''Who's Harry Crumb?'' is a 1989 American

comedy Comedy is a genre of dramatic works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. Origins Comedy originated in ancient Greec ...

mystery film A mystery film is a film that revolves around the solution of a problem or a crime. It focuses on the efforts of the detective, private investigator or amateur Detective, sleuth to solve the mysterious circumstances of an issue by means of clues, ...

featuring

John Candy John Franklin Candy (October 31, 1950 – March 4, 1994) was a Canadian actor and comedian who is best known for his work in Hollywood (film industry), Hollywood films. Candy first rose to national prominence in the 1970s as a member of the Tor ...

as the title character. Paul Flaherty directed the film, which co-stars

Annie Potts Anne Hampton Potts (born October 28, 1952) is an American actress. She was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for '' Corvette Summer'' (1978) and won a Genie Award for '' Heartaches'' (1981), before appearing in ''Ghostbusters'' (1984), ''Pretty ...

Jeffrey Jones Jeffrey Duncan Jones (born September 28, 1946) is an American actor, known for his roles as Emperor Joseph II in '' Amadeus'' (1984), Edward R. Rooney in ''Ferris Bueller's Day Off'' (1986), Charles Deetz in ''Beetlejuice'' (1988), Dr. Skip Tyl ...

and

Shawnee Smith Shawnee Smith (born July 3, 1969) is an American actress and singer. She began her acting career at a young age, making her feature film debut at age 11 in '' Annie'' (1982). A few years later, she made her stage debut in '' To Gillian on Her 37 ...

. An uncredited cameo appearance is made by

Jim Belushi James Adam Belushi (; born June 15, 1954) is an American actor and comedian. His television roles include ''Saturday Night Live'' (1983–1985), ''According to Jim'' (2001–2009), and '' Good Girls Revolt'' (2015–2016). Belushi appeared in fi ...

. The story concerns the often incompetent, sometimes brilliant,

private investigator A private investigator (often abbreviated to PI; also known as a private detective, an inquiry agent or informally a wikt:private eye, private eye) is a person who can be hired by individuals or groups to undertake investigatory law services. ...

Harry Crumb, who searches for a

kidnapping Kidnapping or abduction is the unlawful abduction and confinement of a person against their will, and is a crime in many jurisdictions. Kidnapping may be accomplished by use of force or fear, or a victim may be enticed into confinement by frau ...

victim.

Plot

Beverly Hills Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. A notable and historic suburb of Los Angeles, it is located just southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Beverly Hil ...

, fashion model Jennifer Downing is kidnapped. Her father, multimillionaire P.J. Downing, turns to family friend Eliot Draisen—president of the Crumb & Crumb private detective agency—to investigate the case, unaware he is the kidnapper. Eliot offers them the aid of Harry Crumb, the last descendant of the agency's distinguished founders. A bumbling, clumsy, but dedicated detective with a penchant for disguises, Harry is recalled from the

Tulsa, Oklahoma Tulsa ( ) is the List of municipalities in Oklahoma, second-most-populous city in the U.S. state, state of Oklahoma, after Oklahoma City, and the List of United States cities by population, 48th-most-populous city in the United States. The po ...

branch where he was assigned ten years earlier to keep him away from the head office. Eliot believes Harry will be completely ineffective in solving the case. Harry meets with the Downing family, including Jennifer's overlooked younger sister Nikki and P.J.'s greedy new wife Helen, who is having an affair with her tennis coach Vince Barnes. Harry becomes suspicious of Helen after learning Jennifer was kidnapped while using Helen's salon appointment. P.J. receives a $10million ransom demand to spare Jennifer's life. Meanwhile, Eliot meets with Helen, confessing he has been in love with her since they went to school together. Helen rebuffs him, admitting she only cares about money and would only be with Eliot if he possessed vast wealth. Convinced that Helen and Vince are the kidnappers, Harry begins working with Nikki to investigate them. Concerned that P.J. will pay the ransom, Helen and Vince decide to implement their own long-planned effort to kill P.J. so she will inherit his money first. They sabotage the brakes on P.J.'s car but Harry and Nikki borrow it to covertly follow Helen and Vince. When the brakes fail, Harry unintentionally rams their car and they assume that he is chasing them. The pair escape after Harry crashes his car. Harry assumes they sabotaged the car to kill him and stop his investigation. Harry infiltrates the vent system in Vince's apartment complex to spy on him and Helen, unaware that Vince has been lured away by Eliot who uses his knowledge of her affair to blackmail her for sex. Unable to see through the high vent in the apartment, Harry overhears film characters on the TV discussing traveling to

Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...

