Harper

Harper takes a case - and the payoff is murder.
Harper (1966)
6.8/10
13 481
—
no scores
6.7/10
206
6.8/10
12000
Rate the movie:
Release date
Budget
$3 500 000
Revenue
$12 000 000
Director
Scenario
Ross Macdonald
Author
Composer
Photo Johnny Mandel
Johnny Mandel
Producer
Photo Elliott Kastner
Elliott Kastner
Actors
Photo Paul Newman
Paul Newman
Lew Harper
Photo Lauren Bacall
Lauren Bacall
Elaine Sampson
Photo Julie Harris
Julie Harris
Betty Fraley
Photo Arthur Hill
Arthur Hill
Albert Graves
Photo Janet Leigh
Janet Leigh
Susan Harper
Photo Pamela Tiffin
Pamela Tiffin
Miranda Sampson
Photo Robert Wagner
Robert Wagner
Allan Taggert
Photo Robert Webber
Robert Webber
Dwight Troy
All actors and roles (10)

Short description

Lew Harper is a Los Angeles private investigator hired by wealthy Elaine Sampson to look into the disappearance of her husband Ralph. What first appears to be a voluntary absence quickly turns complicated, as Harper's inquiries lead him through the mansions of the rich and into the city's shadier corners, where he encounters an aging actress, a nightclub singer, a cult leader and people involved in smuggling. Paul Newman plays the detective, with Lauren Bacall as his client, and Julie Harris, Arthur Hill, Janet Leigh and Pamela Tiffin among the cast.

Jack Smight directed the film from a screenplay by William Goldman, with Elliott Kastner and Jerry Gershwin producing. Released in February 1966, it was the first of the five features listed for Smight, preceding Double Indemnity, Airport 1975, Midway and Damnation Alley. The production had a budget of four million dollars and took in twelve million worldwide.

On IMDb the film holds a rating of 6.8 from roughly twelve thousand votes, while on TMDB it stands at 6.7 from about two hundred votes. A critics' rating of 6.9 from twenty-one reviews places it close to the audience scores. The film runs 121 minutes.

What's left behind the scenes

  • Writer Ross Macdonald did not allow the use of the detective's book name—Lew Archer—and superstitious producers decided to name the film with the letter "H," referencing the success of the 1963 film "Hud" starring Newman.

Similar movies

Is this film worth watching?

To leave a comment, please log in or sign up. Free sign up!

© ACMODASI, 2010-2026

All rights reserved.
The materials (trademarks, videos, images and text) contained on this site are the property of their respective owners. It is forbidden to use any materials from this site without prior agreement with their owner.
When copying text and graphic materials (videos, images, text, screenshots of pages) from this site, an active link to the site www.acmodasi.in must necessarily accompany such material.
We are not responsible for any information posted on this site by third parties.