Alfred Hitchcock’s 1955 black comedy, The Trouble With Harry, is usually mentioned as an afterthought when discussions of Hitchcock’s oeuvre arise. This is unfortunate, as it is a delightful, quirky little film by the master of suspense.
Set and filmed in a small New England hamlet at the peak of autumnal leaf season, the story centers around the unexpected discovery of the well-dressed corpse of Harry Worp in the woods outside the village. The handful of locals who become aware of the body have some unusual and unorthodox reactions to it. Hilarity and romance ensue.
The film has some notable names attached to it. It was written by John Michael Hayes, who also wrote Rear Window, To Catch a Thief and The Man Who Knew Too Much for Hitchcock. The cast features Shirley MacLaine’s debut performance as the young widowed mother of Jerry Mathers, two years before he stars as ‘The Beaver’ in the iconic Leave It to Beaver. John Forsythe and Miracle on 34th Street’s Edmund Gwenn play the male leads.
Sadly, The Trouble With Harry was abox office disappointment when it was released and after Hitchcock received the rights back to the film, he effectively shelved it. It remained virtually unseen for nearly three decades until 1984 when Universal acquired the distribution rights to The Trouble With Harry, along with Rear Window, Vertigo and The Man Who Knew Too much.
The film continues to be overshadowed by Hitchcock’s major works, but has been positively received by modern audiences. It is an excellent choice if you are looking for a sunny afternoon film on a fall weekend. It beats a lot of the current NFL offerings and contains no Taylor Swift.
The Trouble With Harry is available for rent on Prime, Apple TV, Vudu & Redbox. It is also available on DVD & Blu-Ray.
Cinema With A Twist 