Tiny Tim: King for a Day

Released Apr 23, 2021

1h 18m

Documentary

Music

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List

85%

27 Reviews

Tomatometer

57%

Fewer than 50 Ratings

Audience Score

The story about the outcast Herbert Khaury's rise to stardom as Tiny Tim is the ultimate fairytale. And so is his downfall. Either considered a freak or a genius Tiny Tim left no one unaffected. Over 45 million Americans watched his wedding on the Carson Show, and his queer personality has been celebrated by the likes of Bob Dylan, and Johnny Depp. There were plans and hopes that Tiny Tim would be a lasting star, not only a novelty act. But one man ruined these plans. Tiny Tim. The exclusive access to Tiny Tim's diaries, and interviews with his family and friends, tells the story about one of the oddest stars the world has ever seen. A life of struggle; against his skeptical parents, hostile neighbors, booing audiences, and his battle with mental illness. And girls! Girls! Girls! And a boy. But also Tiny's fanatical belief: One day I will be famous!

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Owen Gleiberman

Variety

As the documentary captures (and as I never quite understood back in grade school when I would see Tiny Tim on TV), he was the freak of all freaks, but only because he possessed a singular charisma.

Apr 25, 2021

Full Review

Noel Murray

Los Angeles Times

From the Tiny Tim diary excerpts (read by "Weird Al" Yankovic) to the sometimes startling video of the former star eking out a living in his later years, "King for a Day" is never less than riveting.

Apr 24, 2021

Full Review

Sheila O'Malley

RogerEbert.com

The documentary makes a valiant (and not entirely successful) stab at contextualizing Tiny Tim.

Rated: 2.5/4

Apr 23, 2021

Full Review

Mark Demetrius

FILMINK (Australia)

... about as substantial a portrait as you could cram into 78 minutes.

Rated: 16/20

Mar 15, 2022

Full Review

Kathy Fennessy

Video Librarian Magazine

At 75 minutes, it handily keeps dull stretches at bay, but a longer run time might have resulted in a more well-rounded portrait. A strong optional selection.

Rated: 2.5/4

Jul 7, 2021

Full Review

Lisa Trifone

Third Coast Review

At just about 80 minutes, there isn't much to this biographical documentary, but there is more than enough to honor this quirky performer's legacy and lasting impact.

Rated: 2.5/4

Jun 2, 2021

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john s

GOD BLESS TINY TIM The documentary few knew they were waiting on, "King For a Day" is an intriguing chronicle of a most bizarre novelty act shooting star that flew, sparkled, burned bright and quickly. Tiny Tim remains an odd and utterly unforgettable memory for the majority of baby boomers who were there to witness the trajectory. Everyone else henceforth now gets a chance to catch up. There's a lot to unpack here, and even at almost two hours, it barely scratches the surface, but for now, it will do. The foggy story of Herbert Butros Khaury is shrouded in mystery, but what we do know is that the falsetto singing, ukulele playing, kiss blowing, clownish hippie with exaggerated facial features and shoulder length mop, came prancing awkwardly out of nowhere to dominate late sixties television airwaves. Riding the inexplicable popularity of Vaudeville staple "Tiptoe Through the Tulips", Tiny Tim competed with Jimi Hendrix and The Rolling Stones on the charts, and became a staple darling on talk shows, culminating in his boffo rated wedding to Miss Vicky on the "Tonight Show". Like a lousy cake, the fall was as quick as the rise, and the general public moved on. "King for a Day" mixes the super saturated boob tube coverage, fond remembrances of close friends, stark black and white animation of the early years, and grainy video footage of the rough last years. And though the tale answers a lot of questions, it digs up plenty more. The childhood years seem sketchy at best, based solely on Khaury's writings (narrated by Weird Al Yankovic, naturally), and it is never clear what is and isn't fiction. The transition from a gig in a run down New York freak show to major network stardom on trend setting "Laugh-In" is never properly addressed. Was Khaury always in character? Was it a character? We may never know. Perhaps it is for the best. The swift downfall is harsh, and presented in cruel fashion. Makes for good cinema, but the truth is that in latter years, Tiny Tim was being embraced by the alternative music scene, appearing in concert with Camper Van Beethoven, recording with the New Duncan Imperials, and releasing an outlandishly captivating Christmas album. His encyclopedic knowledge and love for old timey music is hinted at: Bob Dylan, an astute musical historian himself, wanted to make a film. There's just so much more to Tiny Tim's story (his skate with the Toronto Maple Leafs!) that begs uncovering. Perhaps this is just part one in the series, and thus serves well as a tasty appetizer. - hipCRANK

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

dave d

Swedish journalist documentary film-maker Johan von Sydow attempts to chronicle the life and career of Tiny Tim, a popular musician in the late 60s and 70s who saw his star fade slowly. I wasn't old enough to remember anything about the man, except a WWF appearance in 1993 and some skits on the Uncle Floyd show. He wasn't my cup of tea then and this doc didn't do anything to change that. A deeply conflicted man, we'll never know what kind of pain he was in. On the surface, that suffering looks like it was enormous. The film-maker unearthed some of TT's diaries and they are quite fascinating. At one time he was on top of the world, but he loved performing so much he'd do it anywhere. We even hear from his daughter who didn't add much. There are layers to TT that we'll just never know and we have to accept that or seek out a better documentary! Final Score: 5/10

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

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Johan von Sydow

Director

Weird Al Yankovic

Narrator

Weird Al Yankovic

Narrator

Tiny Tim

Actor

Martin Daniel

Writer

David Herdies

Producer

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Tiny Tim: King for a Day: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

The story about the outcast Herbert Khaury's rise to stardom as Tiny Tim is the ultimate fairytale. And so is his downfall. Either considered a freak or a genius Tiny Tim left no one unaffected. Over 45 million Americans watched his wedding on the Carson Show, and his queer personality has been celebrated by the likes of Bob Dylan, and Johnny Depp. There were plans and hopes that Tiny Tim would be a lasting star, not only a novelty act. But one man ruined these plans. Tiny Tim. The exclusive access to Tiny Tim's diaries, and interviews with his family and friends, tells the story about one of the oddest stars the world has ever seen. A life of struggle; against his skeptical parents, hostile neighbors, booing audiences, and his battle with mental illness. And girls! Girls! Girls! And a boy. But also Tiny's fanatical belief: One day I will be famous!

Director: Johan von Sydow
Screenwriter: Martin Daniel, Martin Daniel
Distributor: Juno Films
Production Co: Momento Film AB, Indie Film AS, Sekvenca
Genre: Documentary, Music
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 23, 2021, Limited
Runtime: 1h 18m

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