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A Movie A Day: Quint on HARPER (1966)
The bottom is loaded with nice people, Albert. Only cream and bastards rise.

great idea by ClockWorker	Jun 2nd, 2008 11:37:23 PM
one movie you haven't scene each day. That's a noble vow to take.
How long will this one last? by zacdilone	Jun 2nd, 2008 11:39:42 PM
Every "regular" column AICN has launched has had a pretty short life span. Why bother trying?
Two weeks, tops by Heckles	Jun 2nd, 2008 11:41:45 PM
Sorry Q, just saying. Actually, I'm not sorry.
Well, it looks like I can't add two cents till Wednesday by the beef	Jun 2nd, 2008 11:45:02 PM
But, I'm anxious for next Monday now. RIO BRAVO is an all-time fave.
zacdilone by Quint	Jun 2nd, 2008 11:48:03 PM
I'm not saying this one will be the exception. I don't know what lies ahead, but I'm psyched for it now, so the enthusiasm is there. Why bother trying? Well, if we didn't then what the hell would you read? heh I'm in Los Angeles tonight, but I brought the next movie with me and thankfully there's a DVD player in the hotel room so I don't have to watch it on my Mac. Talk to you folks tomorrow.
I also bought that Newman set at Costco by Nasty In The Pasty	Jun 2nd, 2008 11:53:43 PM
Also grabbed the Marlon Brando set (five movies) for the same price. Already watched Somebody Up There Likes Me, and I'm looking forward to watching the rest when I have the time.
Good Luck, But by georges garvaren	Jun 2nd, 2008 11:59:45 PM
I'm a little shocked that you have yet to see many of these films. I 'suppose you are going to be seeing them soon enough, and that's the important thing.
Good luck Quint by zacdilone	Jun 3rd, 2008 12:13:55 AM
I guess my feeling is that we've seen a pattern of starting a regular column, a good first few entries, a hiccup or two, a repentant column pledging to be more faithful from now on, then an eventual disappearance altogether. It's like me an my blog...I'll go for weeks without writing something, then post an entry apologizing and pledging to do better. Which I never do. In my thinking, it would be better to give the column a title like "FROM QUINT'S COLLECTION," then write when you can. We appreciate what we get, and I'd rather be promised less and be pleased with what comes out of that. But I'll admit--I'm cynical from past examples both here and other sites I frequent, so I'll just wish you luck and look forward to what you write!
It's sad... by loogenhausen	Jun 3rd, 2008 12:14:57 AM
...that pretty much everyone posting so far hasn't even mentioned the film at all. But don't forget to go out and consume whatever pops up every Friday night at your local Shitplex, by all means. That's what makes you all experts on movies - keep telling yourself that. Just watched this the other day back-to-back with the Drowning Pool and I enjoyed both of them. Harper definitely gives off a cool kitschy '60's vibe and I really dug Arthur Hill's performance as well as Paul Newman's. I'll save my comments for Drowning Pool for tomorrow I suppose...
One of those cases by psychedelic	Jun 3rd, 2008 12:17:16 AM
Harper is one of those cases where I'd like to read the book first. I've heard great things about Ross Macdonald's books over the years and I just haven't gotten to them yet. So after I read the novel Harper is based on I'll gladly watch the movie. Rio Bravo is terrific. I only got to it a few years ago myself. Now I've got it in HD. Hey Quint, if you're in L.A. for a few days try to stop by The Silent Movie Theatre on Wednesday night at 8pm. They're showing Four Horseman of the Apocalypse starring Rudolph Valentino. I plan on attending and it'd be cool to meet.
Damn you Netflix!!! by warsinthesun	Jun 3rd, 2008 12:45:08 AM
Still waiting for mine. Still think your column should be in its own section. Might last longer too. :)
Great Idea Quint, but... by WelcoMatt	Jun 3rd, 2008 01:10:49 AM
Even better if you focused on The Criterion Collection films!!!
