The Trouble with Harry (1955)

Director:

Alfred Hitchcock

Writers:

John Michael Hayes (screenplay)
Jack Trevor Story (novel)

Release Date:

3 October 1955 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

A comedy about a corpse.

Plot:

The trouble with Harry is that he's dead, and everyone seems to have a different idea of what needs to be done with his body...

Plot Keywords:

Suspect | Artist | Vermont | Unnecessary Shame | Hobo

Awards:

Nominated for 2 BAFTA Film Awards. Another 2 nominations

Cast

Edmund Gwenn	...	Capt. Albert Wiles
John Forsythe	...	Sam Marlowe
Mildred Natwick	...	Miss Ivy Gravely
Mildred Dunnock	...	Mrs. Wiggs
Jerry Mathers	...	Arnie Rogers
Royal Dano	...	Deputy Sheriff Calvin Wiggs
Parker Fennelly	...	Millionaire
Barry Macollum	...	Tramp
Dwight Marfield	...	Dr. Greenbow
Shirley MacLaine	...	Jennifer Rogers
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ernest Curt Bach	...	Ellis (uncredited)
Alfred Hitchcock	...	Man Walking Past Sam's Outdoor Exhibition (uncredited)
Philip Truex	...	Harry Worp (uncredited)
Leslie Woolf	...	Art Critic from the Modern Museum (uncredited)

Directed by
Alfred Hitchcock

Writing credits
John Michael Hayes		(screenplay)
Jack Trevor Story		(novel)

Produced by
Herbert Coleman	....	associate producer
Alfred Hitchcock	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Bernard Herrmann		(music score by)

Cinematography by
Robert Burks

Film Editing by
Alma Macrorie

Casting by
Bert McKay

Art Direction by
John B. Goodman		(as John Goodman)
Hal Pereira

Set Decoration by
Sam Comer
Emile Kuri

Costume Design by
Edith Head

Makeup Department
Wally Westmore	....	makeup supervisor

Production Management
Hugh Brown	....	assistant production manager
Frank Caffey	....	production manager (uncredited)
C.O. Erickson	....	unit production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Howard Joslin	....	assistant director
Bernard Wiesen	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
William Crider	....	nurseryman (uncredited)
Ed Goldstein	....	leadman (uncredited)
Gene Lauritzen	....	construction coordinator (uncredited)
Dominic Mautino	....	painter (uncredited)
Robert McCrillis	....	prop master (uncredited)
Fred Simpfenderfer	....	nurseryman (uncredited)

Sound Department
Winston H. Leverett	....	sound recordist (as Winston Leverett)
Harold Lewis	....	sound recordist
Jim Miller	....	sound (uncredited)
Ad Tice	....	sound (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
John P. Fulton	....	special photographic effects
Scott Dougherty	....	digital restoration producer: Cinesite (uncredited)
Jerry Pooler	....	digital restoration supervisor (uncredited)
Tiffany Smith	....	digital restoration coordinator: Cinesite (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Bill Avery	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Gordon Fleming	....	grip (uncredited)
James Grant	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Bobby Greene	....	first assistant camera (uncredited)
Norbert Haring	....	grip (uncredited)
Warren Hoag	....	electrician (uncredited)
Hayden Hohstadt	....	grip (uncredited)
Vic Jones	....	gaffer (uncredited)
Lon Massey	....	electrician (uncredited)
John Nostri	....	grip (uncredited)
William Schurr	....	second camera (uncredited)
Frank Serjack	....	still photographer (uncredited)
George Sherman	....	grip (uncredited)
Jack Sherman	....	electrician (uncredited)
Fred Sigle	....	camera mechanic (uncredited)
Leonard J. South	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Walt Taylor	....	best boy (uncredited)
Darrell Turnmire	....	company grip (uncredited)
Paul Whitson	....	generator operator (uncredited)

Casting Department
Olive Long	....	casting secretary (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Ed Fitzharris	....	wardrobe (uncredited)
Joan Joseff	....	costume jeweller (uncredited)

