As we know, the great Jack Lemmon could do anything. He was one of those actors who just could sit there, do nothing, and still be absolutely compelling. However, he was more well-known as actor of great comedy, but when he went dark, he could definitely go there. During the ’70s, he reached a more mature phase of his career where he was exploring grimmer material, and one of his most overlooked roles is his Oscar-winning performance in John G. Avildsen’s Save the Tiger from 1973.
Buy Save the Tiger Blu-rayLemmon gives a blistering portrayal as Harry Stoner, Vietnam veteran turned businessman and CEO of a failing clothes company who is suffering a two-day binge of personal and public crisis. His conflicts with his business partner Phil Greene (Jack Gilford), his emotionally distant wife Janet (Patricia Smith), and demanding client Fred Mirrell (Norman Burton) grow into a fever pitch and causes his meltdown at his fashion show, but he finds brief but instant solace with charming hippie Myra (Laurie Heineman in her film debut).
I wouldn’t say Save the Tiger is one of the greatest films of the 70s, nor is it Lemmon’s best, but in terms of films about emasculated men going through mid-life traumas and turmoil, it works on many levels. It says much about flawed human beings as it does about the dark side of the American dream, where you can try to reach what you think you deserve, but it’s never really attainable. The film definitely warrants at least a few viewings because it is an intensely emotional time capsule about masculinity.
When I say it’s not Lemmon’s best, that’s unfortunate because it did show that he could handle anything that came his way. And he was up against some serious competition in 1973 for the Best Actor Oscar, such as Brando (Last Tango in Paris), Pacino (Serpico), Nicholson (The Last Detail), and Robert Redford (The Sting), so Lemmon’s win may not have been the career best that many think it was, but I can’t say it wasn’t undeserved.
Kino’s release isn’t packed like the one from Imprint, but it does have a great new 4K scan. It also has two audio commentaries: one with director Avildsen and writer/producer Steve Shagan, the other with film historian/author Dwayne Epstein. There are also trailers for the film itself, as well as for The Apartment, Irma La Dolce, Mass Appeal, and Slow Dancing in the Big City.
