Harry and Tonto (1974)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

Paul Mazursky

Writers:

Paul Mazursky (written by) and
Josh Greenfeld (written by)

Release Date:

15 January 1975 (France)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama

Plot:

When his apartment building is torn down, a retired lifelong New Yorker goes on a cross country odyssey with his beloved cat Tonto.

Plot Keywords:

Cat | Retired | Teacher | New York City | Massage

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 2 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Art Carney	...	Harry Coombes
René Enríquez	...	Jesús - Deli Manager
Herbert Berghof	...	Jacob Rivetowski
Michael McCleery	...	Mugger
Avon Long	...	Leroy
Rashel Novikoff	...	Mrs. Rothman
Philip Bruns	...	Burt Coombes (as Phil Bruns)
Cliff De Young	...	Burt Coombes Jr.
Josh Mostel	...	Norman Coombes (as Joshua Mostel)
Dolly Jonah	...	Elaine Coombes
Sybil Bowan	...	Old Landlady
Joe Madden	...	Panhandler
Bette Howard	...	Morgue Clerk
Patricia Fay	...	Airport Security Woman
Muriel Beerman	...	Taxi Driver

Runtime:

Canada:115 min | USA:115 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Australia:M | Singapore:NC-16 | West Germany:18 | Finland:S | Iceland:L | Sweden:Btl | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Batavia, Illinois, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

The girl at the end building the sandcastle was played by the director's daughter, Jill Mazursky.

Goofs:

Factual errors: When Tonto dies, Harry mentions that he died at 11 human years old, which is somewhat young for a cat. However, he also mentions that Tonto was 77 years old, which would be in dog years, since the cat-to-human ratio is five cat years to one human year. The dog-to-human ratio is seven dog years to one human year.

Quotes:

Harry: Shirley?
Shirley: What?
Harry: Do you love me?
Shirley: Look, I'll tell you something, Harry: I don't always like you, but I do love you.
Harry: Then why do we always argue?
Shirley: I don't know. I guess that's the way we talk to each other, Harry.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in MST3K Little Gold Statue Preview Special (1995) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Roamin' in the Gloamin'

Living Life To The Fullest

"Harry And Tonto" is one of my all time favorite movies. It is a film that is as beautiful and funny as it is poignant and sad. It is also a film that features one of the finest acting performances in the last fifty years given by the late, great Art Carney. Carney shows why he won a well deserved Oscar for his performance as the kindhearted, retired teacher Harry Combes who goes cross-country with his pet cat Tonto as they encounter several eccentric characters and have some truly unforgettable moments. A wonderful film, that truly deserves a DVD release. Hopefully one day.