WHO'S HARRY CRUMB

US, 1989, 98 minutes, Colour.
John Candy, Jeffrey Jones, Annie Potts, James Belushi.
Directed by Paul Flaherty.

Who's Harry Crumb is a star vehicle for John Candy, who executive produced the film. It is in the vein of what one reviewer called the Impervious Idiot genre (like Flying High, The Naked Gun and other spoofs). The film has its amusing visual and verbal moments - but probably depends on audience response to John Candy and seeing humour in the very silliness of his private investigator bumbling his way through to a solution. He has some good support from actors like the proper Jeffrey Jones as well as Tim Thommerson, Annie Potts and Barry Corbin. One of several films that Candy made in the late '80s - including The Great Outdoors, Planes, Trains and Automobiles, Uncle Buck, Home Alone.

1.Comic spoof? John Candy film?

2.Los Angeles, affluent society, the artificial world of the wealthy? Musical score and the range of songs?

3.The title - and the ironic answer that Harry Crumb was a nobody?

4.John Candy and his screen presence, comic style, size, bumbling? The pratfalls, verbal humour, his imitations and disguises? Success through bumbling?

5.The animation background of the director? Live action animation style? The set-ups, the farce, pratfalls? The elaborate designs of the adventures for Harry Crumb? Disguises: Hungarian, Mae West style, the Indian, the jockey?

6.Harry and his forefathers establishing the agency? Summoned to Los Angeles because he was bumbling? In himself, the job, the kidnapping?

7.Draisen and his style, the boss, Jeffrey Jones' manner? His infatuation with Helen, his plan? His losing out to Vince? The interactions with Crumb? Getting the money? Caught in the cupboard?

8.Helen and Vince and their relationship, Helen's sexuality, her relationship with her husband? Vince as the man about town, the style, the plan?

9.Dowling, his wealth, the kidnapping, his concern, relationship with Helen? The expectations, the ransom note?

10.Harry and his investigations, befriending Nikki, his obtuseness in seeing clues, his surveillance, the elaborate falls, escaping death? The build-up to the racetrack? Chasing Vince and capturing him?

11.Draisen and the double deal?

12.The solution of the kidnapping? Everything restored? Crumb solving everything, despite himself?

13.The popularity of this kind of spoof, its farcical aspects, ironies? The Impervious Idiot - and his reward?