Thursday, June 16, 2011

Rec. #145: The Trouble with Harry


What: Briefly, the trouble with Harry is that he's dead. Several people individually stumble across the body (a few of them literally), but no one alerts the authorities. For some of the stumblers, Harry's death is quite inconvenient. For others, it's almost too convenient. This mid-'50s Hitchcock film is notable for a couple of reasons: it's a rare comedy from the master of suspense, and it's also the film debut of Shirley MacLaine.

Comparable to: Although this is a comedy, it is not slapstick. Do not expect the physical humor of Family Plot. This movie is the deadest of deadpans.

Representative quote: "He looked exactly the same when he was alive, only he was vertical."

You might not like it if: You miss the suspense. And you get a little confused trying to keep track of all the times Harry is buried, then dug back up, then buried, then dug back up, etc.

How to get it: Between 1955 and 1984, you were sore out of luck. The Trouble with Harry was one of the five films Hitch bought back the rights to (along with RopeRear Window, The Man Who Knew Too Much, and Vertigo). But it's 2011, so you shouldn't have trouble getting it now.

Connections to previous Wreckage: Have yourself a Hitchcockian weekend with Rope (Rec. #5), Shadow of a Doubt (Rec. #78), and Family Plot (Rec. #120).

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