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Harvey (1950)

Not Rated  |   |  Comedy, Drama  |  13 October 1950 (USA)
8.1
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Ratings: 8.1/10 from 42,657 users  
Reviews: 199 user | 67 critic

Due to his insistence that he has an invisible six-foot rabbit for a best friend, a whimsical middle-aged man is thought by his family to be insane - but he may be wiser than anyone knows.

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(from the Pulitzer Prize Play by), (screenplay), 2 more credits »
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Title: Harvey (1950)

Harvey (1950) on IMDb 8.1/10

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Won 1 Oscar. Another 1 win & 4 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

Complete credited cast:
...
Josephine Hull ...
Peggy Dow ...
Charles Drake ...
...
Victoria Horne ...
Jesse White ...
William H. Lynn ...
Judge Gaffney (as William Lynn)
...
Nana Bryant ...
Grayce Mills ...
Mrs. Ethel Chauvenet (as Grace Mills)
...
Harvey ...
Himself
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
...
Eccentric Man (scenes deleted)
Jack Curtis ...
(scenes deleted)
Edit

Storyline

The classic stage hit gets the Hollywood treatment in the story of Elwood P. Dowd who makes friends with a spirit taking the form of a human-sized rabbit named Harvey that only he sees (and a few privileged others on occasion also.) After his sister tries to commit him to a mental institution, a comedy of errors ensues. Elwood and Harvey become the catalysts for a family mending its wounds and for romance blossoming in unexpected places. Written by Dale Roloff

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

The Wonderful Pulitzer Prize Play... becomes one of the Great Motion Pictures of our Time!

Genres:

Comedy | Drama

Certificate:

Not Rated | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Country:

Language:

| |

Release Date:

13 October 1950 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

Mein Freund Harvey  »

Company Credits

Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

| (DVD)

Sound Mix:

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1
See  »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

First film project of Fess Parker. See more »

Goofs

In the daytime scenes at Chumley's Rest, shadows are seen of the actors and props that clearly go against the dominant natural light. See more »

Quotes

Dr. Sanderson: I think that your sister's condition stems from trauma.
Elwood P. Dowd: From what?
Dr. Sanderson: Uh, trauma. Spelled t-r-a-u-m-a. It means shock. There's nothing unusual about it. There's the "birth trauma" - the shock of being born...
Elwood P. Dowd: That's the one we never get over.
See more »

Crazy Credits

At the very end Harvey opens a door and the words at the bottom of the screen say "Harvey as Himself." See more »

Connections

Referenced in Atop the Fourth Wall: Captain Electron #1 (2012) See more »

Soundtracks

Waltz No. 1 in D-Flat Major, Op. 64, Minute Waltz
(uncredited)
Written by Frederic Francois Chopin
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

See more (Spoiler Alert!) »

User Reviews

 
A moving story of a man and his pooka...
19 September 2001 | by (Phoenix, AZ) – See all my reviews

To tell you the truth, I had no idea HARVEY would be this good, but it was. It's not an incredibly deep film, just good-natured.

I'm not sure if these next comments will throw a lot of people off, but I wonder about the controversial nature of the story as well, particularly for a movie made in the 1950's. I mean, after all, this is a movie that does touch on topics of alcoholism, mental illness, spirits, Celtic mythology, and magic. C'mon, we live in a society where Harry Potter cannot exist without receiving a light pounding.

I was also impressed with the development of the Elwood P. Dowd character as portrayed by James Stewart. I just love how the movie shows how he touches the lives of everyone around him. In an age of cinema where supporting characters are immediately cast off after being introduced, I don't think there is a single supporting actor whose character is not developed in this film. I particularly liked the relationship between the doctor and Elwood. I can honestly say that Elwood P. Dowd is one of the most memorable characters I have come across in film along with Molly the Gangster in Charley Varrick and Hal the Computer in 2001: A Space Odyssey.

I also think this movie does an excellent job highlighting those who do represent the salt of the earth in our society, even if they do exhibit behavior that is outside social norms. This is a very good film. See it with a pooka!


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