Who's Harry Crumb?

Plot synopsis:
While visiting a health studio in Beverly Hills, fashion model Jennifer Downing, the daughter of millionaire P.J. Downing, is kidnapped. Her father turns to a family friend, Eliot Draisen, who is president of the detective agency Crumb & Crumb, to investigate the case.
Eliot is reluctant to supply P.J. with one of his capable detectives because, as it turns out, Eliot himself is the organizer of the kidnapping. But to give the appearance of taking the investigation seriously, Eliot offers P.J. the services of Harry Crumb, the last descendant of the agency's founders. Eliot secretly knows that Harry is incompetent and counts on this fact to get away with the crime.
Harry returns to Los Angeles (by bus) from an assignment in the firm's Tulsa, Oklahoma branch office (which he messed up, as usual). He is assisted in his investigation by P.J.'s younger daughter, Nikki, who is considerably smarter than he is. Harry deduces that Nikki's stepmother, Helen Downing, is having an affair with tennis coach Vince Barnes, and concludes she is behind the kidnapping. Helen is desired by Eliot, but all she is interested in is money. She tries to get rid of her husband on several occasions and does her best – along with Barnes – to get the ransom for herself.
Also assigned to the case is Police Detective Casey, who (unlike Harry) is competent and experienced in kidnapping cases, and has a strongly negative opinion of private eyes and Harry Crumb is no exception. Casey throughout the course of the film builds a rivalry with Harry.
Eliot escapes to the airport, bound for Buenos Aires. He makes the mistake of informing Helen of his plans; she and Barnes take the money and leave him bound and gagged. Harry arrives to confront Helen and Barnes just as their plane prepares to take off. Jennifer is freed and Eliot is found. Fed up with Harry's dumb luck, Eliot confesses and is taken into police custody. Harry is thanked for his heroism in the case and even Det. Casey applauds Harry for solving the case. Harry takes over as the new president of his family's business, and promptly accepts a new assignment to go undercover as a drag queen to investigate another murder.

Tags: comedy

Review:
One of my favorite comedies, Who's Harry Crumb is the story of a bumbling private detective played by John Candy, who uses a number of disguises throughout the film.
And nothing more as it was not created to be more.John Candy was an amazing guy in comedy because he could bring you from tears to laughs to thinking moments.
His legacy is to take a good laugh and make life an easier one by understanding how to use the positivity to have a sense of humor!I have seen from Uncle Buck to Planes, trains and Automobiles, and John is talented.
Though many of the comedy scenes are not entirely original they are done better than anyone else can do them by the late John Candy.
John Candy plays the role of a bumbling detective, Harry Crumb, who is the last of a long generation of intelligent, successful detectives.
Granted, he's been in such classics like Uncle Buck, Planes, Trains and Automobiles, and Little Shop of Horrors, but this is a film where he had to completely stand alone as THE MAN.
'Who's Harry Crumb' rests on the shoulders of the brilliant John Candy.
On the whole, 'Who's Harry Crumb' is a must for John Candy Fans..
Annie Potts, Jeffrey Jones,Shawnee Smith,Tim Thomerson,and Barry Corbin were all very good in it as well!I just love the scenes where Candy is in disguise!
I have always been a John Candy fan, but this script sounds like it was written by a high school student who flunked English and drama, not to mention comedy.
I have reviewed over 500 movies for magazines and newspapers, and 'Who's Harry Crumb?' ranks near the top of the list with such losers as 'Spies Like Us' and 'Assault on Paradise'.
It doesn't come near the comedy that Candy generated in 'Uncle Buck,' 'Planes, Trains and Automobiles' and 'The Big Outdoors.' Don't waste your time watching this dud..
Throughout most of his career, John Candy starred in innocuously silly movies like "Who's Harry Crumb?".
Pretty funny movie.Also starring Jeffrey Jones, Annie Potts (Janine in "Ghostbusters"), Tim Thomerson (of "Trancers"), Barry Corbin and Shawnee Smith (of the "Saw" movies)..
