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Oof, that was Rotten.

Meh, it passed the time.

It’s good – I’d recommend it.

Awesome!

So Fresh: Absolute Must See!

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Save the Tiger Photos

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Movie Info

Clothing manufacturer Harry Stoner (Jack Lemmon) mourns the loss of his youthful idealism even as he seals his fate by arranging to have an arsonist (Thayer David) torch his faltering factory for the insurance settlement. Stoner's conflicts with himself, his business partner (Jack Gilford), his distant wife (Patricia Smith) and a demanding client (Norman Burton) boil over during a nightmarish presentation at a fashion show, while a free-spirited hippie girl (Laurie Heineman) offers escape.

Rating:

R
Genre:

drama
Original Language:

English
Director:

John G. Avildsen
Producer:

Steve Shagan, Martin Ransohoff
Writer:

Steve Shagan
Release Date (Streaming):

Oct 28, 2015
Runtime:

1h 40m

Cast & Crew

Jack Lemmon
Harry Stoner

Jack Gilford
Phil Greene

Laurie Heineman
Myra

Norman Burton
Fred Mirrell

Patricia Smith
Janet Stoner

Thayer David
Charlie Robbins

Show all Cast & Crew

Critic Reviews for Save the Tiger

All Critics (13) | Top Critics (1) | Fresh (11) | Rotten (2)

Save the Tiger is essentially a virtuoso piece of movie acting. Jack Lemmon holds the movie together by the sheer force of his performance as Harry; he makes this character so convincing that we're fascinated.

October 23, 2004 | Rating: 3/4 | Full Review…

Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
[Save the Tiger], despite its flaws, stands as a remarkable achievement for its writer, Steve Shagan; its director; and, perhaps above all, its star, Jack Lemmon.

June 29, 2020 | Full Review…

Judith Crist
Texas Monthly
In the phony moral quagmire of Save the Tiger Jack Lemmon tugs at our heart strings while never letting go of his purse strings ...

March 22, 2018 | Full Review…

Robert Mazzocco
The New York Review of Books
A jolting drama, fueled by two stunning performances.

March 11, 2011 | Rating: 5/5 | Full Review…

Phil Hall
Film Snobbery
Jack Lemmon won the 1973 Best Actor Oscar in John Avildsen's Arthur Miller-like sentimental melodrama, in which he plays a bitter down-on-his-luck L.A. businessman who feels cheated by the American Dream.

July 31, 2008 | Rating: B- | Full Review…

Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com
Quote not available.

March 1, 2008 | Rating: 4/5

David Kaplan
Kaplan vs. Kaplan
Quote not available.

November 16, 2007 | Rating: 3/5

Robert Roten
Laramie Movie Scope
A great film of uncommon truth.

February 20, 2006 | Rating: A- | Full Review…

Chuck O'Leary
FulvueDrive-in.com
Lemmon turns in showy, theatrical work that's appropriate to the not-terribly subtle film around him, but the whole enterprise is one that's best avoided...

December 3, 2005 | Rating: 1.5/4

Peter Canavese
Groucho Reviews
Quote not available.

February 26, 2004 | Rating: 4/5

Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall
A compelling drama about morality under fire in the life of a middle-aged business man

January 18, 2004 | Full Review…

Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Spirituality & Practice
Quote not available.

August 29, 2003 | Rating: 3/5

Carol Cling
Las Vegas Review-Journal

View All Critic Reviews (13)

Audience Reviews for Save the Tiger

Mar 11, 2014

A tour de force for Lemmon. Consider this to be a bridge between the early great comedic work and the really marvelous dramatic work of his later career.

John B Super Reviewer
Dec 15, 2009

Set fire to the factory. Supply women for the clients. Harry Stoner will do anything to get one more season.

Wahida K Super Reviewer
Feb 20, 2007

The greatest performance ever given by an actor and Jack Lemmon delivers this in his breathtaking Oscar winning role. One of the top ten best films of 1973.

Mister C Super Reviewer