Customer Reviews

Harvey (Full Screen)

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I finally got a copy of harvey, this is jimmy stewart at his best. elwood p dowd (stewart) hangs around with a pooka a six foot rabbit, trouble is elwood is the only one who can see it, his sister veta louise decides to put elwood in a mental hospital resulting in hillarious results.If your a fan of jimmy stewart you must buy this d.v.d you wont regret it

"Well, I've wrestled with reality for 35 years, doctor, and I'm happy to state I finally won out over it." That cheerful comment sets the tone for "Harvey," a movie about a lovable guy whose way of dealing with the harshness of reality is simple: Make his own.

Veta Louise Simmons (Josephine Hull) hopes to arrange a wonderful marriage for daughter Myrtle May (Victoria Horne) in the upper echelons of society. There's one problem: her wealthy brother Elwood P. Dowd (James Stewart) has an imaginary pal, a six-foot-three rabbit called Harvey. After Elwood accidently wrecks a party by introducing Harvey to everyone, Veta decides to have him committed.

Unfortunately, when Veta takes Elwood to the sanatorium, the staff come to think that the fluttery socialite is crazy, and is trying to get her sunny brother out of the way. So they lock her up, and let him go. After that mistake is straightened out, the psychiatric staff and Elwood's long-suffering family try to find him.... and Harvey.

If we ever saw Elwood P. Dowd ("Here, let me give you one of my cards") in a car, the bumper sticker would probably say, "Reality is highly overrated." The big theme of the movie is that reality can be harsh, and that it's not necessarily a bad thing to lapse out of it into the fantasies of our own minds. If Elwood isn't dangerous and is otherwise normal, who cares if he has an imaginary friend?

Is Harvey real? The film leaves that up to our imaginations. And in the end, it doesn't matter if Harvey is a figment of Elwood's imagination, or a friendly spirit. It's the effect he has on Elwood that is important. His presence makes Elwood happy and relaxed, and Elwood makes others happy and relaxed -- even the hard-boiled head of the psychiatric ward, who lies down on his own couch and tells his secrets to Elwood.

This actually isn't too screwballish a comedy -- sure, there's the running joke where Elwood politely introduces Harvey to people he meets. And the scene where Veta is committed is hilarious. But it's more of a heartwarmer than a comedy, from Elwood softening the lead shrink to Myrtle May finding love with a lovable blue-collar worker from the sanatorium.

James Stewart gives a wonderfully dreamy performance, slightly smelling of booze and flowers -- his Elwood P. Dowd is mild-mannered, sweet, gallant, courteous, and oh-so-pleasant. And he's learned the value of just enjoying the little things in life, like a flower, a beer or a talk with a friend. And Josephine Hull brings up a brilliant performance as his frazzled sister, with several other good actors rounding off the supporting cast.

Who is crazier -- the happy man with the imaginary rabbit, or the people who want him to be 100% sane and less happy? You make the call. With a sweet, surreal story and a flawless cast "Harvey" is one of those rare movies that does an unspecifiable number on your heartstrings.

"Harvey" a play written by Mary Chase began its long run on Broadway in 1944 and won the Pultizer Prize for best original American play in the same year. Harvey ran for another 4 years for a total of 1775 appearances. In 1950 Universal Studios acquired the film rights for a whopping $750,000 and signed Jimmy Stewart as the fun loving inebriate Elwood P. Dowd wealthy aire to the Dowd estate.

Summary; Harvey is a whimsical story about a fun loving inebriate millionaire Elwood P. Dowd (Stewart - he is perfectly cast - in an Oscar Nomination Role for Best Actor) & his very large white invisible rabbit (6 foot 8 inches), Harvey. Through his eccentric behavior with his friend Harvey, aggravates & is a constant embarressment to his family, especially his sister Vera Louise (Josephine Hull - she came from the original Broadway cast - in an Oscar Winning performance - Best Supporting Actress). Vera tries everyway to have Elwood addmitted to a mental hospital. A wonderous journey & many funny turn of events occur. And how everyones lives are effected by this unusual pair.

