Harvey

(1950) U

In one of his most endearing comedy roles, James Stewart stars as Elwood P. Dowd (above), an adorable lush with an invisible friend – a 6ft 3.5in white rabbit called Harvey, to be precise. Elwood is one of those drunks who is charming company, but that doesn’t mean his nearest and dearest don’t worry about him – particularly the fact that Harvey is his constant companion, his drinking partner and his primary confidant. The bulk of the film concerns the question of whether or not Elwood is going mad, but as time goes on, the effect of Harvey – not just on Elwood, but on his family and even his psychiatrist – proves to be a positive one. As a shot of pure whimsy, this comedy is just the tonic. Josephine Hull won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her performance as Elwood’s sister, Veta, while Stewart was nominated for a Best Actor gong.