Henry Koster’s Harvey, starring James Stewart, is a charming work that blends physical comedy with poignant, moving lines, adding a bittersweet tinge to a film so uniquely eccentric.
“In this world…you must be oh so smart or oh so pleasant. Well, for years, I was smart. I recommend pleasant”
Now 75 years old, Harvey, directed by Henry Koster, is a James Stewart film that is often overlooked compared to his exceptional range of performances. When you have the gravitas of three Hitchcock thrillers and an Oscar for The Philadelphia Story under your belt, a comedy about an imaginary rabbit is likely to remain lesser-known. Yet this picture deserves discussion for its warmth and its lessons in kindness.
Adapted from Mary Chase’s play of the same name, which won a Pulitzer Prize in 1945, Harvey follows sweet, unassuming drunkard Elwood P. Dowd (Stewart), whose friendship with Harvey, the 6-foot-3 rabbit that only he can see, puts stress on his highly strung family. In their attempts to get him institutionalised, a comedy of errors ensues, and a reflection on sincerity and the possibility of enchantment emerges from the chaos, as one begins to question whether Harvey is merely imaginary or something much more important.
Despite the awards won by Josephine Hull for her performance as Elwood’s nervous older sister (an Oscar and a Golden Globe for supporting actress), it feels as though the film, which reached its milestone anniversary last December, deserves more recognition. Especially in a cultural moment when sincerity often feels undervalued, and it seems harder and harder to cling to any sense of wonder.
Elwood’s gentle kindness and affectionate sincerity are so rare that they only strengthen the case for his sectioning in the eyes of his family and friends. His pleasant nature and his open fondness for something (or someone) less concrete do not fit in a world so cynical and hardened, a world that tries to suppress his childlike wonder and affability. But the attempts to suppress him fail, as both his kindness and Harvey’s enduring presence see an ending that restores faith in the goodness of people.
Three-quarters of a century later, and the world feels even colder. As it becomes so much easier to withdraw and detach from one another, Elwood’s openness and sincerity feel even more unique and poignant, as does his belief in goodness. The melancholic pangs that come with being pure at heart resonate deeply today, in a world filled with cynicism, and it feels as though the film rekindles a sense of imagination in both its audience and the characters surrounding Elwood and Harvey.
There is no particular stylistic quality to the film, as it favours story, delivery and the complexity of its characters above a particular formal direction. It often depicts spaces that allow for the movement and expression required by its farcical, mishap-driven comedy. Still, for all its whimsy and fantastical elements, Henry Koster chooses to depict reality, foregrounding the uniqueness of a man like Elwood in a world so plain and lacklustre.
Koster’s decision to leave the rabbit unseen, apart from a painted portrait of the two friends commissioned by Dowd, works well to keep the viewer between the worlds of seeing and believing. After watching the film a few times, you almost begin to see the rabbit, too, as you warm to Elwood’s view of the world.
Harvey is a charming work that blends physical comedy with poignant, moving lines, adding a bittersweet tinge to a film so uniquely eccentric. The screenplay, developed by Mary Chase herself, drives home the value of compassion and the importance of choosing to see the world with openness rather than realism. The eloquent remarks that Elwood delivers do not suggest a naivety that could easily come across in his whimsy and kindness. Rather, they help to portray him as a man who has seen so much of reality that he chooses to reject it; “Well, I’ve wrestled with reality for 35 years, Doctor, and I’m happy to state I finally won out over it.” In Stewart’s portrayal, there is restraint to Elwood’s demeanour, creating a thoughtful and wise character that cannot be mistaken for a fool, despite his tall, invisible rabbit friend.
This complexity allows the picture to rise above the level of a silly comedy about a lovable drunkard. Even with its comedic qualities, which still stand the test of time, it reconnects you with the childlike wonder and whimsical warmth that can exist in the world, momentarily breaking you free from society’s prevailing indifference.
Harvey’s not only a film worth watching, but it’s a film worth watching again and again, each time reminding you of the need to look beyond reality and to remain kind in a world that can be suppressive and harsh.
Harvey is available to stream now on Channel 4.
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