Harry and Tonto (1974)

Synopsis: Paul Mazursky's HARRY AND TONTO is an offbeat comedy-drama with a subtle and remarkable central performance by Art Carney as Harry, a 72-year-old widower who takes off on a cross-country odyssey... Paul Mazursky's HARRY AND TONTO is an offbeat comedy-drama with a subtle and remarkable central performance by Art Carney as Harry, a 72-year-old widower who takes off on a cross-country odyssey with his cat, Tonto, after he's evicted from his Manhattan apartment building. Along the way he visits his eldest daughter, Shirley (Ellen Burstyn), in Chicago and plans to meet up with his son, Eddie (Larry Hagman), in California. Harry's road trip is filled with small vignettes that remind him of where he's come from and where he's going. Inspired by the vitality of the many characters he comes across, he's left to ponder his own quiet life. Harry also remembers a past love when he meets up with Jessie (Geraldine Fitzgerald), an old girlfriend who used to be a vivacious ballet dancer but now lies senile in a nursing home. Among the gallery of other memorable characters he meets on the road are a young female hitchhiker, a hooker, and a down-on-his-luck Indian chief. Ultimately, Harry reaches the West Coast and finds that things are not quite as he planned, but at the end of the road, he remains deeply inspired by his new vision of life, filled with hope for the future. A remarkable ensemble cast of oddball characters infuses Harry's trip with unique vitality, humor, and honesty. [More]

Starring: Art Carney, Ellen Burstyn, Larry Hagman, Chief Dan George

Starring: Art Carney, Ellen Burstyn, Larry Hagman, Chief Dan George, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Arthur Hunnicutt, Herbert Berghof

Director: Paul Mazursky

Director: Paul Mazursky
Screenwriter: Paul Mazursky, Josh Greenfeld
Composer: Bill Conti

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