6.2
    River Beat
    Crash Dive
    6.4
    Crash Dive
    The One That Got Away
    7.1
    The One That Got Away
    Gold
    5.7
    Gold
    Suddenly
    6.8
    Suddenly
    The Controller
    2.9
    The Controller
    Scorchy
    4.6
    Scorchy
    I Want to Be a Soldier
    5.9
    I Want to Be a Soldier
    Hennessy
    6.1
    Hennessy
    The Big Day
    7.2
    The Big Day

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Ando receives an "introducing" credit.
    • Goofs
      When the Bedford 4-Ton truck is tipped over the cliff, the model that's initially pushed with a digger is the mid 1970's model previously driven into the scene, but the one that tumbles down the hill is a much older (late 1950's/early 1960's) model with different style of cab.
    • Crazy credits
      Opening credits prologue: This is the story of a man and a boy.

      The events in which they become involved are, unhappily, happening almost daily in some part of the world.

      It must therefore be emphasised that all the characters are fictitious, as is the country in which the story takes place.

      KULAGONG is somewhere in South East Asia.
    • Connections
      Referenced in V.I.P.-Schaukel: Episode #5.3 (1975)
    • Soundtracks
      Main Theme
      (uncredited)

      Music by Roy Budd and Jack Fishman (uncredited)

      Sung by the Ray Conniff Singers

    User reviews12

    Review
    Top review
    10/10
    One of David Niven's finest performances
    David Niven's first autobiography The Moon's a Balloon was a fantastic bestselling success in 1972; when you watch Paper Tiger, you can't help but wonder if it was written for the star after someone read his memoir. In the book, Niven shares countless, incredibly detailed stories from his time in the service, and in the movie, he shares just as many entertaining war anecdotes. It was an absolutely perfect role for that time in his career.

    In Paper Tiger, David Niven, an English WW2 veteran whose war injury requires a cane, is hired by the Japanese ambassador to tutor his young son. Immediately, Niven and Ando, a most adorable little boy in his first and only film, bond as Niven talks about his time in the war. A terrorist organization kidnaps both the boy and his tutor and holds them hostage, in hopes that the ambassador will cave to their demands. What will the old war hero do?

    David Niven gives a wonderful, touching performance, and Ando is such a natural, I don't know why he never made another movie. Their chemistry is very realistic; it's really cute when Niven starts to describe a battle story and then Ando's imagination takes over, giving the audience a combination of a flashback and a fantasy to watch. I absolutely loved this movie, and I highly recommend you rent it during your next family movie night. It's family friendly, and has laughs, dramatic tension, action, very nice music, great acting, and a story that just might require you to bring your Kleenexes.
    helpful•4
    0
    • HotToastyRag
    • Feb 22, 2018

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • November 5, 1975 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United Kingdom
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Papiertiger
    • Filming locations
      • Malacca, Malaysia
    • Production companies
      • MacLean and Company
      • Euan Lloyd Productions
      • National Philharmonic Orchestra
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 39 minutes
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    David Niven, Toshirô Mifune, Irene Tsu, and Kazuhito Andô in Paper Tiger (1975)
    Top Gap
    By what name was Paper Tiger (1975) officially released in India in English?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    View list
    List
    The Best Movies Coming This Summer
    See the full list
    Image caption not available
    2:02
    LGBTQIA+ Movies and Shows to Watch This Summer
    Watch the video

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Interest-Based Ads
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2022 by IMDb.com, Inc.