The Trouble with Harry

Hitchcock's comedic charms shine in this delightful story about a corpse that just won't stay buried.

A lighter film for Hitchcock but with a wonderfully sewn narrative and some good performances.

A tongue-in-cheek nod to gumshoes Sam Spade and Philip Marlowe.

A curious comedy that neither looks back at Rear Window nor ahead to Vertigo, but rather exists in some goofy space all its own. It’s as if Hitchcock went on vacation, but kept working.

This is a blithe little comedy, produced and directed with affection by Alfred Hitchcock, about a bothersome corpse that just can't stay buried.

It is not a particularly witty or clever script that John Michael Hayes has put together from a novel by Jack Trevor Story, nor does Mr. Hitchcock's direction make it spin. The pace is leisurely, almost sluggish, and the humor frequently is strained. But it does possess mild and mellow merriment all along the way.

Hitchcock is reluctant to follow the subversive premises of the story through to their outrageous logical conclusion; the dialogue's sexual innuendoes now seem coy and awkward; the male leads are wooden; the ending too complacent; and the discreet style stranded by that dreaded British restraint so dear to the director.

Not a disappointing film by any means from the big Al, but 'Harry's' main problem is a slow pace and the plot itself which is easily one of the silliest the famed suspense director has ever tackled. Of course, that silliness is punctuated with the dark humour Hitchcock has always enjoyed flirting with in his pictures. The film has its many funny moments as well as memorable characters, many of whom have remained funny after all these decades. Watch the film with light intent and you'll be in for a demented sweet treat with some gorgeous cinematography to boot!