Directed by: Jack Smight
Written by: William Goldman Ross Macdonald
Starring: Paul Newman as Lew Harper Lauren Bacall as Elaine Sampson
The 40s meets the 60s. Ross Macdonald's Lew Archer becomes Lew Harper for his movie version of The Moving Target. Harper is hired by steely Elaine Sampson to find her husband, who's disappeared. Soon he finds that everybody involved has something to hide, only who's hiding the husband?
Despite the serious detective-story underpinnings, the movie is full of offbeat humor, from the first scene to the last. The cast of characters is full of oddball takes on standard hardboiled stereotypes, including a wild daughter in a bikini, the playboy hanger-on boyfriend, an only-in-California cult leader, etc.
But there's more to the movie than that. A man is missing, maybe dead. One of these goofy people did it. And, on a more personal note, Harper's marriage is falling apart. Hell, he can't even get killed properly.
Even if the update to "current" times doesn't always come off, Newman is always convincing as Harper, right down to the final frame. Reportedly, the name was changed because Newman had starred in a series of movies featuring characters with names starting with 'H' (Hud, Hombre, etc.). Stranger things have happened, though it seems more likely that the studio bought the rights to the book but not the character. Newman appeared again as Harper nine years later in The Drowning Pool.
Customer Reviews:
Newman At His Best Rating: Besides this being just a flat out great detective story, it has style and character. It's great entertainment, and solid acting from all involved like Robert Wagner, Julie Harris and Arthur Hill. If you like beautiful damsels in distress, you won't find one anymore lovely than actress Pamela Tiffin. I also love the two extras on the DVD. Introduction by TCM host Robert Osborne and commentary by the actual screenwriter William Goldman. If you love classic detective drama, this is a must have.
Paul Newman is ice cool in Harper Rating: This is an interesting film. Newman plays Lew Harper who is kind of like a groovy 60's version of Phillip Marlowe; sardonic, tough, irresistable to women. While the movie is dated and sexist, it is well worth viewing, not just for Newman's charismatic performance but for some brilliant supporting roles. Janet Leigh plays his bitter estranged wife, Shelley Winters is poignant as a sloppy barroom slattern, Robert Wagner is a breezy, easy and amoral but hides an unexpected secret. Best of all is Lauren Bacall who purrs, growls and hisses in a scene stealing performance as the cynical woman who enlists Harper's services. Not a perfect movie but immensely entertaining.
An Infectious Gem from the 1960s Rating: I recall seeing Harper on the big screen when it came out in '66, and have owned the VHS tape. The new DVD release is a joy: the incredibly cinematography looks gorgous, the award-winning soundtrack pops, and the commentary from William Goldman adds new insights to this unappreciated classic.
Harper is a classic, very funny, character-driven private eye yarn with a great cast set against the hopped-up world of mid 1960's LA. Sure, maybe a few things are dated but this film stands up very well after more than 40 years. The truths of Harper (people are crazier than bedbugs, they lie, surface appearances deceive, but once in awhile honor prevails) remain valid. More important, this film is "a gas" (in 60's parlance) to watch. The only thing missing from this package is a CD with Johnny Mandel's complete score (I know this is out on vinyl but haven't tracked down the CD -- yet).
"He's fuzz, Puddler. Private." Rating: Not a classic, but fun and Paul is clearly having a blast.
On the commentary track Goldman covers much of the anecdotes and opinions those who've read his books are familiar with. The bombshell is his revelation that he wrote a follow-up adaptation of The Chill - maybe the best detective novel by an American. It never happened. Why? So Paul could make The Secret War of Harry Frigg? Oh, the pangs.
Harper Rating: Based on Ross MacDonald's novel, this big-city thriller is notable for two reasons: It marks the debut of Newman's ultra-cool Lew Harper character (later seen to lesser effect in "The Drowning Pool") and was William Goldman's maiden voyage as a screenwriter. Peppered with witty dialogue and immersed in the sex-and-drugs cult weirdness of mid-sixties California, "Harper" is directed with flair by Jack Smight. Shelley Winters, Janet Leigh, Robert Wagner, Julie Harris, and Bacall all contribute choice characterizations, but the center of gravity here is Newman's Harper, never hipper nor more determined to finish the job. Here's another chance to catch Newman in his pri
