The Plot Against Harry

1971
1h 21m

IMDb RATING

6.9/10

547

YOUR RATING

Comedy Crime

When a former big shot in the Jewish Mafia is released from prison, his ex-wife and family try to set him straight.When a former big shot in the Jewish Mafia is released from prison, his ex-wife and family try to set him straight.When a former big shot in the Jewish Mafia is released from prison, his ex-wife and family try to set him straight.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.9/10

547

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 1 win & 7 nominations

Trivia
The film was shot in black-and-white in the late 1960s and was not given a proper release. Almost exactly 20 years later, in 1989, it was discovered (director Michael Roemer, transferring the film to VHS as a gift to his family, overheard it make a technician laugh and was boosted enough to submit it to the Toronto and New York film festivals, with it winning six Independent Spirit Awards the following year) and given a proper release for the first time.

Connections
Featured in Siskel & Ebert: Tremors/Ski Patrol/Internal Affairs/The Plot Against Harry (1990)

Soundtracks
Holding on to a Love
written by Henry Nemo

User reviews10

Review

Featured review

9/10

A small time New York Jewish gangster copes with live after prison in the 1960s

This movie is a gem. In plot, scripting, acting and direction, there is wit and verisimilitude. It's a favorite of mine that deserves to be more widely known.

The 'hero' is a small time numbers runner who returns home after a stretch in prison to find lots of changes on the 'job' and at home. His life becomes more and more complicated as he copes with his new life. There's a clever ending.

I give it 'only' 9 of 10 only because it's not 'a 100 best of all time' film. Still, it's one of my favorites. I saw it once on its release, and spent a lot of time tracking it down for a second view. The effort was worth it.