John Candy plays the title character, a person who comes from a long line of great detectives who is a bit of a bad, bumbling type detective.
So in the end I thought this film was a rather good and funny John Candy movie, probably one of my favorite of his where he is the main star and he does not have any real back up like having Dan Aykroyd in "The Great Outdoors" or Steve Martin in "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles"..
I'm glad to talk about of John Candy,l have almost all his movie even those wasn't so funny,but in this case when he was at its peak of his career is quite good,playing the character as he likes clumsy fat guy,not so smart not so stupid but often funny 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.
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.
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..
When a young heiress Jennifer Downing (Renee Coleman) is kidnapped, Crumb & Crumb Executive Eliot Draisen (Jeffrey Jones) hires Crumb to find out who is responsible for the kidnapping, but it turns out to be a case that he isn't meant to solve...John Candy made something of a name for himself playing the 'lovable loser' and in effect he is playing another variant of the same character - although you can add incompetence in this case.
It would have been very easy for the filmmakers to make Candy funny because of what he does (meaning that the picture relies entirely on slapstick humour), but Crumb is given some great dialogue which actually shows that he is a bit of an idiot which makes it easier to identify with him as a character.
It does have some slapstick elements and visual gags, but because Crumb is given some development it never feels as lazy as it could have been.The cast are another reason that this film works; Candy is the heart and soul of this picture and is definitely the best thing about it.
A young Shawnee Smith is also excellent as his 'sidekick' and the likes of Jones, Corbin, Potts and Thomerson all offer terrific support.The only minor weaknesses with this film lie with the story which is weak and predictable (as is typically the case with films of this nature).
It is a funny film, but it isn't consistently funny and never really has any 'hilarious' moments.However, minor moaning aside this is still something of an underrated forgotten gem with plenty of humour which also boasts a terrific central performance from the 'late great' John Candy..
John Candy is the whole show(despite a good supporting cast with Annie Potts, Jeffrey Jones, Barry Corbin) in this mostly strained and unfunny comedy about Harry Crumb, an inept Private detective who is hired to solve the kidnapping of a young heiress, only to discover that the culprits are close to home...Many sight gags(none funny) and Candy is game as always, but plot is utterly routine and uninspired, and may have just as easily served as a pilot to a rejected TV series.
"Who's Harry Crumb?" is a title I have now been familiar with for a few years, and I original came across that title simply due to John Candy's starring role in the film.
In this 1989 crime comedy, John Candy plays a kind of character he was very well known to play, a clumsy but well-meaning and kind-hearted one.
In addition to being unfunny, this movie is also usually quite boring."Planes, Trains & Automobiles" is an excellent comedy and definitely the best film I've ever seen John Candy in.
"Uncle Buck" is another John Hughes film starring Candy, and I found that one to be pretty good when I saw it for the first time last year.
Although Candy basically plays the same kind of character here as he does in the two Hughes comedies I've mentioned, and the late comedian's talent was a big help in both of those, he couldn't save this film.
Barry Corbin, as multi-millionaire (does this guy have any other roles?) P.J. Downing, performs as the mystified victim rather well, always surprised with Harry's (John Candy) easy wit and wisdom, never realizing for a moment that the man is just as lost as anyone else in this case.
Harry Crumb is the greatest criminal investigator the world has ever known -- just ask his sidekick, Nikki Downing, the millionaire's youngest daughter, played by a very effective Shawnee Smith..
It was simply NOT funny and a major disappointment considering Candy's performance in movies like 'Stripes'.Someone who wants a good John Candy movie should try 'Only the Lonely' or 'Stripes'.
John Candy is hilarious with the right script and director, sadly this film has neither.
One of John Candy's better films, playing disguise-laden private eye investigating the kidnapping of a young heiress.
Ostensibly conceptualized as a live-action cartoon, the movie, unevenly directed by Paul Flaherty, is curiously mean-spirited at times, with ugly humor and situations nearly taking the steam out of Candy's good-natured lead.
When people talk of John Candy, it's always see "Uncle Buck" or see "Planes, Trains and Automobiles".
