The Trouble With Harry [PG]

What is the trouble with Harry? Well, it’s the fact that he’s dead and, although each person he encounters doesn’t seem to mind, each one feels somewhat responsible for his death. Soon, Harry causes complications for everyone, as each person who meets his corpse goes to some lengths to cover up what they think they’ve done to him. 

Alfred Hitchcock is famously known as the “Master of Suspense”, but The Trouble With Harry has to be one of his most deviously funny and grimly heart-warming accomplishments. Filled with drama, comedy, romance, and a corpse, The Trouble With Harry is a really wonderful film that cunningly balances the fine line of dark humour. 

What is the trouble with Harry? Well, it’s the fact that he’s dead and, although each person he encounters doesn’t really seem to mind, each one feels somewhat responsible for his death. Soon, Harry is causing numerous complications for every person he meets, as each one goes to some lengths to cover up what they think they’ve done to him. 

Usually, with an Alfred Hitchcock movie, when it’s over you’re left sitting there staring at the screen with wide eyes, a shiver running up you spine, and your stomach falling over itself as your mind tries to make sense of what you just saw and battle with your primal human instinct simultaneously. At the end of The Trouble With Harry, I was left with a feeling of closure, cosiness, a huge smile on my face, and a laugh in my voice. 

This movie is the perfect example of dark humour, without it getting crude or violent. When you really think about it, The Trouble With Harry was a fantastic form of irony, as the film’s central complications are caused by a dead man. It’s rather grim, but really, really funny, and a wonderful example of what clever writing can achieve. 

Watching this movie is like having numerous turns on a merry-go-round. I know that sounds weird, but let me explain. Each time you get on, you get on a different horse, and although it’s really the same experience as the last time, you feel that there is something different about it this time around. The Trouble With Harry was rather like that, as it was essentially made up of people thinking they’ve killed Harry, then realising that they haven’t, and then being in the same position when they think one of their friends killed Harry. It’s a delightful merry-go-round of death! Fantastic! 

With very funny performances from Edmund Gwenn, John Forsythe, Mildred Natwick, Mildred Dunnock, Jerry Mathers, Royal Dano, and Shirley MacLaine, The Trouble With Harry was a brilliant movie that was filled with comedy, drama, guilt, romance, and a corpse. It was light, it was clever, it was dark, and it was very, very funny. Readers, watch this film!