The trouble with Harry is not your usual Hitchcock film for a start it's a comedy, a dark comedy but a comedy nonetheless. It wasn't well received by the audiences at the time of its release in the US but it became a hit in Europe and eventually went back to the states and was a hit the second time around.

THE STORY

While doing some illegal rabbit shooting in the woods retired ship's captain Albert Wiles fires a couple of shots after a rabbit he sees in a clearing the first hits a tin can the next he loses in the bushes. Trying to find the rabbit he enters a clearing in the woods he finds a dead man lying there with a head wound. He quickly deduces that he must have accidently killed the man with his second shot going astray. Looking through the unfortunate man's pockets he discovers the man was called Harry Worp. Shocked by what he's done and worried about the repercussions he decides that the best thing to do would be to bury the body. However this does not turn out to be a simple as it seems. Before he can do this another person turns up and sees the captain with Harry and thus begins the trouble with Harry. Very soon many more people get involved in disposing of the body and through a series of accidents and misunderstandings the unfortunate Harry isn't allowed to lie in peace for very long.

CAST

Edmund Gwenn ... Capt. Albert Wiles
Shirley MacLaine ... Jennifer Rogers
John Forsythe ... Sam Marlowe
Mildred Natwick ... Miss Ivy Gravely
Mildred Dunnock ... Mrs. Wiggs
Jerry Mathers ... Arnie Rogers
Royal Dano ... Deputy Sheriff Calvin Wiggs
Parker Fennelly ... Millionaire
Barry Macollum ... Tramp
Dwight Marfield ... Dr. Greenbow

OPINION

This film sits oddly with the other Hitchcock films and you can see why many in the audience would be surprised if they were expecting the usual fare for the master of suspense but the films still has that Hitchcock stamp on it and is worthy of the great filmmaker.

Apart from the fact that it is a comedy unusual for Hitchcock it is also notable for other reasons. It was the first major film role for Shirley McClaine and it was the first time Hitchcock collaborated with composer Bernard Herrmann who went on to score North By North West and Psycho.

The story is adapted from an English novel by Jack Trevor Story and it was originally set in the English countryside however Hitchcock decided to transfer the action to autumnal Vermont. This move certainly gives the film a distinctive look as Hitchcock uses the wonderful New England scenery to its best advantage. In fact the location proved to be problematic for Hitchcock, the weather wasn't as good as they had hoped and by the time the film was underway it had turned wintery with snow starting to fall. This meant that some of the scenes were actually filmed indoors in the Hollywood studios. Hitchcock even had some authentic Vermont leaves shipped down to California to give air of authenticity to the scenes.

The performances are uniformally good but special mention must go to Shirley McClaine in her first major film role. She was chosen by Hitchcock after seeing her work on stage and she carried off the role with ease managing to be quirky, funny and sexy which were to be her trademark characteristics for many of her future roles. Her love interest is the bohemian artist Sam Marlowe is played John Forsythe who is better known to millions as Blake Carrington from 80's super soap drama 'Dynasty'. Forsythe is not my favourite actor and I find many of his performances unconvincing but in this black comedy he handles this brash and wisecracking artist very well.

The other main actor is Edmund Gwenn as the bumbling sea captain Albert Wiles. His would be paramour the prim and proper spinster with a secret to hide Miss Ivy Gravely is played by the veteran character actress Mildred Natwick. Edmund Gwenn was a very successful London born character actor that found huge fame and an Oscar in his 1947 film 'Miracle of 34th Street', as usual he plays a likeable if slightly befuddled eccentric. Mildred Natwick will be recognisable to anyone who has watched any kind on TV or Film in the last 50 years. She was a veteran of TV series and films as diverse as the classic 'The Quiet Man' with John Wayne to the more recent guest appearances in 'Murder She wrote', 'Magnum PI' and 'Dangerous Liaisons'. She also tended to play slightly eccentric comic roles and she produces and fine performance in this film which in a very quiet unassuming way steal almost every scene she is in.

You feel that in making 'The Trouble With Harry' Hitchcock was having fun. He had done mysteries with comic undertones before but this is a departure for him and he really lets his sense of the macabre loose on the screen. Despite the subject matter the film retains a gentle humorous quality and can be watched by all, in fact is does descend into farce as the poor Harry is continually moved around and disposed of on many occasions but since this is Hitchcock it never gets too silly.

For me one of the pleasures of watching Hitchcock films is his inventiveness in framing scenes, he is always looking for the odd or different camera angle that can bring something different from the action and this film has some great examples of this talent.

For the committed Hitchcock fans this maybe not quite be a classic but it still is a delightful example of the versatility of the great director.

THE DVD

Once again these re-issues of the Hitchcock classics have been re-mastered so the picture and sound quality is excellent. In the case of this film this is a huge advantage since it shows off the beautiful Vermont autumn scenes to full effect as Hitchcock intended. Also for once the bonus material is worth having. There isn't much on it but the fairly long 'Making of' featurette is definitely worth watching. It has interviews with John Forsythe and Hitchcock's daughter Patricia and they both reveal interesting facts about the way that Hitchcock like to work and about the making of the film.
Apart from the documentary you get a art gallery and a compilation of the original trailers to complete the bonus material.

The DVD also includes a selection of language subtitles German, English, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish and the run time is 95 mins. The UK certificate is PG.

At the time of writing this review 'The Trouble with Harry' is available from Play.co.uk for £4.99 including delivery.

Recommended.

© Mauri 2009