Harry and Tonto (1974)

Director:

Paul Mazursky

Writers:

Paul Mazursky (written by) and
Josh Greenfeld (written by)

Release Date:

15 January 1975 (France)

Genre:

Adventure | Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Get a Lift

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Cat | Friend | New York City | Old Flame | Teacher

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 3 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

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
Louis Guss	...	Dominic Santosi
Clint Young	...	Greyhound Bus Driver
Cliff Norton	...	Nick Lewis - Used Car Dealer
Melanie Mayron	...	Ginger
Michael Butler	...	Hitchhiker
Letitia Toole	...	Wrong Jessie Stone
W. Benson Terry	...	Mr. Stone
Gregg Harris	...	Mr. Stone's Grandson
Mike Nussbaum	...	Old Age Home Clerk
Geraldine Fitzgerald	...	Jessie Stone
Ellen Burstyn	...	Shirley Mallard
Arthur Hunnicutt	...	Wade Carlton
Barbara Rhoades	...	Stephanie
Philip Roth	...	Vegas Gambler (as Phil Roth)
Chief Dan George	...	Sam Two Feathers
Larry Hagman	...	Eddie Coombes
Andre Philippe	...	Chess Player
Anatol Winogradoff	...	Anatol
Sally Marr	...	Celia (as Sally K. Marr)
Tonto	...	Tonto
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Alex Colon	...	Man in Airport (uncredited)
Paul Mazursky	...	Prostitute (uncredited)

Directed by
Paul Mazursky

Writing credits
Paul Mazursky		(written by) and
Josh Greenfeld		(written by)

Produced by
Paul Mazursky	....	producer
Anthony Ray	....	associate producer (as Tony Ray)

Original Music by
Bill Conti

Cinematography by
Michael C. Butler		(as Michael Butler)

Film Editing by
Richard Halsey

Art Direction by
Ted Haworth

Set Decoration by
John Godfrey

Costume Design by
Albert Wolsky

Makeup Department
Bob O'Bradovich	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Art Levinson	....	unit production manager (as Arthur Levinson)
Jere Henshaw	....	executive in charge of production (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Dodie Fawley	....	second assistant director
Anthony Ray	....	assistant director (as Tony Ray)
John Sanger	....	second assistant director: New York (uncredited)

Sound Department
Theodore Soderberg	....	sound re-recording mixer
John Speak	....	production sound mixer (as John V. Speak)
Glenn E. Anderson	....	sound: Los Angeles (uncredited)
Leland Haas	....	sound: New York (uncredited)
Bill Marky	....	boom operator (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Eugene Barragy	....	key grip (uncredited)
Dick Colean	....	first assistant camera (uncredited)
John Fleckenstein	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Jay Johnson	....	dolly grip (uncredited)
Edward Levine	....	best boy (uncredited)
Muky	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Donald M. Wolak	....	gaffer (uncredited)

Casting Department
Dianne Crittenden	....	additional casting (as Dianne Derfner Crittenden)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Ed Brennan	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
Glenn Farr	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Kenneth Hall	....	music editor (uncredited)
Dan Wallin	....	score mixer (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Craig Pinkard	....	transportation captain (uncredited)

Other crew
June Samson	....	script supervisor
Betty Schumacher	....	animal trainer
Lou Schumacher	....	animal trainer
Bruce Bahrenburg	....	publicist (uncredited)
Edwin D. Rich	....	location auditor (uncredited)
Sioux Richards	....	script supervisor (uncredited)
Teresa Stokovic	....	production secretary (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Distributors

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (1974) (USA) (theatrical)
• Fox-Lira (1975) (France) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1979) (USA) (TV)
• Key Video (1984) (USA) (TV) (pan and scan for CBS/Fox Home Video)
• CBS/Fox Home Video (1989) (USA) (VHS)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Marion Dougherty Associates  casting
• Panavision  camera equipment provided by

Also Known As:

Runtime:

Canada:115 min | USA:115 min | Argentina:115 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Finland:S | Iceland:L | Sweden:Btl | USA:R | Australia:M | Singapore:NC-16 | West Germany:18 | Argentina:13 | UK:A

Filming Locations:

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

Company:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Tonto is played by two different cats. After the movie was finished the trainer offered them both to the director to keep but he couldn't because his wife is allergic to cats.

Goofs:

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

Quotes:

Harry:[Talking to his cat, reminiscing about an earlier New York City] There were trolleys, Tonto. Cobblestones. The aroma of corned beef and cabbage. The tangy zest of... apple strudel. You had to hand-crank the cars in those days, Tonto. Cars like REO's, Franklins, Hudsons. Those were names fit for a car. These days a man doesn't know whether he's driving a car or an animal: "Mustangs," "Jaguars," "Cougars,"... "Pintos." - Silly.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Inside Llewyn Davis (2013)

Soundtrack:

Where the Blue of the Night (Meets the Gold of the Day)

Memorable Story Which Stays With You

Every once in a while - but less and less these days - a movie comes around that has some impact, in that you find it hard to get it out your mind for awhile. That's what "Harry and Tonto" did to me, recently.

It wasn't the world's greatest film but it was great storytelling, sometimes a lost art among filmmakers in recent decades. "Harry" is a retiree and "Tonto" is his cat. The movie follows the two around as the pair travel from the East Coast to the West. It all begins when Harry's building is demolished as part of "urban renewal." He quickly finds out he doesn't want to live with his quirky son and his even-stranger kids, so he hits the road to Chicago to seek out other relatives. It goes from there.

The movie is filled with little vignettes. For instance, how the cat adapts for doesn't adapt to some modes of travel and the interesting and very diverse people Harry meets on the way (which winds up going all the way to Los Angeles).

Art Carney as "Harry Coombes" got the Academy Award for best actor. My vote might have gone to the cat. If you've ever owned a cat, you can appreciate how unbelievably-trained this feline was in the film. Tonto was amazing! Almost everyone in this film is a good person who tries to befriend Harry and Tonto, so you get a good feel throughout this almost-two-hour movie. It's one memorable short story after another - some funny, some sad.

I hate to use this cliché, but it's the kind of slow-moving, human-interest story movie you don't see anymore. That's a shame, because these kinds of films you don't forget.