Up to His Ears
{{Infobox film
| name = Up to His Ears
| image = Chinoispo.jpg
| caption = original film poster by Yves Thos
| director = Philippe de Broca
| producer = Georges Dancigers
Alexandre Mnouchkine
| writer = Daniel Boulanger
(scenario and dialogue)
| based_on = novel Tribulations of a Chinaman in China by Jules Verne
(inspired by the book)
| starring = Jean-Paul Belmondo
Ursula Andress
| music = Georges Delerue
| cinematography = Edmond Séchan
| editing = Françoise Javet
| color_process = Eastmancolor
| studio = Les Films Ariane
Les Productions Artistes Associés
Vides Cinematografica
| distributor = Les Artistes Associés
| released = {{Film date|df=y|1965|12|4|France|}}
| gross = 2,701,748 admissions (France)[http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?depth=1&hl=en&prev=search&rurl=translate.google.com.au&sl=fr&u=http://www.boxofficestory.com/box-office-jean-paul-belmondo-c22691425/26&usg=ALkJrhhBmAZ4_EshfhNBMrSOGPj5qbBV9A Box office information for film] at Box Office Story
| runtime = 109 minutes
| country = France
Italy
| language = French
}}
Up to His Ears ({{langx|fr|Les Tribulations d'un Chinois en Chine}} or in English, "Tribulations of a Chinaman in China") is a 1965 French-Italian international co-production adventure comedy film starring Jean Paul Belmondo and Ursula Andress. It was an indirect sequel to That Man from Rio reuniting many of the same team; directed by Philippe de Broca written by Daniel Boulanger, stunt work by Gil Delamare it was loosely based on the 1879 novel Tribulations of a Chinaman in China by Jules Verne.
Plot
Millionaire Arthur Lempereur is bored with life. He tries to kill himself but fails, then decides to travel to Hong Kong to see if his depression can be cured.
In Hong Kong, Arthur discovers that his money is gone. Mister Goh, his old tutor and a Chinese philosopher, makes him take out a life insurance policy to benefit Alice, Arthur's fiancée, and Mister Goh. Goh promises to kill Arthur for him.
Arthur then meets Alexandrine, an ethnologist and striptease dancer. He decides not to die, and goes to track down Goh before Goh can hire a hitman.
Cast
- Jean Paul Belmondo as Arthur Lempereur
- Ursula Andress as Alexandrine Pinardel
- Jean Rochefort as Leon
- Maria Pacôme as Suzy Ponchabert
- Valérie Lagrange as Alice Ponchabert
- Valéry Inkijinoff as Mr. Goh
- Joe Saïd as Charlie Fallinster
- Mario David as Roquentin
- Paul Préboist as Cornac
- Jess Hahn as Cornelius Ponchabert
- Darry Cowl as Biscoton
Production
In addition to its footage of China, the film contains several minutes of the Agra area in India, including the Taj Mahal, which appears much whiter than it does today. The film also includes approximately 15 minutes of footage of the central area of Kathmandu, Nepal, the nearby Swayambunath hillside temple and more rural mountain areas of Nepal, with the impressive Himalayas as the backdrop.
Filming started under the title Chinese Adventures in China on January 5, 1965 in Nepal.TRAIL OF TRIAL: Pioneers' Tragic Trek To Be Filmed -- Tanglewood to Tel Aviv -- Sequel
By A.H. WEILER. New York Times 29 Nov 1964: X11. Ursula Andress left for Hong Kong in February 1965.Sammly Agrees to Play Iago Role: Lilia Skala, Ex-N.Y. City Center Employe, to Return as Singer
Hopper, Hedda. Los Angeles Times 8 Feb 1965: c20. Filming took place in Hong Kong and Paris.CALL SHEET: Marquand Signed for 'Phoenix'
Martin, Betty. Los Angeles Times 24 Apr 1965: B7.
In January 1966, the title was changed to Up to His Ears.Mailer Novel to Be Filmed
Martin, Betty. Los Angeles Times 18 Jan 1966: c13.
Reception
The film was the tenth-most popular of 1965 in France, after The Sucker, Goldfinger, Thunderball, Gendarme in New York, Mary Poppins, Fantomas Unleashed, God's Thunder, The Wise Guys and Viva Maria!.{{cite web | title=Rechercher : Les Tribulations d un Chinois en Chine | website=BOX OFFICE STORY | url=http://www.boxofficestory.com/search?q=Les%20Tribulations%20d%27un%20Chinois%20en%20Chine | language=fr | access-date=2021-12-27}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb title|0059831|Chinese Adventures in China}}
- [http://www.lefilmguide.com/review/les-tribulations-d-un-chinois-en-chine-1965.html Up to His Ears] at Le Film Guide
- [https://letterboxd.com/film/up-to-his-ears/ Up to His Ears] at Letterbox DVD
- [https://www.philippedebroca.com/en/film/up-to-his-ears-les-tribulations-dun-chinois-en-chine/ Up to His Ears] at Philippe de Broca
{{Philippe de Broca}}
Category:French adventure comedy films
Category:1960s adventure comedy films
Category:Films scored by Georges Delerue
Category:Films based on French novels
Category:Films based on works by Jules Verne
Category:Films directed by Philippe de Broca
Category:Films set in Hong Kong
Category:Films shot in Hong Kong
Category:1960s French-language films