“Well, I've wrestled with reality for 35 years, Doctor, and I'm happy to state I finally won out over it.”

Elwood P. Dowd.

Jimmy Stewart once said that his role as Elwood P. Dowd in Harvey was one of his favorites.  It is perhaps his most famous movie role beside that of George Bailey in “It’s a Wonderful Life.”   Harvey is a laid back and enjoyable film about a man who has left the work-a-day world and apparently entered into a life of unreality.

  Joined by his “companion” Harvey he frequents the bars and the lower places of the city to make his friends.  He doesn’t judge them by their past, but instead judges them by who they are or maybe who they could become.  His sister Veta (Josephine Hull) and cousin Myrtle Mae are very concerned about him.  It seems he takes Harvey everywhere and this causes many issues since Harvey is six feet tall, a rabbit and invisible, or at least seems to be to everyone except Elwood.    

Harvey was adapted from the play by Mary Chase who also wrote the screen play.  The story flows effortless from the characters, all of whom seem to fit their parts. They slide into them like a comfortable pair of slippers and a warm robe.    There are parts that will make you laugh, parts that will touch your heart and maybe most interestingly, parts that make you wonder if Elwood P Dowd’s world isn’t perhaps the better one.