which he believes is Vince and Helen planning to flee the country; the location also inspires Eliot's own escape plans. Eliot sends a new ransom demanding the money by Friday, which Helen intercepts and changes to the following Monday, giving herself more time to kill P.J.. Eliot has his accomplice Dwayne force Jennifer to call and re-confirm the ransom for Friday, to be exchanged at the horse racing track. Eliot takes the briefcase containing the cash from Harry, ostensibly under instructions from the kidnapper, and leaves for the airport. Helen and Vince unsuccessfully try to follow him to steal the money. At the airport, Eliot calls Helen, admits his role in the kidnapping, and asks her to come with him to Buenos Aires now that he is rich, to which she readily agrees. Vince overhears the call and intercepts the pair, taking the money and causing Helen to rejoin him. They bind and gag Eliot, leaving him in a utility room, before boarding the plane. Harry and Nikki arrive, commandeering a stair truck to pursue the plane. Their chaotic chase causes a luggage trolley to crash into the building in which Dwayne is holding Jennifer, inadvertently electrocuting Dwayne to death. Nikki rams the stair car into the plane, allowing Harry to capture Helen and Vince, who are taken into police custody. With Jennifer saved, Harry and Nikki celebrate until he overhears Eliot trying to free himself. Assuming Harry has deduced his part in the kidnapping and exasperated at his success, Eliot confesses and is arrested. Harry is named the new president of Crumb & Crumb, and P.J. thanks him for reconciling the relationship between himself and Nikki. A new case is brought to Harry's attention—a murder at the Bottom's Up club in San Francisco.

Cast

as Harry Crumb *

as Eliot Draisen *

as Helen Downing *

Tim Thomerson Joseph Timothy Thomerson (born April 8, 1946) is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for his role as Jack Deth in the '' Trancers'' film series, his work in numerous low-budget features, and his comedic television roles. He appear ...

as Vince Barnes *

Barry Corbin Leonard Barrie Corbin (born October 16, 1940) is an American actor. He is best known for his starring role as Maurice Minnifield on the television series ''Northern Exposure'' (1990–1995), which earned him two consecutive Primetime Emmy Award ...

as P.J. Downing *

as Nikki Downing *

Valri Bromfield Valri Bromfield (born February 10, 1949) is a Canadian comedian, actress, writer, and television producer who started her career as one half of a comedy team with Dan Aykroyd. Together, they joined the first Toronto company of The Second City wh ...

as Detective Casey *

Renée Coleman Renée Coleman (born January 8, 1962) is a Canadian actress who has appeared in several TV shows and movies. Acting She is best known for her role in the NBC TV series ''Quantum Leap'', in which she played the role of Alia, the "evil leaper." ...

as Jennifer Downing *

Wesley Mann Wesley Mann (born September 6, 1963) is an American character actor, best known for his role as the caterpillar on '' Adventures in Wonderland'' and for playing the spluttering teacher-turned-principal Mr. Lawler on '' That's So Raven''. His a ...

as Tim * Doug Steckler as Dwayne * Tamsin Kelsey as Marie *

Joe Flaherty Joseph Flaherty (born Joseph O'Flaherty, June 21, 1941 – April 1, 2024) was an American actor, writer, and comedian. He is best known for his work on the Canadian sketch comedy '' SCTV'' from 1976 to 1984 (on which he also served as a write ...

as Doorman * Lori O'Byrne as Karen * Michele Goodger as Mrs. MacIntyre * Beverley Elliott as Joanne * P. Lynn Johnson as Kelly * Peter Yunker as Jeffrey Brandt *

Garwin Sanford Garwin Sanford (born 14 March 1955) is a Canadian film and television actor known for his roles on ''Stargate SG-1'' and ''Stargate Atlantis''. Career Sanford's most notable roles are Narim in ''Stargate SG-1'' and Simon Wallace in ''Stargat ...

as Dennis Kimball *

Tony Dakota Tony Dakota (born 1982) is an American actor known for his roles as Clavo on the television series ''21 Jump Street'' and Georgie Denbrough in the 1990 television mini-series version of Stephen King's epic horror novel '' It''.Holloway, Diane (18 ...

as Freddy *

Manny Perry Manny Perry is an American stunt coordinator and stuntman. He has performed in dozens of films including ''Armageddon'', ''Con Air'', and '' The Mighty Ducks''. He played the role of Big Jim Slade in '' Kentucky Fried Movie''. He has also had ac ...

as Cop in Car *

Tino Insana Silvio Peter "Tino" Insana (February 15, 1948 – May 31, 2017) was an American actor, producer, writer, and comedian. Life and career Insana was born in Chicago, Illinois on February 15, 1948, the son of Silvio A. Insana, a musician, and Hilora ...

