A Most Delightful Classic Movie

Harvey is a 1950 film based on Mary Chase's Pulitzer Prize-winning play of the same name, directed by Henry Koster, and starring James Stewart and Josephine Hull. After watching it on Wednesday night, I must admit it was the most delightful classic movie that I had seen in a long time. It seems that all of us, at one time or another, just need a break from reality so that we can just relax and enjoy life. This excellent lighthearted film was adapted from the Pulitzer Prize winning hit play written by Mary Chase.
Elwood's attraction for us is perhaps what attracted him so much to James Stewart. Elwood is happy with himself and his life and even more importantly, he makes others happy with their lives. That is the great magic of Elwood and Harvey: they make others happy and they bring peace and a measure of contentment to almost everyone who know them.

Elwood P. Dowd tries, all through the movie,to introduce Harvey to everyone he meets but the only one who eventually sees him is Dr. Chumley,[Cecil Kellaway]the psychiatrist. Dowd's sister Veta[Josephine Hull] sometimes acknowledges the existence of Harvey but only when she's under extreme stress.

The story is about a man whose best friend is a "pooka" named Harvey—in the form of a six-foot, three and one half-inch-tall rabbit. Stewart plays Elwood P. Dowd, a middle-aged,individual whose best friend is an invisible six-foot, three-and-a-half-inch tall rabbit named Harvey. During the opening scenes Elwood has been driving his sister and niece Myrtle Mae Simmions [Victoria Horne]to distraction by introducing everyone he meets to his friend, Harvey. His sister, Veta tries to have Elwood committed to a Sanatorium. She admits to the attending psychiatristDr Lyman Sanderson [Charles Drake]that, after so many years of putting up with it, she sees Harvey every once in a while. This causes Dr. Sanderson to let Elwood out and lock Veta up. Dr.Chumley decides that he doesn't want to get sued, and to save the reputation of the Sanatorium, he must bring Elwood back. He then fires Dr. Sanderson.

After going through several ordeals Elwood is finally tracked down but he is unaware of his sisters plan to have him committed with the help of Judge Gaffney [William Lynn]and Dr. Chumley.Dr. Sanderson, nurse Miss Kelly [Peggy Dow] and assistant Duane Wilson [Jesse White] track downElwood in Charlie's Bar. Elwood tells the story of how he came to meet Harvey and then he is taken back to the Sanatorium where he explains his philosophy of life to Dr. Chumley, who by this time has admitted to Elwood that he has also met Harvey.He rehires Dr.Sanderson. Dr.Sanderson convinces Elwood to come into his office where he will give him a serum that will stop him from seeing Harvey.But in the meantime Elwood's sister is told by the cab driver about all of the other people he had driven home after they had been given the same serum. He tells her that they were transformed into "normal human being" and you know what stinkers they are. Veta then decides to stop the injection of the serum.The final scene involves Harvey remaining with Dr. Chumleyor continuing his life with Elwood. He gets to the gates and decides to stay with Elwood. This is such a delightful movie that at the very end of it, I was actually cheering for Harvey's decision to stay with Elwood.