Harvey (1950)

Due to his insistence that he has an invisible six foot-tall rabbit for a best friend, a whimsical middle-aged man is thought by his family to be insane - but he may be wiser than anyone knows.

Director:

Henry Koster

Writers:

Mary Chase (from the Pulitzer Prize Play by), Mary Chase (screenplay)

Stars:

James Stewart, Wallace Ford, William H. Lynn

Won 1 Oscar. Another 1 win & 4 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Wallace Ford	...	Ellis Logfren, The Taxi Driver
William H. Lynn	...	Judge Omar Gaffney (as William Lynn)
Victoria Horne	...	Myrtle Mae Simmons
Jesse White	...	Martin Wilson
Cecil Kellaway	...	Dr. William Chumley
Charles Drake	...	Dr. Raymond Sanderson
Peggy Dow	...	Miss Kelly
Josephine Hull	...	Veta Louise Dowd Simmons
James Stewart	...	Elwood P. Dowd
Nana Bryant	...	Mrs. Hazel Chumley
Grayce Mills	...	Mrs. Ethel Chauvenet (as Grace Mills)
Clem Bevans	...	Mr. Herman Shimelplatzer
Harvey	...	Harvey
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Gino Corrado	...	Eccentric Man (scenes deleted)
Jack Curtis	...	Undetermined Secondary Role (scenes deleted)

Storyline

The classic stage hit gets the Hollywood treatment in the story of Elwood P. Dowd who makes friends with a spirit taking the form of a human-sized rabbit named Harvey that only he sees (and a few privileged others on occasion also.) After his sister tries to commit him to a mental institution, a comedy of errors ensues. Elwood and Harvey become the catalysts for a family mending its wounds and for romance blossoming in unexpected places.

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Plot Keywords:

rabbit | mental institution | nurse outfit | nurse uniform | female nurse | 

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Taglines:

The Wonderful Pulitzer Prize Play... becomes one of the Great Motion Pictures of our Time!

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Fantasy

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish Latin

Release Date:

21 December 1950 (USA)

Also Known As:

Mein Freund Harvey

Filming Locations:

Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal International Pictures (UI)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min 111 min (DVD)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Henry Koster was unable to attend the U.S. premiere of the film because he was working in London on his next picture No Highway in the Sky (1951). Instead, he watched the film in a projection room at the London Universal offices along with James Stewart and Marlene Dietrich.

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Goofs

Elwood's hands change position when Dr. Sanderson 'meets' Harvey.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Mailman: Is this 348?
Elwood P. Dowd: Yes, it is.
Mailman: I gotta special delivery here.
Elwood P. Dowd: Oh, that sounds interesting.
Mailman: It's for Dowd.
Elwood P. Dowd: Dowd. Dowd's my name. Elwood P. Let me give you one of my cards.
Mailman: That won't be necessary sir. Just, eh, sign right here. Beautiful day.
Elwood P. Dowd: Oh, every day's a beautiful day.

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Crazy Credits

At the very end Harvey opens a door and the words at the bottom of the screen say "Harvey as Himself."

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Connections

Referenced in Ruby Sparks (2012)

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Soundtracks

Waltz No. 1 in D-Flat Major, Op. 64, Minute Waltz
(uncredited)
Music by Frédéric Chopin

User Reviews

One of the best movies ever made!

When I first saw this movie I didn't think I would like it. I didn't think it was my "type" of movie. I was wrong. HARVEY will make you laugh and at the same time show you the power of kindness. JAMES STEWART makes you believe someone is there even know his friend is an invisible 6-foot tall rabbit. It is easily one of the best movies ever made! If you don't know what this movie is or haven't seen it for any reason all I have to say is "GO SEE IT!" Even if you don't like black and white movies, there is something in this movie for everyone. If you like drama, comedy, or just films that make you feel good inside this movie is for you.

"If ELWOOD P. DOWD is crazy I don't want to be sane."