BTW... FUCK this AMAZON hyperlink SHIT by WelcoMatt	Jun 3rd, 2008 01:14:44 AM
Why don't you link us to IMDB... Oh! That's right. Then the kickbacks would stop...
New to me by MediaNerd	Jun 3rd, 2008 01:26:36 AM
Hmmm, I don't recall hearing about this one before. Defiently sounds like its worth tracking down. Paul Newman's greatness has been sadly overlooked by my generation and younger. He's been reduced to the salad dressing caricature in most minds, but then i'll go back to one of his movies and just be blown away by what an amazing actor he was.
A Trilogy Of H by Flummage	Jun 3rd, 2008 01:34:37 AM
I did not know that. I have seen Harper, but it languishes so far back in my mindscape somewhere, in a place where I think I was mor concerned with fapping than Film, that I will gladly use this as impetus to seek it out once more. Newman is one of the most watchable alpha screen-stallions in the talkies, for my money. Even when playing someone cocky or assured, he always somehow manages to be vulnerable, too. A wounded, inclusive kind of machismo, even - if I were to take it one, fartier, step further. Anyway, best of luck with the feature, Quint, it's off to a nice start.
sounds killer... by bernard	Jun 3rd, 2008 01:38:49 AM
i'd follow along but i just bought class of nuke 'em high and switchblade sisters on amazon...haven't seen nuke 'em high in years and switchblade sisters is to fill my jack hill needs after seeing spider baby for the first time. plus my girlfriend is on dual shelly winters and peter lorre marathons and she doesn't let me fuck with her netflix. harper is definitely one i'd like to check out though.
"The bottom is loaded with nice people, Albert. Only cream and b by Flummage	Jun 3rd, 2008 01:38:54 AM
I would imagine it won't always be conveniant, but for what it's worth, I liked the use of the quote as a subheading. A nicely placed quote with a review is often welcome, and here I think it kinda makes a nice break from the norm on the news roster.
i also agree with the quote as a subheading by bernard	Jun 3rd, 2008 01:44:09 AM

I am definitely interested by kungfuhustler84	Jun 3rd, 2008 02:15:52 AM
over the past few months I have really become obsessed with noir. Blast of Silence was an incredible release. I also just saw Tokyo Drifter a few weeks back and it blew me away with its use of color. this one sounds like another great addition to the genre so I will check it out for sure.
Welco, Flummage by Quint	Jun 3rd, 2008 03:01:14 AM
I have a ton of Criterion releases that will definitely be included. You could almost make that its own column. But there are a few Criterion Fellini movies I have and a few Kurosawa movies I have, but haven't seen... plus a lot of more random and obscure flicks from Criterion. All in due time. I understand the focus on the Amazon links since there are a few columns that use a lot of them... but I really only use them in a big way in my Holiday Shopping Guide. I figure it's fitting here... I probably won't make much off of them, but what I do will just further me getting more DVDs and keeping this column going. You don't have to click on 'em if you don't want to. I'll do what I can to keep the subheads going. The space is limited (I actually had to reword this headline because it stopped me half way through "rise." It might not always be a quote, but there will definitely be something. Alright, gotta sleep now. Be back tomorrow with my thoughts on Drowning Pool and to check up on the conversation here, too.
Great ending by scruffytbk	Jun 3rd, 2008 03:31:03 AM
Just watched this last week. I really liked the last conversation in the car, thought it was a really good way to end the movie.
HDnet Movies by VeryBadBoy	Jun 3rd, 2008 03:52:52 AM
has been showing Harper last month and this month in widescreen high definition and it looks great if you get that channel on cable or satellite!
Next showing by VeryBadBoy	Jun 3rd, 2008 03:53:45 AM
of Harper on HDnet-movies channel is this coming Friday early in the morning. Set those HD-DVRs.