as Smokey *

Lyle Alzado Lyle Martin Alzado (April 3, 1949 – May 14, 1992) was an American professional American football, football player who was a defensive end of the National Football League (NFL), famous for his intense and intimidating style of play. Alzado pla ...

as Man in Apartment *

Deanna Oliver Deanna Oliver is an American actress and writer. Oliver performed the voice of Toaster in the film '' The Brave Little Toaster'' (1987) and its sequels. In addition, she was a writer of the animated series ''Tiny Toon Adventures'' (1990) and ''A ...

as Woman in Apartment *

as Man on Bus (uncredited)

Release

Box office

''Who's Harry Crumb?'' was released in the United States and Canada on February 3, 1989. During its opening weekend it grossed a total of $3.9million from 1,197 theaters—an average of $3,227 per theater—making it the fifth-highest grossing film of the weekend, behind ''

Beaches A beach is a landform alongside a body of water which consists of loose particles. The particles composing a beach are typically made from Rock (geology), rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle beach, shingle, pebbles, etc., or biological s ...

'' ($4.2million) in its seventh week of release, and ahead of ''

Twins Twins are two offspring produced by the same pregnancy.MedicineNet > Definition of Twin Last Editorial Review: 19 June 2000 Twins can be either ''monozygotic'' ('identical'), meaning that they develop from one zygote, which splits and forms two e ...

'' ($3.3million) in its ninth. In its second weekend, ''Who's Harry Crumb?'' fell to the number 8 position with a $2.3million gross—a 40.1% drop from the previous week—placing it behind ''Twins'' ($2.9million) and ahead of the debuting '' Tap'' ($2.2million). In total, ''Who's Harry Crumb?'' grossed $11million, making it only the 84th-highest-grossing film of 1989. The film was released in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

on July 6, 1989, and failed to reach the Top 15.

Critical reception

Janet Maslin Janet R. Maslin (born August 12, 1949) is an American journalist, who served as a film critic for ''The New York Times'' from 1977 to 1999, serving as chief critic for the last six years, and then a literary critic from 2000 to 2015. In 2000, M ...

praised several of the performances in the film, including Candy's, but dismissed the film as a "weak comedy". Noting that ''Who's Harry Crumb?'' and '' The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!'' center on detectives who both feign wisdom while being oblivious, not to mention the same fish

sight gag In comedy, a visual gag or sight gag is anything which conveys its humour visually, often without words being used at all. The gag may involve a physical impossibility or an unexpected occurrence. The humor is caused by alternative interpretation ...

, Maslin concludes that

Leslie Nielsen Leslie William Nielsen (February 11, 1926November 28, 2010) was a Canadian actor and comedian. With a career spanning 60 years, he appeared in more than 100 films and 150 television programs, portraying more than 220 characters. He made his a ...

comes out the better in the comparison. On

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...

the film has an approval rating of based on 11 reviews. On

Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...

it has a score of and 44% based on reviews from 10 critics. Audiences polled by

CinemaScore CinemaScore is an American market research firm based in Las Vegas. It surveys film audiences to rate their viewing experiences with letter grades, reports the results, and forecasts box office receipts from the data. Background Ed Mintz, who ...

gave the film a grade "C" on scale of A to F. According to motion picture-historian

Leonard Maltin Leonard Michael Maltin (born December 18, 1950) is an American film critic, film historian, and author. He is known for his book of film capsule reviews, '' Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide'', published from 1969 to 2014. Maltin was the film criti ...

, "Candy is ideally cast, but the film itself is uneven...With some very funny moments, but too much outright silliness." In March 2018, ''

Den of Geek ''Den of Geek'' is a UK and US-based website covering entertainment with a focus on pop culture. The website also issues a biannual magazine. History ''Den of Geek'' was founded in 2007 by Simon Brew in London. In 2012, DoG Tech LLC licensed ' ...

'' included the film as one of "The Underrated Movies of 1989", commenting that it "isn't necessarily vintage Candy...it's still a lot of fun, and gives him a title role that he clearly enjoyed."

References

External links

* {{IMDb title, id=0098645, title=Who's Harry Crumb? 1989 films 1980s comedy mystery films 1980s comedy thriller films American comedy thriller films American comedy mystery films American detective films Films about kidnapping Films set in Los Angeles NBC Productions films TriStar Pictures films Films scored by Michel Colombier 1989 comedy films Films produced by Arnon Milchan 1980s English-language films Films directed by Paul Flaherty 1980s American films English-language comedy mystery films English-language comedy thriller films