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, Ellen Burstyn, René Enríquez

Won 1 Oscar. Another 3 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Art Carney	...	Harry
René Enríquez	...	Grocery Clerk
Herbert Berghof	...	Rivetowski
Michael McCleery	...	Mugger
Avon Long	...	Leroy
Rashel Novikoff	...	Mrs. Rothman
Philip Bruns	...	Burt (as Phil Bruns)
Cliff De Young	...	Burt Jr.
Josh Mostel	...	Norman (as Joshua Mostel)
Dolly Jonah	...	Elaine
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 of his life. When the building, in which he lives, is torn down to make way for a parking garage, Harry and his beloved cat Tonto begin a journey across the U.S., 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 movie | road trip | character names as title | tonto the cat character | forename in title | 

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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 & 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

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Dolly Jonah (Elaine Coombs) in her only film role, had an extensive career in theater, as both a writer and actress.

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Goofs

Leaving Harry's apartment, in the first shot, the trailer carrying his furniture is uncovered, in the second shot it's covered with a tarp.

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Quotes

Harry: I know, life is confusing. We're just trying to get on with it that's all.

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Crazy Credits

Tonto is billed "and TONTO"

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Alternate Versions

When originally released theatrically in the UK, the BBFC made cuts to secure a 'A' rating.

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Connections

Referenced in Jeopardy!: Episode #26.115 (2010)

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Soundtracks

Louise
(uncredited)
Music by Richard A. Whiting
Lyrics by Leo Robin
Sung by Art Carney

User Reviews

Let Me Give You a Straight Story About Harry.

A wonderful movie experience that speaks volumes with its quiet, methodical pace. "Harry and Tonto" concerns a retired school teacher in his 70s (shocking Oscar-winner Art Carney) who is forced to leave the only home he has ever known when his apartment in New York is demolished to make way for a parking garage. Possibly this will be no big deal as he and Tonto (his faithful cat) decide to go live with his son (Philip Burns). Quickly it is apparent though that the arrangement will not work and Carney decides that maybe it is time to see the nation he has never gotten a chance to see before by heading west (with a little luggage and his cat of course). Along the way he meets back up with his daughter (Ellen Burstyn), has his grandson (Josh Mostel) follow him from New York, encounters a strange hitchhiker (Melanie Mayron) and even has a short jail stay with Chief Dan George. As the trip continues a fine line is developed between Carney's old ties and his new ones. Carney is one of those people who instantly appears to be everyone's life-long friend. The trip is an opportunity to meet new friends and sometimes, very sadly, say goodbye to old ones. In the end Carney's journey does not only take him cross-country, it also takes him to new and sometimes forgotten emotional experiences that he desperately needed to have. "Harry and Tonto" is a simple film that did not rely on a big budget or trivial situations to tell its story. This is a human tale that speaks to anyone who is willing and able to listen. Director and co-writer Paul Mazursky (Oscar-nominated for the latter) created a movie that touches its audience with heart, emotion and smarts. Carney is a revelation. He is basically only known for his silly turn on television's "The Honeymooners", but he proved he could play a part that is very difficult to pull off. Carney, only 56 at the time, plays much older than he was and received much support come Oscar season (some looking suspiciously like sympathy votes). In the end, Carney did win Oscar gold over such other names as Al Pacino ("The Godfather, Part II"), Jack Nicholson ("Chinatown"), Dustin Hoffman ("Lenny") and Albert Finney ("Murder on the Orient Express"). In retrospect, it is still hard to decide which of those five delivered the finest performance of that year. One thing is for sure though, "Harry and Tonto" is one of those rare movies that always seems to stand the test of time. 4.5 out of 5 stars.