The Trouble with Harry [Blu-ray]

The Lighter Side of Death and Hitch
This review refers to the Widescreen DVD edition of "The Trouble With Harry"(Universal/Alfred HItchcock Collection)..

Harry Walker is a real pain to the residents of a quaint but very picturesque little town in New England. The trouble with Harry is..that he is dead! The residents including Edmund Gwenn, John Forsythe, Mildred Natwick and Shirley MacLaine(in her first feature film role), don't seem too shook up about his apparent murder, some don't even notice the state Harry is in, the trouble is what to do with the corpse! These quirky folk, are trying to get rid of Harry, thinking they might be the ones responisble for his death. Through a series of very comical misunderstandings, poor Harry's body, is buried, dug up, cleaned up and returned to the "scene of the crime" several times, as they try to hide him from the local sherriff. And what's more, during this hard day's work, friendships, bonds, and even a lasting love is formed between the characters. It's an adventure...

Unexpectedly different mystery comedy from the Master
Hitchcock was hardly a one-note director. He functioned in a variety of modes, and while the various films he made possessed a family resemblance to one another, they are not monolithically the same. If one only allows him or herself to enjoy the out-and-out suspense films like NORTH BY NORTHWEST or STRANGERS ON A TRAIN, this could very possibly be a film that will not bring pleasure or enjoyment. But if, instead, the viewer is able to be open to something a little bit different, this film can be a source of unexpected delight.

I first saw this film as part of the revival of the "Five Missing Hitchcock" Films in the early 1980s, the others being THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH (the Jimmy Stewart version), REAR WINDOW, ROPE, and VERTIGO. While VERTIGO and REAR WINDOW were the two films causing the biggest stir, I was pleasantly surprised by THE TROUBLE WITH HARRY. Hitchcock has always vacillated between comedy and suspense, with some films containing more, and others less, of the...

I'm the 11-year old Below
THE TROUBLE WITH HARRY is a morbid [dark] comedy, full of witty dialogue and offbeat performances. It is a masterpiece of dreary atmosphere(set in a beautiful fall country setting)and wonderful realization. It is endearing and feel-good, morbid and dark, and funny yet subtle, too. Alfred Hitchcock does good with this film. Edmund Gwenn is perfect, John Forsythe is intelligent, Mildred Natwick is endearing, Shirley Maclaine is wonderfully offbeat, Jerry Mathers is cute, and Mildred Dunnock is marvelously bland. The soundtrack is very whimsical and sets the mood perfectly. I recommend it to everyone. Also, if you can get hold of the novel of the same name by J. Trevor Story, it is excellent also with many funny additions.

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