SYNOPSIS

Elwood P. Dowd (James Stewart) is a good-natured eccentric who is a regular fixture at his neighborhood tavern. He doesn't cause any real trouble, except for his insistence that his best friend is an invisible six-foot-tall rabbit named Harvey. Wherever Elwood goes, Harvey goes. Elwood lives with his high-strung sister Veta, who is desperately trying to find a suitable husband for her aging daughter, Myrtle Mae. When Elwood's behavior embarrasses her once too often, Veta tries to have him committed to an asylum.

Director: Henry Koster
Producer: John Beck
Screenplay: Mary Chase, Oscar Brodney
Based on the play Harvey by Mary Chase
Cinematography: William Daniels
Editing: Ralph Dawson
Art Direction: Bernard Herzbrun, Nathan Juran
Music: Frank Skinner
Cast: James Steward (Elwood P. Dowd), Josephine Hull (Veta Louise Simmons), Peggy Dow (Miss Kelly), Charles Drake (Dr. Sanderson), Cecil Kellaway (Dr. Chumley), Victoria Horne (Myrtle Mae Simmons), Jesse White (Wilson), William Lynn (Judge Gaffney), Wallace Ford (The Taxi Driver), Nana Bryant (Mrs. Hazel Chumley), Grace Mills (Mrs. Ethel Chauvenet), Clem Bevans (Mr. Herman Schimmelplusser).
BW-104m.

Why HARVEY is Essential

Writer Mary Chase won the Pulitzer Prize for her play Harvey, and adapted it for the screen. The result is the ideal model of a successful stage to film visualization.

Jimmy Stewart's performance as Elwood P. Dowd earned him an Academy Award nomination and became one of the most beloved roles of his career.

Josephine Hull's performance as Stewart's put-upon sister - a role she originated on Broadway - won her the Academy Award as Best Supporting Actress.

Seeing the film Harvey is about as close as you can come to seeing a production of the long-running original Broadway play. It is a rare example of Hollywood hiring almost everyone from the original stage version to reprise their roles in the film.

by Andrea Passafiume