Harry and Walter Go to New York (1976)

Good movie but grossly overrated

As Good As It Gets

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

This is just a good, clean, fun movie with an excellent cast. It was shot back in the 1970's. It is amazing that the movie did not do better at the box office, because of all the stars that were cast in it. It is interesting to note that this movie was shot mostly in Mansfield, Ohio at the Mansfield Reformatory. Since then, Shawshank Redemption and Con Air were filmed there as well. The prison used for the movie has since been replaced by a new one and is now an historical site, open to the public. I think you will find some good laughs here. It is not brain surgery and a great way to experience some top stars in one package. I was an extra in this movie, playing both a prison guard and a prisoner. Chasing James Caan and Elliot Gould was a hoot. The cast and crew of this movie had a great time filming it. I might add that the director, Mark Rydell, went on to direct the movie,On Golden Pond.

An earlier poster commented that it came and went in the theaters. That's because (at least in America), it was savaged by the critics. But when I saw this on cable a little while after, I actually found it to be very funny, and even taped it for my personal collection. The sequence at the end when Harry and Walter are doing what they can to extend the play so they can steal the money is very funny. When James Caan stops the play and starts singing his lines that, "he's not the real Prince Herbert, I am!" I thought was really great. I remember the "owls who" line as well, but Caan's singing his lines was what I most enjoyed in that movie. I also liked the scene where Caan and Gould go into the fancy restaurant, order fancy wine, and have no idea what to do when the sommelier tries to serve it to them.

This is one of my all-time favorite James Caan movies. Its not laugh out loud funny but has many humorous moments. No sex or profanity so if thats what you like in a comedy, leave this one alone. Otherwise, be entertained for 90 min. James Caan and Elliot Gould have such good chemistry together I'm surprised they haven't worked together since.

Although I think many of the best shots were left on the cutting room floor, this comedy received some bad reviews because it was a simple, funny, refreshing jaunt through the plot without sex, dark humor, and double entendre. It was just good clean fun! Unfortunately, because of that, the reviewers, steeped as they are in self-indulgent feelings of superiority, panned the film. If you like comedy that leaves you laughing and feeling good, be sure to catch this one! (And I'm not just saying that because I appear in the film for about 1/10 of a second!)