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Harvey (Henry Koster, 1950)
Elwood (James Stewart) keeps embarrassing his family by drinking and talking about his six-foot-three-and-a-half-inch invisible pooka friend Harvey, so his sister (Oscar-winner Josephine Hull) plans to commit him to an insane asylum, but this causes a series of mistaken events for everybody. Harvey is really quite funny, but you see, Elwood P. Dowd isn't really "funny". He's probably the perfect person to have as a best friend, a father figure or a confidante though because, even though he drinks a lot and "may" see things, he has just about the strongest grip on being a kind human being as anyone we've ever seen in our times. Elwood would never hurt anybody and always thinks the best of people, and even if that seems awfully naive, in a perfect world, it would pass for what's expected of everybody. No hatred, greed, violence, wars, etc. Just a lot of open, happy people getting together for the enjoyment of doing so. That's why Harvey is a classic, even if it's a tad dated. The sanest man in the world is seen as insane. This world would do well to take some lessions from Elwood and his friendly pooka Harvey.
"Years ago my mother used to say to me, she'd say, "In this world, Elwood, you must be" - she always called me Elwood - "In this world, Elwood, you must be oh so smart or oh so pleasant." Well, for years I was smart. I recommend pleasant. You may quote me."
"Harvey and I sit in the bars... have a drink or two... play the juke box. And soon the faces of all the other people they turn toward mine and they smile. And they're saying, "We don't know your name, mister, but you're a very nice fella." Harvey and I warm ourselves in all these golden moments. We've entered as strangers - soon we have friends. And they come over... and they sit with us... and they drink with us... and they talk to us. They tell about the big terrible things they've done and the big wonderful things they'll do. Their hopes, and their regrets, and their loves, and their hates. All very large, because nobody ever brings anything small into a bar. And then I introduce them to Harvey... and he's bigger and grander than anything they offer me. And when they leave, they leave impressed. The same people seldom come back; but that's envy, my dear. There's a little bit of envy in the best of us." - Elwood P. Dowd
Elwood (James Stewart) keeps embarrassing his family by drinking and talking about his six-foot-three-and-a-half-inch invisible pooka friend Harvey, so his sister (Oscar-winner Josephine Hull) plans to commit him to an insane asylum, but this causes a series of mistaken events for everybody. Harvey is really quite funny, but you see, Elwood P. Dowd isn't really "funny". He's probably the perfect person to have as a best friend, a father figure or a confidante though because, even though he drinks a lot and "may" see things, he has just about the strongest grip on being a kind human being as anyone we've ever seen in our times. Elwood would never hurt anybody and always thinks the best of people, and even if that seems awfully naive, in a perfect world, it would pass for what's expected of everybody. No hatred, greed, violence, wars, etc. Just a lot of open, happy people getting together for the enjoyment of doing so. That's why Harvey is a classic, even if it's a tad dated. The sanest man in the world is seen as insane. This world would do well to take some lessions from Elwood and his friendly pooka Harvey.
"Years ago my mother used to say to me, she'd say, "In this world, Elwood, you must be" - she always called me Elwood - "In this world, Elwood, you must be oh so smart or oh so pleasant." Well, for years I was smart. I recommend pleasant. You may quote me."
"Harvey and I sit in the bars... have a drink or two... play the juke box. And soon the faces of all the other people they turn toward mine and they smile. And they're saying, "We don't know your name, mister, but you're a very nice fella." Harvey and I warm ourselves in all these golden moments. We've entered as strangers - soon we have friends. And they come over... and they sit with us... and they drink with us... and they talk to us. They tell about the big terrible things they've done and the big wonderful things they'll do. Their hopes, and their regrets, and their loves, and their hates. All very large, because nobody ever brings anything small into a bar. And then I introduce them to Harvey... and he's bigger and grander than anything they offer me. And when they leave, they leave impressed. The same people seldom come back; but that's envy, my dear. There's a little bit of envy in the best of us." - Elwood P. Dowd