SNMR 3.18: "Harvey"

The third feature in this month's SNMR tribute to James Stewart is "Harvey" (1950, NR, 105 min., B&W) starring James Stewart, Josephine Hull, Charles Drake, Cecil Kellaway, Jesse White, Victoria Horne, Wallace Ford and Peggy Dow. The film was directed by Henry Koster.

The only scene I had ever seen from this movie was a short clip near the beginning of "Field of Dreams" and had always wondered which of Stewart's films it was from. Now I know.

From the DVD's dust case:

James Stewart gives one of his finest performances in this lighthearted film, based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning play.
Stewart stars as the good-natured Elwood P. Dowd, whose constant companion is Harvey, a six-foot tall rabbit that only he can see. To his sister, Veta Louise, Elwood's obsession with Harvey has been a thorn in the side of her plans to marry off her daughter. But when Veta Louise decides to put Elwood in a mental hospital, a hilarious mix-up occurs and she finds herself committed instead.
It's up to Elwood to straighten out the mess with his kindly philosophy, and his "imaginary" friend, in this popular classic that features a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award-winning performance by Josephine Hull.

From Martin and Porter's DVD & Video Guide 2007, p. 485:

James Stewart has one of his best screen roles as Elwood P. Dowd, a delightful drunk whose best friend is a six-foot rabbit named Harvey. Josephine Hull is the concerned relative who wants Elwood committed to a mental institution and Cecil Kellaway is the psychiatrist who discovers there's more magic than madness to our hero's illusion.

I hadn't bought a DVD in quite a while until circumstances forced me to buy this one. I'm glad I did, too. Jimmy Stewart's performance as the quirky Elwood P. Dowd, is simply flawless, fabulous and most definitely Oscar-worthy. In fact, he was nominated for Best Actor in 1951 but lost out to Humphrey Bogart (The African Queen). The supporting cast is excellent. The story is original and charming. The screen adaptation is flawless because it was written by the playwright and thus moves at a crisp pace. A bonus to the DVD is that Jimmy Stewart himself gives a voice over introduction to the film (recorded 3/8/90), claiming it as one of his favorite all-time roles.

If you've never watched this classic film before, I strongly recommend that you do and feel confident that it will quickly become one of your favorites. You can get it at Amazon.com for under $12. I'll give this film five out of five stars.