He Who Rides a Tiger
{{Short description|1965 British film by Charles Crichton}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=June 2015}}
{{Infobox film
| name = He Who Rides a Tiger
| image = He_Who_Rides_a_Tiger_film_Theatrical_release_poster_(1965).png
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| director = Charles Crichton
| producer = David Newman
| writer = Trevor Peacock
| narrator =
| starring = Tom Bell
Judi Dench
Paul Rogers
| music = Alexander Faris
| cinematography = John von Kotze
| editing =
| budget = £47,479Chapman, J. (2022). The Money Behind the Screen: A History of British Film Finance, 1945-1985. Edinburgh University Press p 217
| studio =
| distributor = British Lion Films
| released = {{Film date|1965}}
| runtime = 103 mins
| country = United Kingdom
| language = English
}}
He Who Rides a Tiger is a 1965 British crime drama directed by Charles Crichton, and starring Tom Bell and Judi Dench.{{Cite web |title=He Who Rides a Tiger |url=https://collections-search.bfi.org.uk/web/Details/ChoiceFilmWorks/150035038 |access-date=10 March 2024 |website=British Film Institute Collections Search}}{{cite web|url=http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/36317|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090114183234/http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/36317|url-status=dead|archive-date=14 January 2009|title=He Who Rides a Tiger (1966)|website=Film & TV Database|publisher=British Film Institute}} It was written by Trevor Peacock.
Plot
On his release from Peter Rayston returns to his life as a house-breaker, which funds his affluent lifestyle. He meets and becomes involved with Joanne, but when she discovers the source of his wealth she breaks up with him. When his latest burglary job goes wrong, leading to the death of one of his accomplices, he goes on the run.
Production
The film was based on the real-life cat-burglar Peter Scott.{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/9949054/Peter-Scott.html|title=Peter Scott|date=22 March 2013|newspaper=The Daily Telegraph|url-access=subscription|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211226002222/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/9949054/Peter-Scott.html|archive-date=26 December 2021}} The title was derived from the Indian proverb, "He who rides a tiger can never jump off," and implies that the main character cannot escape from his way of life.
Crichton called making the film "a bad experience" because "the producer was a shit, a cheat and a bastard."{{cite web|title=Charles Crichton Interview|url=https://historyproject.org.uk/sites/default/files/HP0072%20Charles%20Crichton%20-%20Transcript.pdf|date=14 December 1988|website=British Entertainment History Project|page=25}} He did not direct another theatrical film until A Fish Called Wanda (1988), his final film.
Cast
{{Cast listing|
- Tom Bell as Peter Rayston
- Judi Dench as Joanne
- Paul Rogers as Superintendent Taylor
- Kay Walsh as Mrs. Woodley
- Ray McAnally as orphanage superintendent
- Jeremy Spenser as The Panda
- Peter Madden as Peepers Woodley
- Inigo Jackson as Detective Sergeant Scott
- Annette Andre as Julie
- Edina Ronay as Anna
- Nicolette Pendrell as Ellen
- Ralph Michael as Carter
- Frederick Piper as Mr. Steed
- Rita Webb as flower seller
- Robin Hughes as Detective Sergeant Crowley
- Jimmy Gardner as waiter
- Howard Lang as prison governor
- Naomi Chance as Lady Cleveland
- Harry Baird as Stan (uncredited)
- Patricia Shakesby as policewoman (uncredited)
}}
Reception
The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "Although it is superficially a straightforward 'crime does not pay' yarn, He Who Rides a Tiger goes deeper into character than is usual in this sort of exercise. Essentially it is a study of a psychopathic personality, and Tom Bell's tense but likeable performance gives an only too believable reality to Peter's sudden violent rages, his equally unpredictable gentleness, and his palpably hopeless responsibility. He and Judi Dench, who brings warmth and integrity to Joanne, make their uneasy relationship very real, and in the orphanage scenes in particular, Charles Crichton has drawn a delightful response from the professional players and from the children. He is much less successful with the police side of the operation, and Paul Rogers seems wooden in the feebly written part of the Superintendent. Indeed, the film's weakness lies mainly in the script which, in spite of a good central idea, suffers from some silly plot mechanics and bad dialogue. Still, the genuine concern of the director and his leading players with the human problems of the story results in a liveliness and charm which are rare in this type of British thriller."{{Cite journal |date=1 January 1966 |title=He Who Rides a Tiger |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/1305828160/E1FF56B44A749CDPQ/1 |journal=The Monthly Film Bulletin |volume=33 |issue=384 |pages=24 |via=ProQuest}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb title|0060492}}
{{Charles Crichton}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:He Who Rides A Tiger}}
Category:1965 crime drama films
Category:1960s English-language films
Category:British crime drama films
Category:English-language crime drama films