Hey Quint! by WelcoMatt	Jun 3rd, 2008 04:27:22 AM
Sent you a PM about my earlier comment on Criterion. Look for an e-mail from BPMatt... :)
Not a trilogy of H, actually by Napoleon Park	Jun 3rd, 2008 04:33:58 AM
Hud, The Hustler, Harper... Hombre.
i saw this so long ago by Napoleon Park	Jun 3rd, 2008 04:42:07 AM
Vista Drive In, with my dad when I ws a kid. We loved Newman and McQueen flicks. We saw a lot of great movies - "The Flim Flam Man", "Rhe Traveling Executioner", "Bullitt," "Rage," "Straw Dogs," "Brewster McCloud".
I love the idea of this column by IndustryKiller!	Jun 3rd, 2008 05:00:21 AM
And I know I won't be able to keep up with anything nearing regularity, but I'll certainly read it and get myself familiarized with some great films that I can check out later. Those asking whether it will last or not are completely missing the point. Keen idea Quint.
Good idea, Quint! by Motoko Kusanagi	Jun 3rd, 2008 05:35:31 AM
Keep going!
Saw this when I was a teen by bb6634	Jun 3rd, 2008 06:13:05 AM
I remember seeing 'Harper' when I was fourteen or so, and I remember liking it. I haven't seen it since but I remember the look of the film, and the description Quint gives is accurate. Even on full-screen VHS the colours seemed richer, the images bigger. I saw it's follow-up 'Drowning Pool' a few years later and thought it was a superior film. 'Pool' actually makes an interesting double bill with another detective movie that came out the same year (1975: Arthur Penn's 'Night Moves', which is like a post-modernist mirror image of 'Drowning Pool' (both movies even star jailbait Melenie Griffith). Good luck with new column Quint. You are in for a treat with 'Rio Bravo'.
The Drowning Pool sounds amazing... by SmokeFilledTavern	Jun 3rd, 2008 07:12:25 AM
I love films set in New Orleans, and from the seventies. Hadn't heard of it.
What was the ending of Harper all about? by Steve Rogers	Jun 3rd, 2008 07:21:41 AM
Got the same box set as you Quint, and watched Harper and The Drowning Pool recently. Good flicks, enjoyed both of them, Newman is superb (though the sequel doesn't really have as many killer lines as Harper, maybe because no Goldman?). But what was with that freeze frame at the end of Harper? Was an interesting moment, all the more so because you know that there is zero chance any studio film today would be allowed to end with the audience on the hook like that.
The 'H Trilogy' Myth by Laserhead	Jun 3rd, 2008 07:28:46 AM
From Amazon: "as William Goldman states in an enjoyable DVD commentary track, the name Lew Archer was switched to Harper because of Macdonald's reluctance to sign away franchise rights to his private eye's name, not because Newman wanted to have another movie with an "H" title (after The Hustler and Hud)."
And how long will this column last? by Larry Sellers	Jun 3rd, 2008 07:46:20 AM
Or at least how long will it be before "Sorry guys I've been busy [insert ambiguous tease about set visit here]"?
I'm surprised... by Rustle	Jun 3rd, 2008 07:51:07 AM
That you haven't seen some of these films already.. Papillion is going to blow your mind.. Dustin Hoffman and Steve McQueen both act the shit out of that movie.. Great fucking film!!!
Quint by just pillow talk	Jun 3rd, 2008 07:55:02 AM
I really like this idea, a great chance to throw some old movies on my netflix list. I've added Harper, so maybe I'll throw it to the top after I send back the movies I've got coming. To ensure it's longevity (this column), perhaps you shouldn't review a movie each day. I know you have the enthusiasm to do it right now, but you wouldn't want it to "feel" like work if you're scrambling to find time on the road to watch a movie. I'd rather you pace yourself, if you will, a bit. Maybe watching a movie every other day?
Column Pace by MediaNerd	Jun 3rd, 2008 08:06:13 AM
I would think running this weekly instead of daily would be more beneficial. If you really want this to be a discussion on the film, you need to give people a chance to watch and dialog back and forth a bit. If its daily, i can't imagine you'll have a good discussion.
