My Collection Part 1 - Harvey

Last week, I posted three different blog entries about Harvey. I continue that posting today.

One of the best parts of living in Bowling Green Ohio is the fact that we have Bowling Green State University nearby. While the college kids can be reasonably obnoxious on move-in-day, graduation day, and just about every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night, they have also helped to foster a home-grown, local coffee shop and used book store called Grounds for Thought.

My copy of Harvey: Acting Edition

It's such a great place that I have picked up a lot of stuff there over the years, including more books than I can count, more coffee than I dare to measure, some shirts, coffee beans, and a wife. Yes, I met my wife there in 2006.

Part of their used book section includes a section for stage plays. And it was there that I found my copy of Harvey, the Acting Edition script by Mary Chase. It's a very cool find and a rarity in Bowling Green.

So now that I've shared another part of my collection, please allow me to gush just a little bit longer about Grounds for Thought.

There is a reason that the store was recently named the Best Coffee Shop in Ohio.

Check out the awesome feature the local PBS station put together about Grounds for Thought by clicking here.

Photo Friday - Harvey House

In Bowling Green, Ohio, across from the Wood County Court House, is a home in which resides Harvey. Really.

As you drive past, you can see him looking out upon the courthouse from an upper-story room of the home. Sometimes he moves to a different window.

In the early 2000s....maybe even in the late 1990s, I interviewed the woman who lived there. I think I was writing a story about a dog issue in the neighborhood. Harvey in the window is only a portion of what makes the charm of this home.

There also is a Civil War cannon on the front porch. Additionally, if you have seen the film Harvey, you are familiar with "the painting." Well, the woman who lives here also has a painting of herself and Harvey hanging over the fireplace. It is surreal.

Harvey, the pukka in the upstairs window, was loaned to the local acting troupe, the Black Swamp Players, one year for their production of Harvey. I attended one of their performances of Harvey, as well.

I'm not sure if I ever wrote a story about this woman's fascination with Harvey, but if I ever did....and if I can find it....I'll post it here.

In the meantime, here are the photos I took on April 1, 2015:

"The Harvey House" in Bowling Green.

How much is that Harvey in the window?
How many accidents has he caused?

The Civil War cannon on the porch.

Movie Review - Harvey (1996)

In my movie reviews, I give my brief thoughts on what I watched. Sometimes I will expound on those thoughts, but more often than not, I will just give a brief opinion. You can read plot descriptions on Internet Movie Database or on Amazon.

This is part two of a three-part Harvey-themed week. Check out my post from Monday about the 1950 version of the film, and check out Friday's entry for Photo Friday. It's a real treat.

Harvey, Starring Harry Anderson, Leslie Nielsen, and Swoozie Kurtz (1996).

"My mother used to say to me...in this world, Elwood, you must be either oh so smart or oh so pleasant. For years I was smart. I recommend pleasant."
-Elwood P. Dowd

Source: http://goo.gl/5uByRu

A painting by any other name is still Dowd...Elwood P. Let me give you my card.

And yet this 1996 version is 15 minutes longer than the original starring Jimmy Stewart.

It's not fair to compare the Stewart version to the 1996 version. One isn't a remake of the other. Instead, both of them are simply interpretations of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Broadway play written by Mary Chase.

This one is equally good. However Stewart and Anderson bring different aspects to the character of Elwood P. Dowd. Stewart is more innocent, if not naive. Anderson is more playful.

Check it out and decide for yourself which one is your favorite.

I give this version 4 out of 5 stars.

Movie review - Harvey (1950)

This is a special week for this blog. This week, is completely dedicated to the film Harvey. Be sure to check it out on Wednesday and Friday. I will even take a break from my pictures of bells in order to post a Harvey-related photo. I hope you enjoy.

Source: http://goo.gl/PHpcU

In my movie reviews, I give my brief thoughts on what I watched. Sometimes I will expound on those thoughts, but more often than not, I will just give a brief opinion. You can read plot descriptions on Internet Movie Database or on Amazon.

Harvey. Starring Jimmy Stewart and Josephine Hull. 1950.

This is a great film, though a bit mysterious.

Based on a play written by Mary Chase, there is absolutely no doubt that Stewart's character, Elwood P. Dowd, an easy-going drinker, is absolutely nuts.

And then you get to the end of the film and question everything you have seen.

Who is crazy? Who is sane? How are those terms defined? Who defines them? What makes them so qualified? What quality of life do you want; that of the "sane" or that of the "insane"?

They are amazing questions to ponder.

This is a must-see for fans of Stewart and for fans of Pulitzer Prize-winning Broadway plays.

4.5 out of 5 stars

This Harvey poster used to hang in my IAWL/Stewart Tribute hallway,
and is part of my personal collection.

Here is the trailer:

Stewart reprised his role in the made-for-TV version of Harvey in 1972 for the 

Hallmark Hall of Fame. I have never seen this version all of the way through .... nor can I find it anywhere to buy or rent .... but I post links to it here for you:

Part 1:

Part 2: