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A group of Illinois metal workers decide to take the law in their own hands when the brother of one of them is kidnapped in Columbia by drugs smugglers. The government refuses to help so the men decide to launch an operation to free their friend/brother. So the director had his name replaced by the occasionally used Alan Smithee pseudonym. It seems that the director Stuart Rosenberg and the producers got into a fight during post production.

Maybe the producers ( who won) should have listened to the director. Because this is not a very good movie. It would have been interesting to see a seasoned mercenary, played with gusto by Robert Duvall train the Illinois rookies. But those scenes where all cut. The dialogues are not very good but the aforementioned Duvall, Gary Busey and Glenn Frey deliver good performances. But it is all rather mediocre and not very exciting.

I was Robert Duvall's character coach or model in Harry. He attended my training camp in Alabama in September 1985 before going on down to Vera Cruz Mexico for the location filming.

The major problem with the film was the director(s) and the editing. The actual script wasn't bad. One director quit, and the finishing director cut so much from the film that Duvall tried to keep it from being released, and the director ended up having his own name removed from the film and "Alan Smithee" (a name used to protect the guilty) credited as director.

Virtually all of the training scenes were cut where the plumbers become commandos, and the character development went with it.

Duvall wanted to make a good movie. The script called for his character to give a dying speech after getting shot. When he and I went over the scene, I told him after getting hit the way he was supposed to, he wouldn't be able to say anything. He played it that way.

When I finally saw the film, I was surprised to discover that not only had Duvall followed my advice on how to dress, etc., but that he had adopted my own personal mannerisms and way of talking. He never said anything about doing that.

I was disappointed in the final release, even more than most viewers. I know what's missing.

Frank Camper

My review was written in May 1987 after watching the movie on HBO/Cannon video cassette.

"Let's Get Harry" is a well-made, but utterly routine action picture released by TriStar last October ahead of its current home video status. Pic is worth catching for two excellent (as usual) supporting performances by Robert Duvall and Gary Busey. Director Stuart Rosenberg took his name off the credits, reportedly due to a contretemps during post-production (pic was lensed in Mexico and Illinois in 1985).

Project originally was planned as a film by Samuel Fuller, writing and directing, in 1981; he is credited with co-writing the story. It's the trite concept (almost identical to another current release, Vestron''s "Nightforce") pf a grpi[ pf upimg gius. ;ed bu <ocjae; Scjpeff;omg. Deciding to take matters into their own hands to go to Colombia to rescue Schoeffling's brother Harry (Mark Harmon). Kidnapped along with the U. S. ambassador (Bruce Gray) by terrorists. These "terrorists" are actually drug dealers, holding the twosome hostage until their fellow dealers are released from prison.

Picture follows rigidly the cliches of this mini-genre: the old hand mercenary (Robert Duvall) who takes the youngsters under his wing; the hands-are-tied government official ("we don't negotiate with terrorists under any circumstances" is the policy line) and stereotyped bad guys. There's even a totally illogical female role written in, played by Elpidia Carrillo, who is cast in virtually every south-of-the-border Hollywood movie.

Fortunately, film is redeemed somewhat by Duvall, with shaved head and authoritative theping, as a gung ho medal-of-honor winner shaded differently than his similar roles in "Apocalypse Now" and "The Great Santini". Busey is also delightful as a smooth-talking car dealer who agrees to bankroll the mission if he can come along for a "hunting trip". Unfortunately both Duvall and Busey eventually are written out of the scenario, and the film dies without them around.

Lead roles are colorless, with Schoeffling doing an okay job but singing star Glenn Frey making little impression as one of his pals. Rugged he-man Rick Rossovich is cast against type as the wimp of the group.

The cast and the plot outline suggested an action-packed thriller. Instead, through a lack of intelligence, or just laziness, we get a cartoon,filled with irksome inconsistencies...examples-they're captured and thrown in a hellhole prison, but manage to keep coke, cigarette lighters a large,fresh cigar and wardrobe changes, for later use. with no obvious bulges in their pockets, or travel gear of any kind, they find seemingly endless ammo clips They are able to survive without water(no canteens), and constantly endanger the mission with meaningless tantrums. Finally,successfully, they return home in triumph to be greeted by a bunch of people we've never seen before, or merely in passing. Lives were lost,but no one seems to care or remember.

Even for me, a waste of time.

Let's Get Harry is an excellent action movie, as far as low-budget, throwaway action movies go. Don't expect state-of-the-art special effects, a deep and meaningful plot, or Oscar-winning performances by any of the stars (however, it should be noted that Gary Busey, arguably, gives one of his best performances). What you will find, however, is a movie that will entertain fans of the genre for 102 minutes. Basically, it is a Charles Bronson movie without Charles Bronson. As for racial insensitivity, anyone that finds insensitivity within this movie is not a true fan of the genre and probably ought to stay away from action movies in general, as any movie where white people aren't being slaughtered is offensive to them. The purpose of Let's Get Harry is to entertain, not to provide thought-provoking insight into US/Colombian relations.