Harper

IMDb RATING

6.8/10

11K

YOUR RATING

Lauren Bacall, Paul Newman, Janet Leigh, Robert Wagner, and Pamela Tiffin in Harper (1966)

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Hard-boiled Detective Crime Drama Mystery Thriller

Cool private investigator Lew Harper is hired by a wealthy California matron to locate her kidnapped husband.Cool private investigator Lew Harper is hired by a wealthy California matron to locate her kidnapped husband.Cool private investigator Lew Harper is hired by a wealthy California matron to locate her kidnapped husband.

Director
- Jack Smight
Writers
- William Goldman
- Ross Macdonald
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.8/10

11K

YOUR RATING

Director
- Jack Smight
Writers
- William Goldman
- Ross Macdonald
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 1 win & 3 nominations total

Trivia
Years after this film was made, Paul Newman and Shelley Winters appeared together as guests on The Tonight Show. When Johnny Carson asked Winters, "Have you and Paul ever worked together?", Winters replied, "No, we haven't had the opportunity." Newman did an astonished double-take. "We haven't? What was I in Harper (1966)? Chopped liver?" To her chagrin, Winters admitted that she had forgotten about the movie. Newman was incredulous. "I made love to you for two days, in front of the cameras! you tell me you forgot about that."

Goofs
After Harper (played by a stuntman) dives through the shed window he runs between some dilapidated ship vent stacks. As the stuntman moves behind the stack, one can see Harper's (Newman) head sticking out on the other side and the stuntman's hind side out the other. The size of the combined Harper at that point is probably more than10 feet tall.

Quotes
Lew Harper: The bottom is loaded with nice people, Albert. Only cream and bastards rise.

Alternate versions
When originally released theatrically in the UK, the BBFC made cuts to secure a 'A' rating. All cuts were waived in 1995 when the film was granted a '12' certificate for home video.

Connections
Edited into La classe américaine (1993)

Soundtracks
Livin' Alone
Words by Dory Previn
Music by André Previn
Sung by Julie Harris (uncredited)

User reviews121

Review

Featured review

The Original Post-Modern P.I.?

This I don't understand-

For years I've believed in how Elliot Gould's Philip Marlowe in "The Long Goodbye" was the first effort at making a P.I. character a whacked out loser with a post-modern attitude. Yet, I'm watching "Harper" today and my jaw is bounding off the floor like a yo-yo. Because in the lead role Paul Newman gives one of the ten best performances I've ever seen, and maybe the best comedic one from a non-comedian actor ever done. Even at the two thirds mark, when 99% of the screenplays usually have nothing new to say about their characters, Lew Harper was still leaving me damn near breathless. How "Cool Hand Luke" is more famous than "Harper", which is never mentioned anywhere as the king-size sleeper it is, bewilders me entirely.