Well I've seen both, Uncle Buck is a film I love where as Planes, Trains and Automobiles just isn't quite the great comedy people claim it to be.
Who's Harry Crumb is by far funnier and while it's comedy may be predictable it is funny nonetheless.John Candy plays a bumbling detective called Harry Crumb, who comes from a long line of former Crumbs who were great detectives.
The only problem is, Harry Crumb doesn't have the brains the former Crumbs had and so ensues the endless errors of the hapless Crumb in his determination to find the kidnappers.Having to stand alone from by far the greatest bumbling detective films ever, The Pink Panther series where Peter Sellars still stands atop, was always going to be a hard task but I think it makes a good go at it.The humour is one you know you shouldn't be laughing at but you find yourself laughing anyhow.
The film has a certain appeal about it that makes you feel sorry for Crumb and wish that he solves the case but lets you laugh all the way to the end.One of the better John Candy films and I would go as far as saying that is is better in terms of laughs than Planes, Trains and Automobiles, but if anything see this film for the part when John Candy is on top of the fan, I had tears in my eyes through laughter..
You know, the special unique sense of comedy that he was known and loved for."Who's Harry Crumb" is a fun movie, despite it having a somewhat simplistic storyline.
But this simple storyline was actually made quite enjoyable by a rather impressive cast ensemble and some great comedy performances.The movie boasts the performances of the likes as John Candy in the lead, and he does carry the movie quite well.
Furthermore, to cement the late 1980s feel, then the cast also includes Tim Thomerson, Barry Corbin, Shawnee Smith and Valri Bromfield.There are some good laughs in the movie, and I really enjoyed the different roles and characters that John Candy portrayed on the screen, where he was allowed to unfold his comedy talents.While "Who's Harry Crumb?" is indeed a typical late 1980s comedy through and through, it is one that is well worth watching, especially if you are a fan of John Candy..
He had such roles in his best three and most critically acclaimed films: "Uncle Buck," "Planes, Trains and Automobiles," and "The Great Outdoors"."Who's Harry Crumb" is one of his mediocre films.
For starters, John Candy is one of my favorite actors of all time, he is hilarious, and every time I see him in any movie, I can't help but laugh.
Candy plays the jester Harry Crumb, the final kin of a family of amazing detectives.
It is full of the subtle humor and physical sight gags that make John Candy one of the greatest comedians of his time.
In the past few years he had starred in highly popular films and television shows, including Canadians-in-Chicago skit show `SCTV,' John Hughes' `Planes, Trains and Automobiles,' and some cameo roles in many films, including `Blues Brothers.'And then, in 1989, around the time `Uncle Buck' came out, he released a little film named `Who's Harry Crumb,' which I can safely say is one of the worst comedies I have ever seen.
But it's true.Candy plays Harry Crumb, the son of an infamous detective.
The third problem is the fact that the movie JUST ISN'T FUNNY.John Candy tries  and succeeds  in making his character funny, no doubt.
I have often wondered what John Candy's favorite movie  that he was in  was.
'Who's Harry Crumb' is a very underrated comedy.Although some of the acting is weak and the plot is simple, Candy is hilarious!
His acting alone makes the film very funny.Crumb is a more subtle, much more amusing character than many of Candy's more famous roles, such as Uncle Buck.
And in Who's Harry Crumb, Candy's talents are at an all-time peak.
But when he dons as many costumes as he does here, gets into many inexplicable situations as in this film and makes such pithy comments as, "Bamboo is my business", you know you're in for something different, if not altogether special.Jeffrey Jones is great as Harry's boss/foil/nemesis Eliot Draisen.
His and Candy's scenes by themselves make for the funniest in the course of the film.All in all, "Crumb" is funny in a low-rent "Pink Panther" kind of way.
Funny John Candy film.
This is probably (in my opinion is)John Candy's best film.
John Candy plays a great under cover private eye.
Who's Harry Crumb is another funny film that every one will watch and laugh at.
You wanna laugh at a John Candy movie?