Good, not great by frankiecrisp	Jun 3rd, 2008 08:24:05 AM
It looks as though I’m swimming against the current on “Harper.” It’s not that it’s a bad movie just one that could have been executed better in terms of building suspense. “Harper” doesn’t belong to the P.I. movies of the noir period even with some of the great lines, including a wonderful exchange on keeping the change. I saw it as a proto- “Die Hard” or “Lethal Weapon.” Harper has his buddy sidekick, which alternates between Wagner’s Taggert and Hill’s Albert, is a weisenheimer and doggedly continues his pursuit even when his life is at risk. I would absolutely say that some seeds for the buddy cop movie are sown here. Because of that, I wanted to see some suspense built in key sequences that ultimately fell flat; I’m thinking in particular of the sequence where Harper escapes from Puddler. We are shown Puddler reacting to Harper stumbling around, we are shown Harper alone and then Puddler entering the shot to chase him. Harper would then get away just before he would again make enough noise for Puddler to know where he’s at. Rinse and repeat until Puddler meets his end. That sequence would have played better had it been constructed with a Hitchcockian eye towards suspense. I also felt that way about the sequence when Taggert shot at the car, when Harper went to the mountain for his confrontation with the cat running the immigrant scheme (his name escapes me) and when Harper was on the ship looking for Sampson. They just fell flat. Additionally, I don’t think the movie worked hard enough to keep its secrets. There were shots that were held too long on Taggert and Albert before Harper outed them, doing everything but inserting a title card that read “he’s a bad guy.” An attempt to make Felix a red herring was made early on but then dropped. That Paul Newman carried the thing just by being Paul Newman is beyond question (not that he phoned it in and played himself but that he built a role through his incredible skill). The guy has a screen presence that few can equal, and I’m glad I got to see a “new to me” Newman flick. I just wish it had been a little tighter.
Great start, Quint. Keep it going. by Knuckleduster	Jun 3rd, 2008 09:19:30 AM
And honestly, noboby's going to mind if you skip a day or two. As long as we keep getting columns like this on a regular basis, I'm happy. Harper's great. Goldman's Adventures in the Screen Trade is what made me wanna check it out.
"Old Stick"--and another film.. by Lerkst	Jun 3rd, 2008 09:24:17 AM
---I grabbed this from the Library one rainy afternoon about a year ago. One of my favourite detective movies, and a great example of '60's' style. The one older thug who keeps saying 'how are ya, old stick"...great character, I've started using that line all the time. This may sound bizarre, but I challenge everyone to watch Harper, and then follow it with Big Lebowski. There are alot of similarities in theme and tone with both films. Just an observation; way to start on a high note, Quint
Drowning Pool by Quint	Jun 3rd, 2008 11:22:30 AM
I have it watched and mostly written up. I'm flying back to Austin from LA late tonight, but have to check out of the hotel now for my business out here. If I can get to an internet connection before my flight I'll post it, if not look for it late tonight after I get back into Austin!
Tough Pace by YakMalla	Jun 3rd, 2008 12:36:47 PM
Once again, Quint, thanks for this. Great idea, tho I wouldn't cry if you did one every 2-4 days or so. I can't afford 7-at-a-time at Netflix. I'm about halfway through Harper. Funny how, in a dated-looking film, Newman looks timeless. He really does have star quality. Lauren Bacall is the only one who looks like she belongs on the screen with him. And even she is vamping it up. Newman looks comfortable anywhere.
Pretty Good Flick by gimba2323	Jun 3rd, 2008 12:58:38 PM
Quint - I said the same exact thing as the credits rolled - Paul Newman IS a REAL movie star. He carried this movie. I loved the bar scene when he was pretending to be whomever anyone wanted him to be - very funny. Maybe I'm slow (no maybe about it) but I found the story hard to follow... After the movie I kinda pieced it together - but I had trouble keeping the different people straight. My father and I watched this together - and when we first saw Robert Wagner at the pool I said "hey there is Kato Katlin!" Overall I think the story was totally average - but worth a look for Newman's performance.
