Who Is Harry Kellerman and Why Is He Saying Those Terrible Things About Me? (1971)

User Rating:

5.3/10   

Director:

Ulu Grosbard

Writer:

Herb Gardner (screenplay)

Release Date:

1 November 1971 (Denmark)

Genre:

Drama | Comedy

Tagline:

Dustin Hoffman wants to know...

Plot:

Georgie Soloway, a pop hit love song writer who cannot love, himself, or others. He spends his days with various women flying his plane...

Plot Keywords:

Punctuation In Title | Question Mark In Title | Long Title | Question In Title | Independent Film

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

Dustin Hoffman	...	Georgie Soloway
Barbara Harris	...	Allison Densmore
Jack Warden	...	Dr. Solomon F. Moses
David Burns	...	Leon Soloway
Gabriel Dell	...	Sidney Gill
Betty Walker	...	Margot Soloway
Rose Gregorio	...	Gloria Soloway
Dom DeLuise	...	Irwin Marcy
Regina Baff	...	Ruthie Tresh
David Galef	...	Leonard Soloway
Ed Zimmermann	...	Peter Halloran
Amy Levitt	...	Susan
Joseph R. Sicari	...	Marty (as Joe Sicari)
Rudy Bond	...	Newsdealer
Walter Hyman	...	Flower Vendor

MPAA:

Rated R for brief nudity.

Runtime:

108 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-8 | Sweden:11 | USA:GP (original rating) | USA:R

Filming Locations:

GM Building - 59th Street & 5th Avenue, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Cinema Center Films

Trivia:

To achieve maximum realism, Ulu Grosbard insisted that Dustin Hoffman appear live at the now-shuttered rock palace Fillmore East. Cameras captured the reaction of the regular Friday night audience gathered for an actual Grateful Dead concert.

Quotes:

Allison: Time, mister, it's not a thief. It's an embezzler staying up nights, and juggling the books so you don't notice anything missing when you wake up.

Movie Connections:

References The Wizard of Oz (1939)

Soundtrack:

Ricky Ticky Song

Why don't people love this wonderful movie like I do?

Sometimes I am just sooooooo out of step with conventional movie wisdom. This is one of those movies that gets trounced every time it is mentioned by a critic or reviewer. But why??? It is funny, well-acted, moving, bizarre and the music kicks ass. Dustin Hoffman plays Georgie Solloway, a super-successful Bob Dylan-ish rock star who is going thru something of a mid-life crisis. A mysterious figure known as Harry Kellerman is spreading false rumours about him, sabotaging his personal and professional life. Solloway has no friends to talk to... just a shrink and, when he gets really desperate, his accountant (great scene with Dom DeLuise!) Okay, so maybe you hate Dustin Hoffman... or Bob Dylan... or movies about the problems of rich, successful people in general... how can you not love the heartbreaking performance by Barbara Harris? She was nominated for an Oscar for crying out loud (and it was a crime she didn't win, I tell ya). Don't listen to the nay-sayers... check out this wild and wonderful film!