The film series had presumed to have ended with Atsumi's declining health and death from lung cancer at age 68, without Tora-san ever settling down and finding domestic happiness. Atsumi was so identified with the Tora-san character that his death was also considered by fans to be the death of Tora-san. Director Yamada had decided at the time not to continue the series after Atsumi's death, but reworked a Tora-san script stuck in development as "Niji wo Tsukamu Otoko" starring Nishida Toshiyuki as a traveling cinema operator. Although "Niji" was a tribute to movies in general, the final scenes were Yamada's touching, loving posthumous tribute to the Tora-san series and to Atsumi Kiyoshi. Almost all of the principal actors from "Otoko wa Tsurai yo" have cameos in the "Niji" film, and the Tora-san character even makes a surprise cameo appearance near the end of the movie hinting that perhaps Tora is still out there somewhere. The film ends with a dedication to Atsumi Kiyoshi.