Coventry Even more than a brilliant director, I think that Alfred Hitchcock was a truly fascinating individual! Just the idea of making an unconventional and anti-commercial black comedy amidst a series of immensely popular and polished thrillers displays a lot of courage, stubbornness and willpower. The decision to make "The Trouble with Harry" in 1955 was possibly even more risky and unexpected than single-handedly giving birth to modern horror with "Psycho" in 1960. It shouldn't come too much of a surprise, however, that Hitch's experiment flopped at the box office due to audiences (especially the American ones) not being ready for the pitch-black and progressive type of humor of the script. Heck, even today a lot of people are still too prudish and too easily offended by good cynical & oppressed humor! Especially the first half of "The Trouble with Harry" is refreshing and very funny, with a creative premise, a light-headed atmosphere, common but amiable lead characters and subtle but hilarious dialogues. My personal favorite is definitely: "I didn't know you had such a beautiful mother". "Really? Then wait until you see my slingshot". This piece of conversation between aspiring artist Sam Marlowe and 8-year-old brat Arnie perhaps doesn't relate to the plot, but it magnificently illustrates the wittiness of the script and simplicity of the protagonists. The greatest comical triumph of the film, though, is how Hitchcock & Co create total detachment towards a sensitive taboo subject like death. These people deal with the dead body of a fellow human being like it's a coffee stain on a shirt or a crushed insect on the windshield! This certain Harry may be lying dead in a meadow, but he certainly isn't worth panicking over; - not even if they might be partially responsible for his condition or when the number of witnesses keeps increasing. When the element of surprise has somewhat vanished, "The Trouble with Harry" admittedly becomes rather tedious and repetitive. The entire second half, including the finale, are disappointing, but there's still always plenty to enjoy, like the fantastic score by Bernard Herrmann or the magnificent filming locations. Vermont, the Green Mountain State, is truly the most beautiful garden of America!

Kirpianuscus it is a film with shining actors. and, off course, shining performances. and this is the basic virtue. it is a brilliant example of wise humor. and a beautiful eulogy of love. and seductive story who reminds old fashion crime story. it is Mildred Dunnock and Edmund Gwenn and Mildred Natwick and the first and , maybe, the best , for Shirley MacLaine. a body. good intentions. and the chain of holes. love. suspicions. and great dialogues. short, a nice film who, scene by scene, becomes a little gem. because all is in perfect order, the dark story is a lovely one, the script is a box with surprises and, sure, the humor seems be fresh again and again. this is all. so, see it !

Hitchcoc I was really young when I saw this film for the first time. In a quaint Vermont town, a body is found. For a while, the guy is just part of the landscape. Kids even play around it (that's Jerry Mather...the Beaver). A flood of guilt settles on the community. At least three people feel they may have caused the death of this man. However, the townspeople will do anything to keep the authorities from getting wind of it. Royal Dano, the long faced sheriff, is out there somewhere. We are also introduced to Shirley MacLaine who plays a young mother and is the wife of the deceased. As with all Hitchcock films, there is a lot of unique situations as people bury, dig up, hide, cover the body. If some feel the end is anticlimactic, that's what it's supposed to be. One of the stars of the show is Vermont in the fall which provides a backdrop for all the grim doings that are going on.

jc-osms Hitchcock's only previous attempt at a Hollywood comedy was the unexceptional "Mr and Mrs Smith" in the early 40's and even that came from a studio assignment rather than an original motivation. Here, with the engagement of Hitchcock at the height of his powers, you might guess this one plays a bit differently. Chock-full of (no pun intended) earthy, sometimes racy humour, this is a black comedy set, paradoxically in the beautiful autumnal hues of New England, with a non-starring cast of noticeable variety, from fresh newcomer Shirley MacLaine to the avuncular veteran Edmund Gwenn, not the first names you'd think of to appear in an eccentric piece like this.Also on hand are a pre-"Dynasty" John Forsythe as the reasoning artist Sam and Mildred Natwick as the school-marmy spinster to complete the principal foursome who themselves get into an Abba-type arrangement as they pair off together, thwarted only it would appear by the inconsiderate corpse of MacLaine's unloved, estranged husband which keeps making unwanted appearances to spoil their mutual billing and cooing.I can see how the movie might split Hitchcock's fan-base as there's little of his trademark excitement or tension on show, but that's not to say other of his traits aren't present, from the stunning cinematography of Robert Burks, a playful soundtrack by Bernard Herrman in his first collaboration with The Master and some typically imaginative shots to admire, probably none more so than the first shot of Harry's prostrate body, from the shoes up.The ensemble acting is crisply played and I personally don't get the critics of Miss MacLaine harping on about her gaucheness, as she seems perfectly natural to me in what must have been a rather unusual introduction to movie-making in Hollywood. I admire Hitchcock for taking the risk he did with this off-beat feature and strongly consider he pulled it off with aplomb. A change, after all, is as good as a cardiac arrest as I always say.