The Film
Only a beloved actor like Jimmy Stewart can play batshit crazy and have it be called one of the most beloved classics of all-time. That classic is Harvey.
Stewart plays Elwood P. Dowd. He's a nice enough guy, whose best friend just happens to be a rabbit named Harvey. This isn't a pet, but an invisible buddy that towers over 6 feet tall.
Throughout the film, the audience is left wonder whether Harvey is real, a figment of Elwood's imagination, or just the end result of his drinking. Many people seem to accept Harvey's presence. However, when the pair starts to threaten sister Veta's (Josephine Hull) high-society standings, she attempts to have him committed -- with hilarious results, of course.
Harvey was a play before it was a movie. It's been remade and redone, both live and in film. (The Big Bang Theory's Jim Parsons was the most recent actor to take on the role of Elwood in a live production.) However, Stewart's wide-eyed, nice guy portrayal is what makes this one a true classic. It's no wonder that Harvey wanted to be his best buddy.
The Picture
Credits start off sort of shaky, but this 1.37:1 transfer cleans up nicely right after. Universal restored the image here and the end result is a very clean, very impressive release. Elwood's jacket offers some nice tweedy details, with the house and other surroundings looking very sharp. Blacks and contrast are also nice here, especially in Jimmy Stewart's slick, salt and peppered hair.
The Sound
Universal didn't mess much with the audio for Harvey, including just a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track. The music can often be a little loud, but other atmospheric sounds fare better. Of course, the dialogue is the focus here, and it sounds pretty great overall.
The Extras
Universal is really opening up the vault for its 100th anniversary. Each of the "anniversary" Blu-rays we're seeing this year include a few anniversary-specific extras. Harvey is no different. The two presented here cover two very important people in the history of Universal. Founder Carl Laemmle and MCA president/Hollywood icon Lew Wasserman each have separate shorts that clock in at under 9 minutes.
So what about Harvey? There's nothing new here, but there's a trailer and a photo montage. Don't discount the latter, either. Jimmy Stewart narrated this piece for a 1990 release, and it's well worth a peek -- or a listen.
Final Thoughts
Harvey is a classic, plain and simple -- as plain and simple as a film about a 6-foot invisible rabbit can be, anyway. It's a shame that Universal couldn't have unearthed a few new extras for this release, but the audio, the video and the film itself are enjoyable enough to make this film worth adding into your collection.
Product Details
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