Other crew
Richard Mueller	....	technicolor color consultant
Dorothy Yutzi	....	script clerk
Saul Steinberg	....	title illustrator (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Alfred J. Hitchcock Productions
• Paramount Pictures

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1955) (USA) (theatrical)
• Les Films Paramount (1956) (France) (theatrical)
• Paramount (1956) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Paramount Pictures (1963) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1967) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Universal Pictures (1984) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• MCA Home Video (1985) (USA) (VHS)
• Universal Pictures (1999) (Germany) (VHS)
• Universal Home Video (2001) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures (2001) (Germany) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures (2001) (Germany) (VHS)
• Paramount-Films (1956) (Finland) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1984) (Finland) (theatrical)
• CIC Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Esselte Video (1980s) (Finland) (VHS)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (????) (USA) (VHS) (199?)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (1989) (Finland) (TV)
• Universal Pictures Finland Oy (2001) (Finland) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Finland Oy (2002) (Finland) (DVD) (7-disc Hitchcock Collection Box 1)
• Universal Studios Home Video (2001) (Canada) (DVD)
• Universal Studios Home Video (2006) (Canada) (DVD)
• Universal Studios Home Video (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Studios Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1995) (1997) (2002) (2004) (Finland) (TV)

Other Companies

• International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE)  this picture made under the jurisdiction of (as I.A.T.S.E.)

Also Known As:

"Mais qui a tué Harry?" - Belgium (French title), Canada (French title), France
"El tercer tiro" - Argentina, Mexico (imdb display title)
"O Terceiro Tiro" - Brazil, Portugal
"¿Quién mató a Harry?" - Argentina (video title)
"Bajok Harryvel" - Hungary (imdb display title)
"Herrie om Harry" - Netherlands (informal literal title)
"Hvem har dræbt Harry?" - Denmark
"Immer Ärger mit Harry" - West Germany
"Klopoty z Harrym" - Poland (imdb display title)
"La congiura degli innocenti" - Italy
"Maar wie heeft Harry gedood?" - Belgium (Flemish title)
"Men ... hvem myrdet Harry?" - Norway (imdb display title)
"Men ... vem mördade Harry?" - Finland (Swedish title) (imdb display title)
"Men vem mördade Harry?" - Finland (Swedish title) (imdb display title)
"Mutta kuka murhasi Harryn" - Finland (imdb display title)
"Mutta kuka murhasi Harryn?" - Finland (imdb display title)
"Mutta... kuka murhasi Harryn?" - Finland
"Nevolje s Harryjem" - Croatia (DVD title)
"Pero... ¿quién mató a Harry?" - Spain
"Poios skotose ton Harry" - Greece (transliterated ISO-LATIN-1 title)
"Ugglor i mossen" - Sweden

Runtime:

99 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.50 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Portugal:M/12 | Spain:13 | Brazil:12 | USA:Approved (certificate no. 17335) | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Chile:14 | Finland:K-12 | Ireland:PG | Peru:14 | UK:PG | USA:PG | West Germany:12 | Canada:PG

Filming Locations:

Barre, Vermont, USA

Company:

Alfred J. Hitchcock Productions

Trivia:

Alfred Hitchcock insisted on using a real actor for the body of Harry. He chose Philip Truex.

Goofs:

Incorrectly regarded as goofs: After he draws Harry's feet, Sam puts the paper block under his left arm with the beginning of his sketch barely visable (This might be caused by the lighting). In the next shot as Sam is leaning over Harry's body the charcoal on Sam's sketch is darker and more complete.

Quotes:

Capt. Wiles:[after Dr. Greenbow trips over the body] Couldn't have had more people here if I'd sold tickets.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Twice in a Lifetime: The Trouble with Harry (#1.21)" (2000)

Soundtrack:

Flaggin' the Train to Tuscaloosa

An absolute gem, one of the few 10's I've ever given!!!

This movie is fantastic. I don't think anyone except Hitchcock could have made such humour out of a dead body. Shirley MacLaine (in her first role) is delightful and Edmond Gwenn perfect. You'll see a young Jerry Mathers pre-dating Leave it to Beaver by a few years. Don't miss this little gem, it's as funny today as it was in 1955 and I suspect for a long time to come.