Save the Tiger (1973) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

The film takes place primarily in Los Angeles, with key scenes set in an upscale Beverly Hills mansion, along the Sunset Strip's fashion scene, and at a Long Beach factory. These locations create a stark contrast between the glamorous, privileged world of high society and the gritty realities of a struggling clothing business.

• beverly hills
• sunset strip
• long beach
• los angeles
• setting
• fashion district

The movie is set in the early 1970s Los Angeles, capturing the era's bold fashion, counterculture energy, and shifting economic pressures. The story's financial desperation and risky financing schemes reflect the precarious business climate of that specific historical moment.

• 1970s
• early 1970s
• los angeles
• time period
• 1970s fashion

Greed drives the film's central conflict as Harry Stoner and his partner Phil Greene face desperate financial pressure that leads them toward unethical shortcuts including fraudulent accounting and an arson-for-insurance scheme. The fear of an impending audit and bankruptcy intensifies their willingness to cross moral boundaries, threatening to erode trust, friendship, and professional ethics.

• greed
• fraud
• arson
• money
• financial desperation
• greed theme

Harry Stoner's WWII memories continuously intrude on his present, shaping his impulsive behavior and creating a disconnect from reality. These war memories and nightmares color his decisions, including the choice to risk others for personal safety. The past bleeds into his business life, trapping him in a cycle where memory and action are intertwined.

• trauma
• ptsd
• wwii
• veteran
• memories
• war
• psychological

The film explores Harry Stoner's fear of aging out of power in a cutthroat fashion industry. The pressure to maintain a glamorous lifestyle reveals a hollowness at the heart of his wealth. His desperation to gamble with others' lives stems from a need to preserve his place in a world that is passing him by, capturing the existential anxiety of middle age.

• midlife
• aging
• status
• power
• fear
• ambition
• middle age

Harry Stoner is the protagonist, a high-society Los Angeles apparel company owner and WWII veteran portrayed by Jack Lemmon. His nostalgia for youth masks a growing appetite for risky, morally dubious decisions. As financial pressure mounts, he oscillates between charm and volatility, increasingly prioritizing survival over ethics.

• harry stoner
• jack lemmon
• protagonist
• veteran
• business owner

Phil Greene is Harry Ston's business partner and co-owner of Capri Casuals. Played by Jack Gilford, he represents resignation to difficult choices while fearing their consequences. He recognizes the dire finances and looming crisis but struggles to stop the destructive plan, serving as a moral counterweight to Harry's escalating risks.

• phil greene
• jack gilford
• business partner
• co-owner
• capri casuals

Myra is a free-spirited flower-power hitchhiker played by Laurie Heineman who embodies counterculture energy. She serves as a foil to Stoner's world of luxury, exposing him to risk and unguarded behavior. Her presence represents the generational and ideological divide between the established business world and the emerging youth culture of the 1970s.

• myra
• hitchhiker
• counterculture
• flower power
• 1970s culture

Sid Fivush is a financier with mob connections played by Ned Glass who offers emergency financing for Capri Casuals. His character illustrates how organized crime is woven into the film's world of financial desperation, representing the underground networks that emerge when legitimate business channels fail.

• sid fivush
• financier
• mob
• organized crime
• money lender

Janet Stoner is Harry's wife portrayed by Patricia Smith. She anchors the domestic side of the story and presses for stability, including seeking professional help for her husband's psychological breakdown. Her character represents the moral center of the household, grappling with the consequences of Harry's increasingly destructive business decisions.

• janet stoner
• wife
• domestic
• marriage
• stability
• help

The film centers on Capri Casuals, a struggling Los Angeles apparel and clothing company. The business faces financial collapse, prompting Harry and Phil to consider extreme measures including fraud and arson. The fashion industry setting on the Sunset Strip provides the backdrop for exploring themes of greed, desperation, and moral compromise.

• capri casuals
• fashion business
• clothing company
• apparel
• los angeles business

Save the Tiger explores how ambition and the desperate pursuit of success lead to moral bankruptcy. Harry's willingness to commit arson and fraud demonstrates how financial survival can override ethical boundaries. The film suggests that success achieved through unethical means comes at a profound personal cost, leaving the protagonist's future ambiguous and tinged with loss.

• ambition
• morality
• ethics
• moral cost
• success
• corruption