The DVD is a Black & White Full Screen (before WideScreen) presentation. The video transfer is outstanding. The extras/bonus materials include a 1990 Jimmy Stewart "Special introduction with photographic montage", production notes, mini bios & trailer. A great family film. Enjoy.

I owe my introduction to Harvey, and Jimmy Stewart, to my dad who's turning 50 this winter. He wasn't even alive when this movie came out, but it's one of his all time favorites. I'm buying it for him for Christmas and I was so pleased to see that it had come out on DVD. This is such a heartwarming and hilarious film. It's definately one of my favorites.

It tells the story of a man named Elwood P. Dowd who loves to drink, but it doesn't affect his friendly personality. Meanwhile, his sister and niece find him an embarrassing nuicance who is standing in the way of his niece, Myrtle May's, introduction into high-class society. However, Elwood seems oblivious to their behavior towards him and never has anything but a kind word for anyone. Everyone outside his family seems to adore him and his family would love him too if it wasn't for his best friend. A best friend that no one can see. Except Elwood. A 6-foot-tall white rabbit named Harvey. As Elwood goes throughout his day, inviting bums from bars back to their fancy home for dinner, buying people he doesn't even know countless drinks, and giving them his card before introducing them to Harvey, his sister finally decides that that's the last straw and she decides to get rid of him. So she goes to a mental institution to begin the process of having him admitted. And that's where all their problems really begin...

This is a wonderful movie that my entire family makes a ritual of watching at least a couple times a year. My little sister who recently turned 8 right up to my parents adore it and laugh and cry with the characters. I hope you'll love it too.

Elwood P. Dowd's (James Stewart) best friend is an invisible 6-foot rabbit named Harvey with whom he likes to spend his time with in bars drinking. This is something most people in Elwood's hometown find disturbing so his sister attempts to put Elwood in a mental institution. However, Elwood is perfectly happy with his situation and with Harvey. Harvey is a story that depicts two sides, one pessimistic and one optimistic. The gloomy side presents problems such as alcoholism, isolation, and cynicism. However, these negative issues are presented through light comedy and Elwood's positive view of life, which is a result of his friend Harvey. This story offers a blissful journey, which presents moments of self-reflection and amusement.

True insight comes from within-and it doesn't hurt to have an oversized friend giving you some guidance. Just ask Elwood, an eccentric bon vivant who has just that- a seldom seen, but often heard ( through Stewart ), six-foot-plus Rabbit friend, named Harvey.

Some in town just don't get it, and others even want to lock Elwood and Harvey away, so that they are out of view. Our two protagonists take it all in stride and teach those around them about the value of seeing the good in everybody instead of the bad.

Elwood is having too much fun to let life get in the way. Timeless film about societal concern of keeping up one's image, over substance and true friendship. One of James Stewart's best screen performances.

I have been aware of "Harvey" for several years now, but had never actually seen it until I purchased this DVD. Of course with Jimmy Stewart in the lead role, my expectations were understandably high to begin with. I'm pleased to inform that this film doesn't fail to deliver. ****The film is based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning play of the same name. The play, written by Mary Chase ( who also helped with the screenplay), was written as a gift to help cheer a friend who lost a son in WW2. It translates wonderfully to the medium of film, largely due to the fact that most of the actors who appeared in the Broadway version were re-cast in their roles. Historically, this was not usually done in Hollywood. The film itself is "staged" very much like a play, with many long-shots, and is very engaging. ** Most surprising to me was the comedy. I expected it to be cute and charming, and as humorous as any 53 yr-old film could be. However this film isn't just a cutesy fairytale. I was very surprised and delighed with some of the situations and subject matter...HILARIOUS...some of which might have been considered a little bawdy back in 1950. This material has aged wonderfully. ** The cast is marvelous as well. Although Stewart felt that he portrayed his character a little too cute and dreamy, I found this to be one of his finest performances. He fills the cute and "crazy" character of Elwood P. Dowd with depth, wit, and more than a touch of pathos. And such was always the genious of Stewart...to have the ability to create a character that, no matter what, the world would welcome as a friend. He was a remarkable talent and has left a unfillable void with his passing. **Also remarkable is the performance of Josephine Hull who won the Academy Award for her role. I had never heard of nor seen her in anything before, so this was a real treat. Simply put, she is hilarious throughout the film. All in all, this is a highly enjoyable story that can certainly be enjoyed at face value, and/or can be used as a parable with a greater moral value.******About the DVD****** Although the film doesn't appear to have undergone a complete restoration as such before its transfer to DVD, whatever film elements were used for the transfer seem to be in great shape. For the most part, the picture is crisp with a good greyscale and minimal artifacts. The sound is 2 channel mono (2.0) and is adequate for a film of this age. As far as bonus material, while it would always be nice to have more, there are some fairly interesting production notes, and the cast bios. The best bonus however is a photo montage accompanied by a more recently recorded (1990) introduction by Jimmy Stewart. While it is informative, it's real value lies in just hearing Stewart speak, that familiar drawl...aged, yet still the voice of everyman. A Fabulous buy!

