| Harper | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Jack Smight |
| Screenplay by | William Goldman |
| Based on | The Moving Target byRoss Macdonald |
| Produced by |
|
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Conrad Hall |
| Edited by | Stefan Arnsten |
| Music by | Johnny Mandel |
Production company | Gershwin-Kastner Productions |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
Release date |
|
Running time | 121 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $3.5 million |
| Box office | $12 million[1] |
Harper is a 1966 Americanmysterythriller film starringPaul Newman, withLauren Bacall,Julie Harris,Arthur Hill,Janet Leigh,Pamela Tiffin,Robert Wagner andShelley Winters in support. Directed byJack Smight from a screenplay byWilliam Goldman, the picture is based on the 1949 novelThe Moving Target byRoss Macdonald.[2] Newman plays private investigatorLew Harper, based on the protagonist of Macdonald's series of detective stories.
Goldman received a 1967Edgar Award forBest Motion Picture Screenplay. Newman reprised his Harper role inThe Drowning Pool (1975).
Private investigatorLew Harper is retained by an old pal, attorney Albert Graves, to search for Graves' employer, multi-millionaire Ralph Sampson. He has disappeared after flying into Los Angeles, and Sampson's physically disabled wife Elaine wants to ensure her estranged husband is not squandering the fortune she hopes to inherit. Harper interviews Allan Taggert, Sampson's private pilot, and his flirtatious daughter Miranda, object of Albert's desire. An old photo of a glamorous starlet in Sampson's bungalow leads Harper to Fay Estabrook, now an aging alcoholic. Harper gets her drunk to see if she is connected to Sampson's disappearance. When she passes out, he encounters the armed Dwight Troy, Fay's husband, who falls for Harper's cover story that he is a fan of the former star.
Having intercepted a call at Fay's, Harper tracks down Betty Fraley, a lounge singer, at her club. When he asks about the missing Sampson, she recognizes his voice and has the bouncer, Puddler, take him out to beat him in a back alley, but Taggert arrives and knocks Puddler unconscious. Taggert joins Harper as they head back to Troy's house to check on the truck Betty warned Fay to head off on the phone. Harper leaves Taggert standing watch outside; though the truck gets away when Taggert shoots at it and misses, it leaves distinctive tire marks in the dust.
Elaine receives a message from Sampson asking her to cash in $500,000 in bonds, and Harper deduces that he has been kidnapped. Driving to a remote mountaintop property that Sampson previously had given to Claude, a bogus holy man, for his cult's temple, Harper evades attempts to distract him and finds the familiar tire prints.
Back at the Sampson estate, Harper finds a ransom note with instructions to drop the cash that night outside town. Harper sends Taggert and Graves to make the drop while he keeps watch. During it, the man picking up the money is shot dead, and the cash is taken by someone in a white convertible. A clue leads Harper to a seedy bar where Harper learns the dead man was Eddie, a regular customer. Outside, Harper spots Puddler driving the same truck, which he follows back to Claude's temple. There, he uncovers an illegal immigrant smuggling operation run by Troy. Harper is caught and questioned by Troy, who knows nothing of the kidnapping or Eddie's part in it, but realizes the white convertible belongs to Betty.
Puddler takes Harper to a dockside warehouse, where he falls to his death failing to prevent Harper's escape. Harper suspects it was Taggert, Betty, and her brother Eddie who kidnapped Sampson. When questioned, Taggert pulls a gun on Harper but is shot by the arriving Graves. Harper then finds junkie Betty at her cottage being tortured by Troy, Claude, and Fay. As Betty reveals where the money is, Harper bursts in, shoots Troy, and subdues the others before fleeing with Betty. When Harper informs her that Taggert, her secret lover, is dead, she breaks down and reveals that Sampson is being held in an abandoned oil tanker. Harper calls Graves to meet them there, but as Harper searches the ship, he is knocked unconscious from behind. Some time later Harper comes to, and the pair discover Sampson's murdered body. Meanwhile, Betty drives off in Harper's car, is pursued by Harper and Graves, and dies when she loses control on a winding road.
The two men retrieve the money and Graves drives Harper to the Sampson home. On the way, Harper tells Graves he knows that he killed Sampson. Graves admits he did because of his hatred for him and knowing that Sampson would oppose any relationship with Miranda. Harper warns Graves that he has to turn him in to the police and that Graves will have to shoot him to stop him. However, when Harper gets out and walks toward the door, he drops the bundle containing the half million dollars in cash to the ground. Graves cannot bring himself to pull the trigger, and Harper raises his arms in resignation.
