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Whimsy is an extremely difficult quality to capture onscreen, but it's done quite adroitly in Harvey, the beguiling 1950 adaptation of Mary Chase's Pulitzer Prize-winning play. James Stewart, tackling a difficult role with aplomb, is positively enchanting as Elwood P. Dowd, the affable inebriate whose constant companion is -- according to him, anyway -- a six-foot-plus rabbit named Harvey. Elwood's intransigence on this point arouses the ire of his sister (Josephine Hull, reprising her Broadway role), who attempts to have him committed. Also reprising their stage characterizations are winsome Victoria Horne -- excellent as Elwood's timid niece -- and blustery Jesse White as an asylum attendant. Director Henry Koster (Flower Drum Song) guides his cast with a gentle hand, restraining them only when the script's flights of fancy threaten to undermine the film's effectiveness. He needn't have worried, though: Stewart's boundless charm and effortless trouping keep Harvey firmly on track, making it one of the era's most gentle, delightful movie comedies. Universal's remastered DVD release sports an introduction to the film by Stewart himself, along with production notes, cast and crew bios, and the original theatrical trailer. Ed Hulse

All Movie Guide

This whimsical fantasy about a local drunk's 6' 3 1/2" imaginary rabbit pal was a smash hit (and a Pulitzer Prize winner) on Broadway and was then adapted into this likeable farce that's also an allegory about tolerance. James Stewart stars as Elwood P. Dowd, a wealthy tippler whose sunny philosophy and inebriated antics are tolerated by most of the citizenry. That is, until Elwood begins claiming that he sees a "pooka" (a mischievous Irish spirit), which has taken the form of a man-sized bunny named Harvey. Although everyone is certain that Elwood has finally lost his mind, Harvey's presence begins to have magically positive effects on the townsfolk, with the exception of Elwood's own sister Veta (Josephine Hull), who, ironically, can also occasionally see Harvey. A snooty socialite, Veta is determined to marry off her daughter, Myrtle (Victoria Horne), to somebody equally respectable, and Elwood's lunacy is interfering. When Veta attempts to have Elwood committed to an insane asylum, however, the result is that she is accidentally admitted instead of her brother. Then the institution's director, Dr. Chumley (Cecil Kellaway), begins seeing Harvey, too. Hull, who reprised her part from the stage production, won an Oscar and a Golden Globe. Karl Williams

Product Details

• UPC: 025192033636
• Source: UNIVERSAL STUDIOS
• Region Code: 1
• Aspect Ratio: Pre-1954 Standard (1.33.1)
• Presentation: B&W, Pan & Scan
• Sound: Dolby Digital, monaural
• Language: English, Español
• Subtitles: English, Français
• Time: 1:45:00
• Sales Rank: 5,351

This DVD is also available as part of a box set:

• James Stewart - Hollywood Legends Collection

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