"Harvey" is the tale of elegant congenial gentleman, Elwood P. Dowd (James Stewart) whose best friend just happens to be a six foot, 3 inch white rabbit named Harvey. Naturally, Elwood's family thinks he's a few carrots shy of a salad. After thoroughly, but unintentionally humiliating his two spinster aunts, Veta (Josephine Hull) and Myrtle (Victoria Horne) at a social gathering, the two plot to secretly have Elwood committed to a sanitarium for psychiatric evaluation. However, upon visiting the sanitarium with Veta, Elwood meets Dr. Sanderson (Charles Drake) and the administering nurse, Miss Kelly (Peggy Dow) who mistake Veta for their patient and promptly usher her off to a padded cell, leaving Elwood free to roam the grounds, then plot as to how he can create the ideal environment for Miss Kelly and Dr. Sanderson to fall in love. Eventually the oversight is corrected and Elwood is ushered into the sanitarium for treatment. However, a reprieve comes when Dr. Chumley (Cecil Kellaway) realizes that Elwood is not crazy. You see, Harvey really does exist. He's an invisible spirit guide of sorts, presiding over those who need his services the most. This film is a delightful blend of comedy and drama and blessed with an inexplicable magic that makes the entire premise seem entirely plausible.
The transfer is stunning! The black and white DVD exhibits ideal picture quality. Blacks are black. The gray scale is superbly balanced. There's really nothing more to say about the transfer, other than it is simply one of the best you are likely to encounter of a vintage classic on the digital format. The audio is mono but nicely balanced. Extras include an introduction by James Stewart that is a bit on the long side but too short to be considered a documentary. You also get the film's theatrical trailer.

Elwood P. Dowd has always been one of my very favorite creations of the stage and screen. As James Stewart points out in the introduction to this classic film, he was also one of his.

You see, Elwood was a man of the world, with brains, personality, and friends- then he met Harvey. Of course, Harvey didn't really change any of this; Harvey just appeared at the moment Elwood really needed him. You see, Elwood had wrestled with "reality" for 35 years, and he was glad to say that he finally won out over it. Perhaps Harvey was his reward for winning out on it. Elwood had been "oh, so smart", and then he had been "oh, so pleasant"- and he came to find that he greatly recommended pleasant over smart. Perhaps this was why Harvey chose to watch out over him. In any case, Elwood spent the rest of his life visiting bars and taverns, taking the time to listen to all classes of people, inviting them home, taking their minds off of their troubles, introducing them to Harvey.... And Harvey is a very useful being to know, for as Elwood points out, he cannot only overcome Time and Space, but any objections.

What is Harvey you ask? Well, Harvey is a Pooka. A Pooka is a mischievous nature spirit known to be fond of rumpots, crackpots- and how are you Mr. ________?

I cannot think of another movie that shows the breadth of Stewart's acting ability. His portrayal of the gentle, but quietly confident alcoholic was far different than his roles as either a lanky do-gooder, or as a righteous man of principle.

Here is Stewart in a perfectly subtle statement on conformity in society and the penalty for those who either conform too much or not enough-and shows that they knew how to make satirical gems way back in the day! This movie is about rigid thinking and and it's effects, both good and bad. Hilarious, too!