Review of The Trouble with Harry (1955) by Ashley C — 24 Jan 2009

Droll, dry, and laden with innuendo that may be tame by today's standards but which I can imagine being right on the verge of scandalous in the context of the Hays Code. An undercurrent of dark humor was always one of Hitch's trademarks, and it's interesting to see that aspect come to the fore as opposed to bubbling just beneath the surface.

Makes for an interesting double feature with Shadow of a Doubt; where that film's juxtaposition of murder with small town life served to underscore the locals' innocence, here the players' near indifference to the circumstances surrounding the town's latest corpse bespeaks a worldly cynicism no doubt closer to Hitchcock's (and my) heart.

Great bit of misdirection toward the end. Beautiful use of Technicolor. And even a snippet of Raymond Scott is always welcome.