Chi è Harry Crumb?

This underrated if semi-forgotten comedy with the title-character going from place to place to figure out who kidnapped the beautiful daughter of a rich man, learning he's inept at filling the shoes at his family-owned detective agency while always screwing things up, is an enjoyable time-filler...

It's John Candy's FLETCH and, while paling to the Chevy Chase classic (yet far superior to FLETCH LIVES), both have various disguises for each undercover scenario, taking the Film Noir gumshoe/snoop template into the bright and glossy late-1980s (there's even an orange tree on Harry's desk, a subtle nod to CHINATOWN)...

But the funniest moments don't seem like they're necessary meant to be, especially as Crumb flounders for the right words around comparably classy, educated people (like Annie Potts and hidden villain Jeffrey Jones) despite the comedy being hit and miss throughout...

But the characters interact well, especially the unique and flowing chemistry between Candy and "ugly duckling" Shawnee Smith as the younger sister of the kidnapped supermodel. And beware of the totally awesome mock-VHS cover: it's merely a cheap cardboard slip over the actual DVD/Blu Ray with same old artwork of yesteryear.

I'm glad to talk about of John Candy, l have almost all his movies, even those that weren't so funny, even so in this case when he was at its peak of his career is quite good, playing the character as he looks like, clumsy fat guy, not so smart not so stupid, however often hilarious and enjoyable.

In this movie he has the opportunity to prove his worth in a agency that take his family's name, working in a kidnapped case, all embarrassing situations end up a disaster like always, there's a lot of gags and jokes, anyhow l've enjoy the movie, sad to know that John Candy is no longer with us, we're very sorrow about his death.

Resume:

First watch: 1992 / How many: 6 / Source: TV-Cable TV-DVD / Rating: 6,75.

Responsible for kidnapping his latest client's daughter, the head of a private detective agency hires his least competent employee to work this case, only to be baffled when the man's incompetence helps him make headway in this lively comedy starring John Candy. Donning several different disguises (thanks to some stellar makeup work) as he goes about solving the case, Candy's performance has brought about comparisons to Chevy Chase in 'Fletch', however, with Candy's utter incompetence, this is actually a very different sort of film. Candy is thoroughly likable throughout with his heart (if not his mind) always in the right place and there is a lot to like in how he benevolently takes the victim's neglected teenage sister under his wing without any trite romantic sparks igniting between them. Above all else though, 'Who's Harry Crumb?' is a laugh-out-loud affair with such zaniness as a footsies scene in which three characters at a table each think that someone else is playing with them. A large number of gags are admittedly foreshadowed too heavily in advance for full effect, such as Candy landing in a sitting position in a living room sofa and Candy crashing into a glass cabinet, however, they are still funny thanks to Candy's near nonchalance towards his buffoonery, carrying on in almost all cases as if nothing has even happened. Indeed, while some have dismissed the movie due to the slapstick nature of most of the gags, it is how Candy handles himself in these moments rather than the physical humour itself which generates the most laughs.

They had to take me to the emergency room; I was laughing so hard they thought I'd gone crazy. It turns out my brain was knocked out of joint by the hilarious gags--gags that should never have been funny to a reasonable person, but I wasn't trying to be reasonable at the time.

Harry's asinine comments make him look like a real ass but he isn't. Once you get that, it's easy to get into the humor. That's John Candy's genius; his ability to humanize a variety of unlikely or impossible characters and make us love them even if we don't believe them. this is party because of the expressiveness of his face but also because of his indefinable comic spark.

Harry Crump is a great comic impossibility. Don't watch it if you prefer to keep you dignity.

This movie is hilarious especially if your a John candy fan. Sure it's not uncle buck but it's classic funny man candy. If you dislike it maybe you're taking it way too serious because it's great!