William Goldman had written the novelBoys and Girls Together (1964), the film rights to which had been optioned by producerElliot Kastner. Kastner met with Goldman and expressed a desire to make a tough movie, one "with balls". Goldman suggested theLew Archer novels ofRoss Macdonald would be ideal—Goldman had long been an admirer of Macdonald, saying the Archer books were "the finest series of detective novels ever written by an American" and that Macdonald was "one of the best American novelists now operating, and he keeps getting better."[3]
Goldman offered to do an adaptation. Kastner agreed, saying he would option whatever of the novels Goldman suggested. Goldman choseThe Moving Target, Archer's first. Kastner later said he paid Macdonald $1,000 for the film rights and Goldman $5,000 to write the script.[4]
According to Goldman, the script was offered first toFrank Sinatra, who turned it down, then toPaul Newman, who was eager to accept as he had just starred in the period film fiascoLady L (1965), and was keen to do something contemporary.[5] Newman's signing was announced in March 1965.[6] Kastner set up the film atWarner Bros. for a budget of $3.3 million, of which Kastner received $500,000.[4]
The script originally was calledArcher. The name of the lead character was changed from Lew Archer to Harper because the producers had not bought the rights to the series, just toThe Moving Target. Goldman later wrote, "So we needed a different name and Harper seemed OK, the guy harps on things, it's essentially what he does for a living."[7] Newman also requested that the character's name be changed from Archer to Harper due to his success in two films beginning with the letter "H"—The Hustler (1961) andHud (1963).[8] The film's title remainedThe Moving Target outside North America.[9]
"It's aBogie kind of film", Newman said, adding the difference in the private eye character "is the level of commitment. He has more of a sense of humor about his job."[10]
Goldman said the film was originally offered to a director who was engaged in a legal fight with Warners. The job eventually went toJack Smight, known then for his TV work, who had recently signed a six-picture deal with Warner Bros.The Third Day (1965) was the first andHarper was to be the second.[11]
According to Smight, Newman had admired some of the director's work for live TV. The director met with Newman, discussed the script, and received the star's approval. In contrast with his first two features, Smight loved the script forHarper.[12]
Smight later said, "Attempting a private eye story at the height of all theseBonds could have been a risky business. We wanted to capture some of the qualities ofDouble Indemnity and all those earlierRaymond Chandlers andHammetts – in other words to do a really good movie – without being accused of retrogressing. I studied some of those pictures to see what made them tick. One great thing they had going for them was that the character people were so visually explicit: WhenPeter Lorre orSydney Greenstreet walked in on Bogart, you didn't need an explanation. Today it's harder to find them; they just aren't being developed in the way they used to be."[11]
Smight asked for and was granted rehearsal time for the film.[12]
Principal photography began on June 7, 1965, on theWarner Bros. Studios lot inBurbank, California, and concluded on August 20 of that year. Filming took place on 23 locations in the Los Angeles area, includingMalibu Canyon,Marion Davies' former mansion inBeverly Hills, theMoon Fire Temple inTopanga Canyon,Westwood,Bel Air, Trancas Beach inMalibu,Wrigley Field in Los Angeles,Newhall,San Pedro,Terminal Island, and theHuntington Beach oil fields.[9]
In the title sequence, Harper dunks his head into a sinkful of ice cubes to rouse himself awake, a bit that Newman repeated in the 1973 filmThe Sting. Newman reportedly followed this routine every morning in real life.[13]
Robert Wagner later recalled Smight "lacked confidence; his wife was with him on the set for the entire shoot and seemed to function as a kind of security blanket. That was annoying, because a film set derives its specific temperature from the star and the director. Our director was nervous, which can make the cast and crew nervous. But Paul pretended not to notice, and his confidence spread to the rest of the cast. The reason he was confident was because William Goldman's script was tight and amusing, and the cast kept things bubbling."[14]
Harper was a financial success and earned $5.3 million in North Americanrentals in 1966,[15] and has generated a $12 million cumulative domestic and international gross through 2025.[1] The film is credited with launching Goldman's career as a screenwriter.[16]
| Award | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edgar Allan Poe Awards | Best Motion Picture | William Goldman | Won | [17] |
| Laurel Awards | Top Action Drama | 5th Place | ||
| Top Action Performance | Paul Newman | 3rd Place | ||
| Writers Guild of America Awards | Best Written American Drama | William Goldman | Nominated | |
Goldman adaptedThe Chill (1964), another Macdonald novel, for the same producers, but it was not filmed.[18] Newman pulled out of the project, andSam Peckinpah became attached as director for a while as the film was set up atCommonwealth United Entertainment. When that company ended its film operations,The Chill was not made.[19]
Newman reprised the role of Harper in the 1975 filmThe Drowning Pool, based on Macdonald's 1950novel of the same name.[9]
