THE TROUBLE WITH HARRY

US, 1955, 94 minutes, Colour.
Edmund Gwenn, John Forsythe, Shirley Mac Laine, Mildred Natwick, Mildred Dunnock.
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock.

The Trouble With Harry is Hitchcock with the light touch. This favourite film of Hitchcock's was seen as an exception to the general style of film that Hitchcock made during the '50s ? starting with such thrillers as Strangers on a Train and ending with Vertigo, North by Northwest and Psycho. However, the screenplay is by John Michael Hayes (To Catch a Thief, The Man Who Knew Too Much, Rear Window).

The film has a lighter score by Bernard Hermann, who regularly wrote for Hitchcock at this time. It has beautiful Vermont autumn scenery and colours. It also has an eccentric cast led by Edmund Gwenn and including Shirley Mac Laine in her first film. The story is slight, even just a black joke. However, Hitchcock creates characters, maintains suspense and creates a humorous, even delightful black atmosphere until Harry is finally buried.

This was one of the 'lost' Hitchcock's, not seen for several decades until its re-release in the mid-'80s.

1. An enjoyable Hitchcock film? The effect of its being 'lost' for several decades? A Hitchcock favourite? Comedy? Black and frivolous?

2. The screenwriting of John Michael Hayes: crime, the light touch, humorous and witty dialogue, the black tone, irony, the discreet '50s sexual innuendo?

3. Hitchcock's interest in the story? Crime and suspense, responsibility, guilt, police and expectations of their behaviour? The humour of people disowning the dead body and their guilt? Wry comedy?

4. The beauty of the setting: Vermont and the autumn woods, leaves? The mood? The fact of the hero being a painter capturing this atmosphere? The small Vermont town, its atmosphere, people knowing each other, homes, shops, the police?

5. The title and its enjoyable tone? The trouble with Harry, that he is dead? And not buried? or buried several times? He's being found in the woods, the corpse, the variety of reactions, the variety of stories, the various senses of guilt and responsibility? The various reasons for burying him, for digging him up? The sketch? The truth and the irony ? of his dying of natural causes? People starting again? The end ? and the trouble with Harry being definitely over?

6. Hitchcock's use of comic modes, insight into character, the black humour of murder, insight into people's motivations, frustrations and angers, fears and self-deceptions? Selfishness, self protection? The confrontation with the police, law? Fear and bother? Respect and disrespect to the dead? Surface attitudes? The wit of the dialogue?

7. The Captain and his background, tugs, out in the woods, blaming himself, hiding, seeing Miss Gravely, the date, watching the crowd, relationship with Sam, the decisions, his reasons, the visit? Attitude towards Jennifer? Miss Gravely confessing? Having to cope? The burials ? and his laziness? A gallant man? The paintings sold, Davy Crockett, stealing back the shoes? Edmund Gwenn's genial portrait of an old man?

8. Miss Gravely and Mildred Natwick's skill in presenting the spinster, her attitudes, buying the cup, the hair-do, receiving the Captain and the humour about dating and people calling on one another? The truth, her reaction, conscience, decisions, her participation in thr digging up? The greater consequences and her helping after telling the truth?

9. Sam: song, art, Mrs. Wiggs? His relationship with Jennifer, with Arnie? Painting, the portrait? The discussions with the Captain and the discovery of the truth? Seeing Jennifer's husband? The story about him? His motivation for joining in the burials and the digging up of Harry? The art exhibition. the sales. the gifts? Cleaning Harry. the bath sequence? Coping with Calvin Wiggs and his investigations? The proposal and the happy ending? Nice American hero?

10. Shirley MacLaine's Jennifer, her place in the town, her relationship with Harry, his being her husband, her reaction to his death? Her love for Arnie? Reactions, the lemonade, Sam, the story? Cleaning up Harry and the police visit with the corpse in the bath, Arnie and the rabbit and the frog? The muffins? Her happy ending with Sam?

11. Mrs. Wiggs and the town, pleasant, paintings, millionaire, Calvin and the cars, the interrogation?

12. The doctor and the fall?

13. The final ironies about the police, responsibility? That truth is better?