I can only imagine this was an excuse to shoot the lovely autumn countryside in the newly created Vista Vision, for that is about all it has going for it. It's a black comedy from the master of suspense, which only manages to prove why he was not called the master of comedy, and has a catalogue containing very few of those titles.A number of people discover a dead body on a pretty hillside. A rabbit hunter, a single mother, an elderly woman, and an artist. No one knows how Harry was killed, but at various points in the film all consider that they may be guilty, or that they might be seen to have motive in the eyes of the authorities, and as such join a pact to cover up the deed - but not before changing their mind countless times - so that the body is buried and dug up and buried and dug up and buried again.Written like that the scenario certainly has promise for a black comedy, but plausibility was overlooked for humour, and being some of the weakest you will ever find, sees the film fail on both counts.

Recommended by a friend with kids, I'd actually never seen this Hitchcock film and had been thinking maybe we should check some of his stuff out.As others indicate, this is not a typical Hitchcock film, more in tune with his TV show if you've ever seen that. Anyways my kids (14 years old) enjoyed this film, they do have a sense of humor somewhere between mordant and morbid so bear that in mind. They enjoyed the comedy here and the cleverness to the story.The film has a strong stagey feel, and some of the concocted dialog that I connect with older films, and I think my boys liked just fine. As a product of the 50's the film although fatal in some ways, never feels dangerous. So the odd humor is not really all that jarring (Shirley MacLaine's hyper-quirky character was the most jarring, and yet in an endearing manner.) Edmund Gwenn as the captain feels very much like a cartoon character composite, though he predates almost all that my boys have seen.Sex and death have long been constants in the universe, in this film they are handled rather tidily. As for teens, and maybe many viewers, there's something about being in on a secret with the characters on screen that in particular really resonates with some (one of my boys in particular.) I'd extend the recommendation made to me to you, based upon the above. As a bonus, it is the first time that Hitchcock worked with Bernard Herrmann.

There is no questioning the fact the Alfred Hitchcock is an incredible filmmaker. Unfortunately, even his deft hand is not able to turn "The Trouble With Harry" into anything more than a curiosity.For a basic plot summary, "The Trouble With Harry" is a comedy about a body ("Harry") that just doesn't seem to want to go away. One day, in the middle of the New England countryside, a man is found sprawled out in a scenic valley. Over the course of the film, as many as four different people lay claim to the death of "Harry", with the truth only coming out in the end.The "trouble" (pun intended) of this movie is that it is so utterly ridiculous as to have no possible avenue of true success. Hitch does his best to inject the goings-on with some nice tongue-and- cheek humor & one-liners, but in a story as asinine as this one, not even ten Hitch's could make it a classic.The acting, led by the quartet of Edmund Gwenn, John Forsythe, Mildred Natwick, & Mildred Dunnock, is so-so. I very much enjoyed some characters, while others leave quite a bit to be desired here. For those interested in a bit of casting trivia, this movie features a young (we're talking short pants here) Jerry "The Beaver" Mathers in one of his first film roles. It also introduces Shirley MacLaine in her very first feature film part.Overall, "The Trouble With Harry" is a curiosity at best. A few lines will make you smirk, Hitch's deft touch will keep you to the end, but the film is, at its core, just too ridiculous to ever really be considered great.

Captain Wiles (Edmund Gwenn) is out shooting rabbits and finds a well dressed Harry Worp shot dead. He figures that he accidentally killed her and tries to hide the body. Harry's estranged wife Jennifer Rogers (Shirley MacLaine) is brought to the body by her son Arnie and she's glad he's dead. She thinks that she killed Harry as well as spinster Ivy Gravely (Mildred Natwick). Artist Sam Marlowe comes along and tries to help Captain Wiles and the others as they try to hide the situation from Deputy Sheriff Calvin Wiggs (Royal Dano).It's a black comedy from Hitchcock except I found none of it that funny. The situations are quirky but the characters aren't particularly comical. The start is rather boring with the constant stream of odd characters. It seems to be trying way too hard especially with the guy reading the book or the tramp who takes the shoes. It's bad slapstick or bad something. The story gets even more boring with all the talking. My eyes glazed over and I don't recall half of Jennifer's story. None of the characters truly interested me. The multiple burials and reburials are almost funny. That's the best I can say about the movie.