The Trouble with Harry

1955
PG
1h 39m

IMDb RATING

7.0/10

43K

YOUR RATING

Shirley MacLaine, John Forsythe, and Edmund Gwenn in The Trouble with Harry (1955)

Play trailer2:27

1 Video

99+ Photos

Dark Comedy Whodunnit Comedy Mystery

Harry's dead and, while no one really minds, everyone feels responsible. After Harry's body is found in the woods, several locals must determine not only how and why he was killed but what t... Read allHarry's dead and, while no one really minds, everyone feels responsible. After Harry's body is found in the woods, several locals must determine not only how and why he was killed but what to do with the body.Harry's dead and, while no one really minds, everyone feels responsible. After Harry's body is found in the woods, several locals must determine not only how and why he was killed but what to do with the body.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.0/10

43K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Nominated for 2 BAFTA Awards
- 1 win & 4 nominations total

Videos1

Trailer 2:27

Official Trailer

Photos197

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
This movie was Sir Alfred Hitchcock's experiment to see how audiences would react to a non-star-driven movie. He was of the opinion that oftentimes having a big star attached hindered the narrative flow and style of the story. He also developed the movie to test how American audiences would react to a more subtle brand of black humor than they were used to.

Goofs
When Miss Graveley visits the Captain, we see a case of nautical flags on the wall behind him, with a model ship perched on top. But in the final shot of the scene as Miss Gravely is leaving, the ship is gone.

Quotes
Miss Graveley: How old do you think I am young man?
Sam Marlowe: Hmm... fifty. How old do you think you are?
Miss Graveley: Forty-two! I can show you my birth certificate.
Sam Marlowe: I'm afraid you're going to have to show more than your birth certificate to convince a man of that.

Crazy credits
Closing credits: "The trouble with Harry is over."

Alternate versions
In a version seen on commercial television in the UK, several scenes and parts of scenes were cut. Most noticeable was the removal of the scene in which Sam, the artist played by John Forsythe, walks through the village in long shot singing "Flaggin' the Train to Tuscaloosa" (still present in the titles). Also, the doctor's brief appearances up to his final discovery of the body were cut, making Sam's prior inclusion of his name in the list of people who could go to the police rather confusing! This also meant the 'famous' shot used on the posters of Sam and the Captain each holding one of Harry's legs was cut.

Connections
Featured in The Trouble with Harry Isn't Over (2001)

Soundtracks
Flaggin' the Train to Tuscaloosa
Lyric by Mack David
Music by Raymond Scott
Sung by Ray McKinley & Orchestra

User reviews219

Featured review

Better than I expected

When I read the box at the video store, I thought it sounded a little silly, but since it was directed buy Hitchcock, I decided to give it a try. I was glad I did!

This film does a good job at showing what life is like (in a twisted way) in a small American town. Of course the whole thing is a black comedy about a corpse, but it's great fun, and suspenseful too, especially when Calvin is in the room, questioning everybody. I didn't understand why the door kept opening, but maybe it was just a joke - normally the door would signal a killer entering or something like that - but the door is never any cause for alarm.

All the actors are good, especially Gwenn, and Mrs. Gravely was so endearing. Don't ignore this lesser known Hitchcock movie. It's a treat to watch and is genuinely funny.