IN A NUTSHELL -- "WHO IS HARRY CRUMB?":



John Candy plays bumbling Harry Crumb, the last survivor of a family of great detectives. This Crumb works in the agency his legendary grandfather founded, but he's been exiled to their "Greater Tulsa" office. Eliot Draisen (Jeffrey Jones) who somehow has become the Director of "Crumb and Crumb" assigns the inept Harry Crumb to find the kidnapped daughter of a multi-millionaire (played by the affable Barry Corbin from TV's "Northern Exposure"). There is a catch, however ... Draisen doesn't want the kidnappers found, for reasons of his own. While Crumb bumbles along through various mishaps (aided by his able assistant, Shawnee Smith) which are articulated via a series of ridiculously funny comedy skits, the kidnappers feel completely secure. In the meantime, Elliot Draisen tries to have his way with the millionaire's wife (Annie Potts), but does that have anything to do with the plot?



OKAY IT SOUNDS KIND OF PAT -- BUT:



In "Who's Harry Crumb?", it's all in the execution. The series of vignettes that make up the heart of the film are John Candy at his best. He plays a series of "under-cover" impersonations that run the gamut from Middle Eastern Vice-President of operations to a blonde transvestite [in the epilogue]. The idea is that somehow, despite his penchant for being a complete idiot, he somehow catches the kidnappers, by accident. But -- not before breaking his boss's prize dinosaur eggs [literally] and everthing else that gets in his way. We can see what's happening, but it is the way that Crumb gets from point A to point B that makes this film entertaining and worth watching.



ABOUT THE DVD:



If being able to add English Subtitles and select scenes are features, then this DVD has features. It is, however, an excellent transfer in "Widescreen Format" and an obvious improvement over the VHS offering.



POST SCRIPT:



This is one of Candy's better efforts and he is largely a one-man band. His impersonations are all quite funny and truly ridiculous, especially the one where he plays Hungarian executive, DuJour Dioche. Here he goes from having excessive chest hair to having a beard in the wink of an eye. The skits alone make this a must-see for all and a must-have for any Candy fans.



This film was released in February of 1989 and grossed $11 million. He managed to make another 18 films before he died of a heart attack in his sleep on location of the film "Wagons East", in Durango, Mexico on March 4, 1994. He was 43.