Frank Fay originated the role of Elwood P. Dowd on Broadway.

Whenever fans stopped Jimmy Stewart on the street following the success of Harvey and asked if Harvey was with him, Stewart always replied, "No. Harvey has a cold and he decided to stay home."

Jimmy Stewart often told the story about how when he was performing in Harvey on stage, there would always be at least one child there who would ask loudly during a performance, "Where's the rabbit?"

In the film version, Harvey is said to be 6' 3 " tall, but in the stage version Harvey's height was changed to 6' 8 " in order to be more of a contrast to Stewart's height, which was a very tall 6' 3".

At Stewart's suggestion, many of the shots are shot wide enough to allow space for the imaginary Harvey.

Famous Quotes from HARVEY

"Here, let me give you one of my cards. Now if you should want to call me, use this number. This other one is the old number." – Elwood P. Dowd (James Stewart).

"Well, I've wrestled with reality for 35 years, Doctor, and I'm happy to state I finally won out over it." – Elwood P. Dowd to Dr. Sanderson (Charles Drake).

"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." – Elwood P. Dowd.

"Myrtle Mae, you have a lot to learn, and I hope you never learn it." – Veta Louise Simmons (Josephine Hull) to her daughter, Myrtle Mae (Victoria Horne).

"Harvey and I sit in the bars... have a drink or two... play the jukebox. And soon the faces of all the other people they turn toward mine and they smile. And they're saying, 'We don't know your name, mister, but you're a very nice fella.' Harvey and I warm ourselves in all these golden moments. We've entered as strangers - soon we have friends. And they come over... and they sit with us... and they drink with us... and they talk to us. They tell about the big terrible things they've done and the big wonderful things they'll do. Their hopes, and their regrets, and their loves, and their hates. All very large, because nobody ever brings anything small into a bar. And then I introduce them to Harvey... and he's bigger and grander than anything they offer me. And when they leave, they leave impressed." – Elwood P. Dowd.

"I took a course in art last winter. I learned the difference between a fine oil painting and a mechanical thing, like a photograph. The photograph shows only the reality. The painting shows not only the reality, but the dream behind it. It's our dreams, doctor, that carry us on. They separate us from the beasts." – Veta Louise Simmons.

"Oh, mother, people get run over by trucks every day. Why can't something like that happen to Uncle Elwood?" – Myrtle Mae Simmons.

"It may be ridiculous, but I'm gonna miss every one of the psychos, and the neuros, and the schizos in the place." – Dr. Sanderson (Charles Drake).

"Miss Kelly, you make this flower look beautiful." – Elwood P. Dowd to Miss Kelly (Peggy Dow).

Compiled by Andrea Passafiume