Up to His Ears
Up to His Ears (French: Les tribulations d'un chinois en chine or in English, "Tribulations of a Chinaman in China") is a 1965 French adventure comedy film starring Jean Paul Belmondo and Ursula Andress. It was directed by Philippe de Broca and written by Daniel Boulanger, loosely based on the 1879 novel Tribulations of a Chinaman in China by Jules Verne.
| Up to His Ears | |
|---|---|
 original film poster by Yves Thos | |
| Directed by | Philippe de Broca |
| Produced by | Georges Dancigers Alexandre Mnouchkine |
| Written by | 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 by | Georges Delerue |
| Cinematography | Edmond Séchan |
| Edited by | Françoise Javet |
| Color process | Eastmancolor |
Production company | Les Films Ariane Les Productions Artistes Associés Vides Cinematografica |
| Distributed by | Les Artistes Associés (United Artists) (France) Lopert Pictures Corporation (USA) |
Release date |
|
Running time | 108 minutes |
| Country | France Italy |
| Language | English French |
| Box office | 2,701,748 admissions (France)[1] |
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
- 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
- Jean Rochefort as Leon
- 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.
The film reunited de Broca and Belmondo, who had worked on That Man from Rio. Filming started under the title Chinese Adventures in China on January 5, 1965 in Nepal.[2] Ursula Andress left for Hong Kong in February 1965.[3] Filming took place in Hong Kong and Paris.[4]
In January 1966, the title was changed to Up to His Ears.[5]
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!. [6]
References
- Box office information for film at Box Office Story
- 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.
- 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.
- CALL SHEET: Marquand Signed for 'Phoenix' Martin, Betty. Los Angeles Times 24 Apr 1965: B7.
- Mailer Novel to Be Filmed Martin, Betty. Los Angeles Times 18 Jan 1966: c13.
- "1965 Box Office". Box Office Story.
External links
- Chinese Adventures in China at IMDb
- Chinese Adventures in China at AllMovie
- Up to His Ears at Le Film Guide
- Up to His Ears at Letterbox DVD
- Up to His Ears at Philippe de Broca