Harvey (1950)

I have seen a growing number of James Stewart's classics now and I still have a long way to go with many notable titles on my list but I don't think any of them will be quite like Harvey from 1950. It's not a film that receives a lot of attention today but is still regarded as a classic of his and one of Stewart's favourite performances of his own. By chance, it was on TV and so I hit record, intrigued to see what this was all about and it was quite the surprise.

Harvey is based on a 1944 play of the same name where this unassuming, perfectly normal man has a seemingly imaginary friend, also known as a púca, called Harvey. This friend happens to be a very tall white rabbit and it is starting to cause some friction amongst his friends and family who intend to get him professional help. It doesn't sound like a comedy but director Henry Koster finds a way to make this far more tasteful then you might expect.

What surprised me the most about Harvey is how this film is so unlike anything else from the time period when Hollywood was under strict censorship. This could be the premise for a psychological horror but Koster finds a way to craft this charming and innocent story into a highly entertaining film that runs for just over 90 minutes. And much of the credit for making this so enjoyable is due to Stewart's wholesome performance as Elwood P. Dowd, and Josephine Hull's highly strung turn in an Oscar winning role as his sister.

It is a bizarre premise but the play has endured the test of time and so has the film, which I can recommend for anyone not afraid of a black-and-white film or giant rabbits. I went in not knowing what to expect and came away pleasantly surprised, and hope you do too.