Harry and Tonto (1974)

When his apartment building is torn down, a retired lifelong New Yorker goes on a cross country odyssey with his beloved cat Tonto.

Director:

Paul Mazursky

Writers:

Paul Mazursky, Josh Greenfeld

Stars:

Art Carney, René Enríquez, Herbert Berghof

Won 1 Oscar. Another 3 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Art Carney	...	Harry Coombes
René Enríquez	...	Jesús - Deli Manager
Herbert Berghof	...	Jacob Rivetowski
Michael McCleery	...	Mugger
Avon Long	...	Leroy
Rashel Novikoff	...	Mrs. Rothman
Philip Bruns	...	Burt Coombes (as Phil Bruns)
Cliff De Young	...	Burt Coombes Jr.
Josh Mostel	...	Norman Coombes (as Joshua Mostel)
Dolly Jonah	...	Elaine Coombes
Sybil Bowan	...	Old Landlady
Joe Madden	...	Panhandler
Bette Howard	...	Morgue Clerk
Patricia Fay	...	Airport Security Woman
Muriel Beerman	...	Taxi Driver

Storyline

Harry is a retired teacher in his 70s living in the Upper West Side of New York City where his late wife and he raised his children--where he's lived all his life. When the building he lives in is torn down to make way for a parking garage, Harry and his beloved cat Tonto begin a journey across the United States, visiting his children, seeing a world he never seemed to have the time to see before, making new friends, and saying goodbye to old friends.

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Plot Keywords:

cat | friend | new york city | old flame | teacher | 

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Taglines:

Get a Lift

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Genres:

Adventure | Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 January 1975 (France)

Also Known As:

Harry e Tonto

Filming Locations:

Hollywood Walk of Fame, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$980,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

115 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

James Cagney was originally offered the role of Harry. Other people considered for the role were Sir Laurence Olivier and Cary Grant before Art Carney was finally cast. Paul Mazursky's words to Carney were "You'll win an Oscar," which turned out to be prophetic.

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Goofs

We see that same light Ggeen Lincoln and many of the same exact cars in almost every Traffic scene.

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Quotes

Harry: Who's the vice president this week?
Newspaper vendor: Who cares?

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Crazy Credits

Tonto is billed "and TONTO"

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Connections

Referenced in Oscar's Greatest Moments (1992)

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Soundtracks

"Hooray for Hollywood"
(uncredited)
Music by Richard A. Whiting

User Reviews

one of the best Hollywood films of the 70's

Art Carney was a quiet, quirky genius and this film is a lasting testament to his talent.

It's a story about how an -average- man (actually not average at all, as we come to find out) lives a life of dignity and confronts the chaos of modern existence--including that most devastating of inevitabilities, mortality and, particularly, old age .

Besides Carney, watch for superb ensemble acting from Ellen Burstyn, Larry Hagman, the inimitable Chief Dan George, Arthur Hunnicutt, and a host of great character actors from the 70's.

Unlike so many contemporary scripts from the late 60's and early 70's, the cultural references seem interesting and historical and not dated, probably because--like everything else in this film--they are treated with respect and a sense of mercy.

If this film had been made by a French director in 1974, it would be heralded as a major classic. Oh, well.

Watch it. Savor it. This is really something special.