A Rabbit and a Gent Walk Into a Bar…

If a stage play is to be successful, it needs to rely on the strength of two very important aspects – its actors and sharp dialogue. The one thing that I have come to notice when watching an adaptation of a play is that the dialogue that transitions over to the big screen is almost always beautifully written, unbelievably witty and surprisingly eloquent.

There is perhaps no better example of this than the 1950 classic Harvey. Mary Chase adapts her own Pulitzer Prize winning play (with some help from Oscar Brodley), bringing with her Jimmy Stewart and Josephine Hull, two actors who had already tackled the material on the stage. Stewart plays Elwood P. Dowd, a kindly and charming gentleman who comes from a well-to-do family. He has a lovely demeanor, but is thought to drink too much (he does spend most of his days frequenting bars) . . . and also just happens to be friends with an invisible, six foot three and a half inch tall rabbit named Harvey. Hull takes on the role of his disgruntled older sister Veta Louise Simmons, who is fed up with her eccentric and seemingly delusional younger brother. Scaring most people off with his imaginary friend, she has been unable to help her daughter, Myrtle Mae (Victoria Home), procure a reasonable suitor, nor have they been able to thrive in their proper place in society.

With both of the women being at their wits’ end, they see no alternative but to send the inadvertently troublesome man to a sanatorium. Comedy ensues as the medical team, including psychiatrist Dr. Lyman Sanderson (Charles Drake) and nurse Ruth Kelly (Peggy Dow), misconstrue Veta Louise as the mentally ill person after she talks about believing in the giant rabbit. Thinking they’ve inadvertently placed a sane man in the institute for a brief time, they pander to and pamper the man before releasing him (fearing a lawsuit) – but not before he invites both Sanderson and Kelly to meet him for a drink at his favourite bar at 10 o’clock.

Eventually, the mistake is realized and Sanderson has to apprise the normally reclusive head doctor, Chumley (Cecil Kellaway), of his egregious error. The senior physician heads out to track down Dowd, eventually finding him in the bar. The scientific man starts to see the rabbit (also known as a Pooka – a Celtic mythological creature who chums around with outcasts), calling into question the supposed insanity of our protagonist. Meanwhile, Myrtle Mae starts to fall for the first man she sees, the gruff (and rather rough) orderly Marvin Wilson (Jesse White). Will Dowd be able to convince his doctors of his sanity, or will he be unceremoniously placed in the loony bin?

With the brilliant skill of coining a clever phrase, Mary Chase litters her screenplay with a wonderful concoction of memorable lines. Finding all that is positive, kind and right in human beings, Chase passes along life lessons like the one Dowd recites (reiterating a phrase uttered by his mother) – “‘In this world, Elwood, you can be oh so smart, or oh so pleasant’. Well, for years I was smart. . . I recommend pleasant.” Stewart is simply brilliant playing the soft spoken, gentle soul. Caring for every human being as well as his invisible friend, we truly believe him when he responds to a postal service worker who has just referenced the beautiful day, adding: “Oh, every day is a beautiful day.” The surrounding character actors are all on their game as well, but I must place the spotlight on the over the top Josephine Hull – whose turn as the exasperated socialite is comically exaggerated. It won her an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Also highlighting the wonderful idea of being yourself, the film relishes this concept – advising its viewers that to sway from this course will change you and your true demeanor. It is perhaps a lesson for all of us as we wear masks depending on the situation we are in and the people we are surrounded by.

Though I have already done a Star Pick with talented blues guitarist Tony D (from the band MonkeyJunk), he utterly praised Harvey, listing it among one of his favourite films. Fast forward to 3:47-5:15 to hear his thoughts of the motion picture, as he truly captures its emotive essence.

Harvey is a charming little film with heart. Though it may drag in a few spots and could seem a bit sappy to some, it is the type of motion picture that calms and soothes the soul. Centred on the masterful performance by Stewart, it is definitely worth a watch. “Now, let’s stick to the facts”, this is an insanely entertaining movie that will bring a smile to your face.