09/17/06 The Trouble With Harry

The Trouble With Harry (1955), directed by Alfred Hitchcock

watched w/ Leslie; DVD (borrowed from Eric) @ home; suggested by Eric

Dark comedy falls upon a quiet Vermont town during the middle of one fine autumn day. Hitchcock unrelenting and at his best, although it remains to be a very debatable final product with this particular film. People tend to either love it for all of its sinister fun, while others might still find it a misguided attempt at dark humor and his usual thrilling demeanor. Young Arnie (actually a young pre-"Leave It To Beaver" Jerry Mathers) goes gallivanting off into the woods to play...when his youthful joy is abruptly ended by coming across a body lying in a clearing. Upon investigating, he finds the man to be dead, then trots off to tell his mother Jennifer (a young Shirley MacLaine). Although not shook up in any way about this news (even though she is the ex-wife), Jennifer and the others in town begin to ruminate over just who this Harry fellow is and why he has come to the tragic end he has come to. The peaceful nature of the town and its inhabitants is played against the odd circumstances and the characters' less than normal reactions to them. The band of characters in this town consist of saucy Jennifer and young Arnie; struggling local artist Sam (John Forsythe); the aging hunter Captain Wiles; the homely spinster Miss Gravely; Deputy Sheriff & Mrs. Wiggs; a millionaire; a tramp; and a not-to-be-bothered bookworm...all of whom seem to come in contact with either the body of Harry or the story they think is behind it. Each one finds themself in a predicament of criminal proportions, and they must team together to figure out a solution. The wily artist Sam at first wants to portrait his findings, but upon the arrival of the old Captain on the hunt (who thinks he's accidentally shot poor Harry to death with an errant bullet)...the two men cook up a plan to bury the forgettable man, and no one will be the wiser. Their plot is often and regularly foiled by other passers-by, meddling nosiness, personal ineptness, and their respective courtings of both Jennifer and Miss Gravely. Various theories on Harry's untimely death abound, and plenty of hi-jinks ensue with their attempts to bury and dig up the cadaver. As the tagline to the movie suggests, the "trouble with Harry...is that he's dead." That's where the fun begins and ends, with the plot keeping you guessing and chuckling to yourself with tongue planted firmly in cheek. Hitchcock was brilliant when it came to this macabre style of comedy and wit, implications of sexuality, and morbid undertones...but he delivers it here with such deftness to keeping the track light with silliness. I won't ruin the ending for you, since it is very obvious what the plot is about. I've been wanting to find out just what the "trouble" was all about over the years, but leave it to Hitchcock to pull the rug out from under you every step of the way.

5 out of 5 stars