edwagreen Nothing could save this awful 1955 film, even the all-star cast. Go know that the two Mildred's-Dunnock and Natwick would appear in the same picture and still have such a dud in the offering. These 2 veteran crones of films actually look pretty young for 1955, but the idea that a man would come after Natwick in a physical manner causing her to hit him over the head with a shoe is far-fetched. Dunnock is spared because she appears briefly in the film as a grocery store owner whose son ins the deputy sheriff and quite suspicious of what is going on.Edmund Gwenn is the old sea-captain who thinks he has killed Harry by accident. Natwick sets him straight and Shirley MacLaine plays the woman who married Harry after his brother was killed. MacLaine reminded me here in far better films-"Some Came Running," and "The Apartment."It takes a doctor to straighten out what really happened to Harry, but the trouble is not with him but with rather ridiculous writing.

JohnHowardReid NOTES: The film's original reception from both critics and public was lukewarm at best. Although originally advertised as being photographed in VistaVision, this credit has been removed from current (2016) prints. I have a still of Hitch directing a studio interior in which a VistaVision camera is obviously employed, but I must admit my doubts as to such a heavy piece of equipment being dragged all over the beautiful backwoods of Vermont.COMMENT: I enjoyed the film, yes, but it's by no means the height of humorous originality that its fans claim. The idea of a missing, waylaid or bothersome corpse is a standard gimmick in literature. Alec Coppel, in fact, has used this stratagem at least twice: — in his novel, "Mr. Denning Drives North" (filmed in 1951) and in his Broadway stage play, "The Gazebo" (filmed in 1959 with Glenn Ford and Debbie Reynolds). "The Gazebo" has surfaced quite a few times on television, and so has "Mr. Denning..." Both were extremely popular films in their day. So it's no wonder "The Trouble with Harry" was not the super- duper success its makers intended. The total lack of star power didn't help at the time either. (Whilst she has a major role, this was Shirley MacLaine's debut film). On the other hand, the picture is beautifully photographed on wondrously autumnal locations and has so much inherently whimsical and oddball appeal, its visual delights tend to stay in the memory. It's the sort of film that provides such captivating scenery and such mildly memorable characterizations, it can be viewed with pleasure again and again.

Python Hyena The Trouble With Harry (1955) Dir: Alfred Hitchcock / Cast: John Forsythe, Shirley MacLaine, Edmund Gwenn, Mildred Natwick, Royal Dano: The trouble with Harry is established early. He is dead and everyone who comes in contact with the body in the meadow believes that they are the prime suspect. Edmund Gwenn plays Captain Albert Wiles who comes across the body and believes he accidentally shot him while hunting. John Forsythe plays Sam Marlowe, an artist who assists Wiles in the several times they buried the body. Sam is romancing Jennifer Rogers, played by Shirley MacLaine whose husband is Harry and she seems disinterested in his death because she believes that she is responsible. Mildred Natwick plays Ivey Gravely who believes that she caused his death when she was attacked by him and she hit him over the head with her hiking boot. Royal Dano plays the Deputy Sheriff who shows up periodically while everyone is moving Harry about just out of sight. Director Alfred Hitchcock has fun with the humour and mystery surrounding Harry's death but the third act seems in very poor taste particularly when a cop pays a house visit when Harry's body is in a bathtub. The characters have likable qualities as played by an engaging cast but can anyone be this unlikable after death? The trouble with Harry is that he is never alive on camera for his version of the story to be told. Score: 7 / 10

jc-osms Hitchcock's only previous attempt at a Hollywood comedy was the unexceptional "Mr and Mrs Smith" in the early 40's and even that came from a studio assignment rather than an original motivation. Here, with the engagement of Hitchcock at the height of his powers, you might guess this one plays a bit differently. Chock-full of (no pun intended) earthy, sometimes racy humour, this is a black comedy set, paradoxically in the beautiful autumnal hues of New England, with a non-starring cast of noticeable variety, from fresh newcomer Shirley MacLaine to the avuncular veteran Edmund Gwenn, not the first names you'd think of to appear in an eccentric piece like this.Also on hand are a pre-"Dynasty" John Forsythe as the reasoning artist Sam and Mildred Natwick as the school-marmy spinster to complete the principal foursome who themselves get into an Abba-type arrangement as they pair off together, thwarted only it would appear by the inconsiderate corpse of MacLaine's unloved, estranged husband which keeps making unwanted appearances to spoil their mutual billing and cooing.I can see how the movie might split Hitchcock's fan-base as there's little of his trademark excitement or tension on show, but that's not to say other of his traits aren't present, from the stunning cinematography of Robert Burks, a playful soundtrack by Bernard Herrman in his first collaboration with The Master and some typically imaginative shots to admire, probably none more so than the first shot of Harry's prostrate body, from the shoes up.The ensemble acting is crisply played and I personally don't get the critics of Miss MacLaine harping on about her gaucheness, as she seems perfectly natural to me in what must have been a rather unusual introduction to movie-making in Hollywood. I admire Hitchcock for taking the risk he did with this off-beat feature and strongly consider he pulled it off with aplomb. A change, after all, is as good as a cardiac arrest as I always say.