A whimsical man is thought to be insane due to his insistence that he is best friends with an invisible, humanoid rabbit, but he may be wiser than anyone knows.A whimsical man is thought to be insane due to his insistence that he is best friends with an invisible, humanoid rabbit, but he may be wiser than anyone knows.A whimsical man is thought to be insane due to his insistence that he is best friends with an invisible, humanoid rabbit, but he may be wiser than anyone knows.
- Won 1 Oscar
- 5 wins & 4 nominations total
- Judge Omar Gaffney
- (as William Lynn)
- Eccentric Man
- (scenes deleted)
- Undetermined Secondary Role
- (scenes deleted)
- Mrs. McGiff
- (scenes deleted)
- Man in Car
- (scenes deleted)
- Party Guest
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaJames Stewart later declared in an interview that Josephine Hull had the most difficult role in the film, since she had to believe and not believe in the invisible rabbit ... at the same time.
- GoofsIn the daytime scenes at Chumley's Rest, shadows are seen of the actors and props that clearly go against the dominant natural light.
- Quotes
Elwood P. Dowd: Years ago my mother used to say to me, she'd say, "In this world, Elwood, you must be" - she always called me Elwood - "In this world, Elwood, you must be oh so smart or oh so pleasant." Well, for years I was smart. I recommend pleasant. You may quote me.
- Crazy creditsAt the very end Harvey opens a door and the words at the bottom of the screen say "Harvey as Himself."
- ConnectionsFeatured in AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to James Stewart (1980)
I'm not sure if these next comments will throw a lot of people off, but I wonder about the controversial nature of the story as well, particularly for a movie made in the 1950's. I mean, after all, this is a movie that does touch on topics of alcoholism, mental illness, spirits, Celtic mythology, and magic. C'mon, we live in a society where Harry Potter cannot exist without receiving a light pounding.
I was also impressed with the development of the Elwood P. Dowd character as portrayed by James Stewart. I just love how the movie shows how he touches the lives of everyone around him. In an age of cinema where supporting characters are immediately cast off after being introduced, I don't think there is a single supporting actor whose character is not developed in this film. I particularly liked the relationship between the doctor and Elwood. I can honestly say that Elwood P. Dowd is one of the most memorable characters I have come across in film along with Molly the Gangster in Charley Varrick and Hal the Computer in 2001: A Space Odyssey.
I also think this movie does an excellent job highlighting those who do represent the salt of the earth in our society, even if they do exhibit behavior that is outside social norms. This is a very good film. See it with a pooka!
- Preston-10
- Sep 18, 2001
- Permalink
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- Mein Freund Harvey
- Filming locations
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour 44 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1