Harry Crumb (John Candy), the last of the great detective Crumb lineage, is a bumbling idiot who's put on the case of a missing socialite by his shady boss, with the express purpose that he's a clown who couldn't detect himself out of a paper bag.
Harry Crumb is also not Candy's best film by a long shot and a good deal of the slapstick humor falls flat.
Candy and Jones can both be accomplished comedians given the right material, but here their talents are not stretched enough and, other than a couple of amusing scenes, they don't generate the expected laughs.Harry Crumb is a bumbling private eye hired to track down a missing girl.
John Candy couldn't even save this film as the humour isn't even accidentally funny.
Other stars including Jeffrey Jones, Annie Potts, Barry Corbin and Shawnee Smith are not able to help either.The plot from Robert Conte and Peter Martin Wortmann(derivative of "Ruthless People") is pathetic, as in fact is most of the movie.
Another John Candy Comedy That Is Not Funny.
"Who's Harry Crumb?" is a pointless comedy about a private eye (John Candy) and his attempts at solving a complicated kidnapping mystery.
Only John Candy's greatest fans will get anything worthwhile out of "Who's Harry Crumb?".
As a comedy, it lacks the human touch that distinguished other Candy's works like (Planes, Trains & Automobiles, Uncle Buck,..).
Good John Candy movie.
Good John Candy movie.
This movie is really good and The funny man John Candy stars in this movie and he has been in heaps of movies way better then this one like Cool Runnings,Planes Trains And Automobiles,The Great OutDoors and his best movie he has ever done has to be Uncle Buck.And in the movie there is a girl called Nikki Downing and throughout the movie i was trying to figure out what movie or TV show i have seen her in and then i went onto this web site and i found out that her name is Shawnee Smith and she is in the good TV show Becker.Over all this movie is good and there are some funny scenes and my rating is 6 out of 10..
'Who's Harry Crumb?' is by far one of my favourite movies.
Doesn't that say it all?John plays Harry Crumb, a terrible private investigator, who gets called up to the head office to investigate a kidnapping case.
The movie is funny, has a decent story line and great supporting characters.
The founding Crumbs were exceedingly talented but the present heir and gumshoe, Harry (John Candy) is a bumbling stooge.
The question is not Who's Harry Crumb but where can I get this funny film tonight?.
Unfortunately, in comparison to "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles" of 1984, "Uncle Buck" of the same year as this one (1989) and "The Great Outdoors" (1988), this movie was considered to be far below par.However, in retrospect (which does not in any way help Mr. Candy at this time), his attempt was an honest one.
The movie is probably for huge fans of John Candy only, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't find it funny or entertaining.
is set in Los Angeles where Jennifer Downing (Renée Coleman) is kidnapped while have a mud massage, her rich father P.J. Downing (Barry Corbin) turns to the Crumb & Crumb detective agency where President Eliot Draisen (Jeffrey Jones) decides to put the inept son of the founder of the agency Harry Crumb (John Candy).
Using various disguises & his well toned detective skills Harry Crumb tries to solve the case & save Jennifer...Directed by Paul Flaherty this likable comedy starring the late John Candy is one of those films that you may have seen in the eighties & then not watched it again in years & while it inevitably doesn't quite seem as funny as the first time around there's still a fair bit here to enjoy & laugh along with.
While not hysterically funny there are laughs to be had here & the whole film is played in such a way that you just end up liking it, Candy is just great as Harry Crumb who gets some very funny moments of physical comedy as well as some baffling, silly & amusing one-liners.
The acting is good from a very game cast of well known actor's with Candy himself as the stand-out, Shawnee Smith (before the Saw films) is cute & likable as his sidekick while Jeffrey Jones, Annie Potts & Tim Thomerson give decent comic performances.Who's Harry Crumb?
Despite his best efforts Crumb actually makes some headway in the case...Before Candy made it big with a certain member of a family called Buck, he went all out with this little film, which is basically a hybrid of Fletch and The Naked Gun.Its one of those reliable movies from the eighties that you will enjoy, because your a fan of the star.