You've got a way of starting conversations that ends conversatio by brainstormchaser	Jun 3rd, 2008 01:02:08 PM

"You've got a way of starting conversations... by brainstormchaser	Jun 3rd, 2008 01:04:42 PM
..that ends conversations." A very cool and fun flick. I remember the sexy Pamela Tiffin from the 1962 remake of State Fair but I'm going to have to check out some of her other work. Great ending too. Looking forward to "Drowning Pool".
Well, if you're with Lovefilm.... by jpdisco	Jun 3rd, 2008 01:12:54 PM
You're fucked as they don't have it yet. Oh well, back to the drawing board..
I liked it by thefreeagents	Jun 3rd, 2008 08:13:36 PM
I just finished it and I liked it quite a bit. This is a great idea Quint and I hope the enthusiasm stays with you. I have the Drowning Pool on the queue. I'd like to know your interpretation of the ending as well. Plus, Rio Bravo is gonna blow you away dude.
Harper, based on Lew Archer books by by crankyoldguy	Jun 3rd, 2008 08:26:37 PM
the very great, many decades gone now Ross MacDonald. Search out his detective novels, all fine stuff, truly. And so were the Harper films. I don't know if I need the whole Newman box set, but certainly would like to see Harper and Drowing Pools again The story goes Newman had it changed from Archer to Harper, believing "H" names lucky. Archer's name is an homage to the hardboiled detective master Dashiell Hammett: "Miles Archer" was the name of Sam Spade's murdered partner in The Maltese Falcon. More Archer (or Harper) films could and should be made as MacDonald wrote many novels featuring the detective.
Great, classic dialogue...remember these.. by darthliquidator	Jun 3rd, 2008 11:06:05 PM
Sheriff: I could get ugly about this... Harper: You ARE ugly Harper: Your husband keeps lousy company...as bad as there is in L.A.....and that's as bad as there is. Harper: Keep the change Bartender: There is no change. Harper: Keep it anyway.
One of my favorite Newman flicks... by Ned Pepper	Jun 4th, 2008 07:33:08 AM
When I was a kid, I think I mainly dug it because Pamela Tiffin was so hot. But as I grew older, I also dug Newman's casual indifference to everyone and everything, the very definition of coolness. One of my favorite lines in the movie happens as he's playing dumb to Shelley Winters in a sleazy bar. She correctly guesses something, and he replies, "Wow, how'd you do that? You must be physic."
Another good line from Harper... by Ned Pepper	Jun 4th, 2008 07:41:52 AM
Someone asks Harper if he saw smokin' hot, bikini-clad Pamela Tiffin dancing by the pool as he walked into the house, and he replies, "That ugly, skinny kid? Yeah, we passed in the night."
Harper, Archer, Newman, Yulin?!?! by dannyocean	Jun 4th, 2008 02:13:05 PM
If you like the movie and the books, you should check out Harris Yulin's audio book dramatizations of "Sleeping Beauty" and "The Zebra Striped Hearse". Yulin, a very talented character actor (he was in films from "Night Moves" to "Stuart Saves His Family") adapted, directed and stars as Archer in these full cast dramatizations, packed with everyone from Ed Asner to Anthony Zerbe.
Late, but... by YakMalla	Jun 4th, 2008 03:57:02 PM
Just finished. The last four words spoken in the film are perfect.
GIVE ME THE AMULET, YOU BITCH!!!! by DRACULA_WANTS_THE_AMULET	Jul 5th, 2008 10:52:33 PM

Heh? by Orcus	Apr 22nd, 2009 09:12:35 AM

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A Movie A Day: Quint on HARPER (1966)
The bottom is loaded with nice people, Albert. Only cream and bastards rise.

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A Movie A Day: Quint on HARPER (1966)The bottom is loaded with nice people, Albert. Only cream and bastards rise.

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A Movie A Day: Quint on HARPER (1966)
The bottom is loaded with nice people, Albert. Only cream and bastards rise.