Hitchcock's Trouble (?) with reality:Reading the black comedy:- "The Trouble with Harry" (1955)

 Poster of (gramophone record) of the film

 The Trouble with Harry (1955)

 The film was adapted from a novella by British author Jack Trevor Story, by one of Hitchcock’s favourite  screenwriter John Michael Hayes. He brought the rites of the novella for eleven thousand dollars, by keeping his identity secret. The main point of interest of the film is – three different persons (Captain Albert wills, Jennifer Rogers and Miss Gravely) think themselves as the cause of Harry’s death. But with progression of the narrative it is revealed one after another that neither of them are cause of Harry’s death. These chronological revelations keep the interest of the audience. The audience themselves along with the surprise of other characters come to know that  no one is the cause of death , after Dr. Greenbow confirms he had died of heart-attack. Throughout the course of the day the corpse (Harry Worp) is buried and brought out once and again. It can be said it’s Alfred Hitchcock’s comedy about a dead body.
  It can also be read as a psychological drama in which introspection of three different people creates dramatic situations. Each of them has their own causalities. Captain Wills had shot three bullets. One had hit a bear can, one had hit the arrow sign and another had killed a rabbit (which Arnie discovered later). Till Arnie discovered he was thinking he had shot Harry with his third bullet. This actually was not the case.  Jennifer was married to Harry (Arnie’s Uncle).  But she had left him after their marriage. Harry after so many years had came to pay a visit. She believed she had killed Harry. Because she had, hit him hard with a milk bottle. Miss Gravely is certain that the man died after a blow from the heel of her hiking boot when he lunged at her out of the bushes, while still reeling from the blow he received at the hands of Jennifer. They all have a sigh of relief after Dr. Greenbow confirms he had died of heart-attack.This sequence is detailed below.
   What Hitchcock did in “The Trouble with Harry” was to remove the suspense: an extraordinary act of formal daring. They discuss having tea over the body. They discuss their love lives over the body. (Very recent attempts at assault and rape are remembered with a detached smile.) Jennifer giggles heartlessly; Sam draws the cadaver. Are they all monsters, or suffering from mass psychosis? No. Hitchcock's genius is to keep strictly to the bad-dream logic. These are all nice people in a silly spot of bother.
  During a interview with Francois Truffaut, Hitchcock told that one simple bit of dialogue in the movie sums up the whole thing: “one of the best lines is said when old Captain Wills is dragging the body along for the first time and a woman (Miss Gravely) comes up to him and says, ‘What seems to be the trouble, captain?’ To me, that’s terribly funny; that’s the spirit of the whole story.”

                                         Youtube link of sequence:https://youtu.be/KgGClH4dTIM?t=5520

                                        SHOT DIVISIONS OF DISCUSSED SEQUENCE:

1. Dr. Greenbow appears at Jennifer’s house and asks about the whereabouts of the corpse (Harry worp). He asked: “Where is he?” (MS)

2. Deputy Sheriff Calvin Wigs is surprised due to Dr. Greenbow’s sudden presence. Jennifer senses trouble. (MS)

3. Miss Gravely looks at Sam. (MS)

4. Jennifer replies “he’s in the bathroom playing with his frog”, tries to avoid the uncanny situation. (MLS)

5. Doctor is surprised, how can a dead man play with his frog? He exclaims “oh!” (MCU)

6. Sam guides doctor to the bathroom. Jennifer explains to Calvin wigs the cause of arrival of the doctor, i.e. Arnie is sick. Calvin hears sound of his car’s horn, leaves. (MS)

7. Miss Gravely and Jennifer have a moment of relief. (MS)

8. Captain Wills is seen honking Calvin Wigs car-horn. (MLS)

9. After a bit of heated exchange between Captain Wills and Deputy Sheriff, the later has left. (MS)

10. Meanwhile in the house (MS)

11.Others asks the captain, why did he leave some time back? (MS) 

12. Captain explains (MCU)

13.Captain exaggerates, the characters listen (MS) 

14. Captain’s Confession (MCU) 

15. Captain continues (MS) 

16.He has nothing more to say, waits for reply (MCU) 

17. Miss Gravely replies (MCU) 

18. Captain shows the cause of his departure (MCU) 

19. Others asks question out of astonishment (MS) 

20. He answers back (MCU) 

21. Jennifer hugs and kisses him (MCU) 

22. Meanwhile doctor comes out (MS) 

23. Doctor explains Harry’s “cause of death” (MS)

24. Doctor asks a question (MS)

25.

26.

27.

28.

29.

30.

31.

32.

33.

34.

35.

36.

37.

38.

39.

40.

41.

42.

  25-42: everyone tries to explain why harry was burried and then dug-up throughout the day  (MS)

Youtube link of the film

     The special feature of ‘The Trouble With Harry’ is that- trouble is actually not a trouble at all. The trouble is apprehended by three different persons, one after another. From their actions and dialogues, the audience comes to know about different causalities of death of harry. This seems to be reality to other characters and also to the audience. Thus the filmmaker with his conventional simple narrative, continuity, plays with realty itself. Reality as it seems to be to the characters and to the audience are actually nothing but psychological depiction of different persons. He simply mocked with the genre of suspense or question about the cause of death. Finally it is exposed in the referred sequence through the dialogue of the doctor. It can be compared with Akira Kurosawa’s “Rashomon” where reality itself is questioned. Here Alfred Hitchcock played with reality as it seems to be.