tiekbane Art Carney just cant handle a dramatic role. His performance here is shallow. He appears to be adlibbing half the lines. For a road movie, he is literally walking through it. The viewer never really understands where any of the characters are coming from because the writing is so superficial & the characters underdeveloped. Characters come & go with just minutes of screen time. Therefore it's difficult to care for them or the story. The only decent scene is at the end with Larry Hagman playing one of Harry's down-on-his-luck sons. The scene is poignant & uncomfortable with father & son barely having anything to talk about but even here we don't understand why the son is a failure or why they can't communicate. Then the film ends with cliché's. And Tonto really adds nothing to the story. Final note: it's also uncomfortable watching the actors holding the cat constantly in an awkward manner. Can't recommend it.

Andy Howlett I'd never even heard of this film until someone mentioned it on TV. It sounded good so the DVD was ordered. This is a little gem of a film, although it has some serious bad points. Harry (Carney) and his dear cat Tonto are thrown out of their New York apartment and reluctantly accept a place at his son & daughter in-law's home. But he doesn't like the strained atmosphere and sets out to visit other friends and relatives. This is a very 70's film, from the look of the film itself to the subjects broached and the language and mores of the time. Carney plays it quiet and knows when to shut up and let the silence speak. It may be a little over-sentimental at times, but I found it very touching and I was blinking a bit by the end. The bad points are that we don't quite see the love between Harry and his cat and (SPOILER!) when Tonto dies it is handled rather quickly and with a lack of warmth. The other problem is that some of Harry's adventures are very brief and come and go without consequence. Despite these irritations, this is a charming film. This release (bought from Amazon) seems to be from or aimed at the Italian market but the original English dialogue is present and correct. There are no extras and the print has not been cleaned up or restored, which is a pity as in some parts it was rather dark and grubby looking.

bkoganbing It took me 41 years to truly appreciate Harry And Tonto. As 55 year old Art Carney was made up and grew into the role of 72 year old Harry Coombs, I had to wait until now when I'm 67 to appreciate the life of Harry Coombs and the way Art Carney portrayed him. I too live with an orange cat named Ginger, present from a dear friend who passed on. I had to grow with life into the role.Meet Harry Coombs, a 72 year old widower who lives in Manhattan in a building ready for demolition with his cat Tonto. I know how much pets can comfort you and I felt his part more than I do others. When what some might call progress is made and his building goes to the wrecking ball, Carney goes to live with one son in the suburbs Philip Bruns.But that proves unsatisfactory so Harry And Tonto go on an extended trip to find their right place in the sun. Along the way they meet all kinds of people and have a lot of adventures and a bit of fun.I have to say this none of my cats ever would have taken to the leash as Tonto did. They also would not have traveled. When I went away on trips most of the time they were not of long duration and I could leave them with enough food, water, and a fresh litter. I would not have traveled with O'Malley, Simba, Socks, or Ginger. I did make one trip with Simba when I moved from Brooklyn to Buffalo in 1997. Not an odyssey I'd care to repeat.A lot of wonderful players were assembled by director Paul Mazursky in support of Carney. Among them are Ellyn Burstyn, Arthur Hunnicutt, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Larry Hagman, Josh Mostel, Chief Dan George, et al. My favorite is Herbert Berghof the old leftist from Poland who meets with Carney in the park and they talk of the old days. When he dies the most touching scenes in the film are Carney trying to get Berghof decently buried and not being a blood relative. Whatever family Berghof might have is behind that Iron Curtain of 1974. At least Carney got to say goodbye. That got to me too because during the Eighties and Nineties I lost a lot of friends and acquaintances due to the AIDS plague. It is not easy when old and while I was still young and middle aged many a gay person had that happen to them way before the allotted time we're supposed to have on earth.Art Carney got the Best Actor Oscar for 1974 and the only other nomination received was for Best Original Screenplay for director Paul Mazursky and Josh Greenfield. It's sad that Mazursky and Greenfield didn't win for creating the character that served Art Carney so well.Harry And Tonto should be seen by audiences of all ages who can appreciate life and health while you have it, to value your animal companions, and for the young to see what could be in store for them. Previous to this Oscar, Carney was known as Jackie Gleason's second banana on The Honeymooners playing Ed Norton the sewer worker. When one wins a Best Actor Oscar, one is never a second banana after that.And this review is dedicated to the cats I've had and to the late Jesse Lukasik who gave me Ginger when she needed a home after Socks died and who never lived to visit both me and Ginger in our happy environment.

motionpicturevideo If you want to positively change your outlook on your life..and your views on death…watch this great film! Art Carney so deserved the Oscar he received for this role. He brings such a real and positive presence to the screen that will ingrain itself in you (hopefully!). Kudos to the filming team for creating such a true and steady pace in the storyline that almost seems like it is occurring in real time. The script couldn't be more original and fascinating, the cinematography captures every location with a unique style and the acting is perfect though out. I happened to catch this film on a streaming service and it turned out to be one of the best movie experiences I have ever had. Many films of this era seem dated, but Harry and Tonto has a theme and a tone that is timeless..