Hollywood in the oughties could never make a film like Harry In Your Pocket. With its 'glorification' of pickpocketing, its characters who are utterly charming and utterly without remorse, and its downbeat ending, this film would end up on the trash heap or go straight to cable. It's a reminder of how glorious American film was in the late 60s and early 70s, and how straitjacketed it is at present. Not quite a classic, but still worth catching for James Coburn and Walter Pidgeon.
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JohnSeal17 May 2001
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mcgriswald26 January 2007I caught "Harry in your Pocket" on an on-demand cable channel, and I hadn't seen it since its original theatrical release. I have to say that I enjoyed it, partly because it is a great example of the early '70s antihero type of film, and because as a kid who grew up in Seattle where the beginning of the movie is filmed, it was cool to see the old buildings (long since replaced by skyscrapers) and the old restaurants like the Brasserie Pittsbourg and Rosellini's 410.
Much of the film is dated, particularly the hairstyles and the clothes, but not so much that ruins the overall enjoyment of the film.
Most people will enjoy the dissection of the act of pickpocketing, and the entire culture of the pickpockets, which is painstakingly explained. While amoral, the characters are likable, and the scene never gets too heavy, even though there is conflict.
The ending is typically downbeat, which like "Butch Cassidy" and others was a hallmark of these antihero type of films. Strangely, the movie was marketed as a comedy, but it really wasn't, particularly by today's standards. Not hugely important or groundbreaking, just a great example of Coburn's work and similar films of that era. -
moonspinner559 May 2009Original, offbeat character study with bracing dramatic moments stars Michael Sarrazin as an unskilled young thief in Seattle who gets himself and his new girlfriend (the appealing Trish Van Devere) hired on by a wily old pickpocket and his partner, a no-nonsense type with a big ego and a calculating manner. After some training, the foursome move on to Salt Lake City, where they become a finely-tuned team of cons. The smooth direction by Bruce Geller, the occasionally clever script from writers James David Buchanan and Ron Austin, and a superb cast including James Coburn and Walter Pidgeon promise a sure-fire movie. Unfortunately, the disappointing third act doesn't so much unravel as it does dry up, with the writing smacking of moralistic pandering ("Don't let this happen to you!"). Still, two-thirds of a great picture, one with a jazzy look, some amusing interplay and memorable characters. **1/2 from ****
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redbeard_nv16 September 2001How can you enjoy a film about pickpockets that isn't a comedy, but a deep, emotional analysis of the fall of two master cannons (street slang for pickpockets) and the training of the next generation?
Easy.
Offbeat, it wasn't shot in glorious LA or New York or Chicago, but in Salt Lake City, the plain states and Canada. Featuring the always intense James Coburn as the titular character, with the great and glorious Walter Pidgeon as his aging, cocaine addicted mentor, supported by then rising stars Michael Sarrazan (fresh off his success in "The Groundstar Conspiracy") and Trish VanDevere (pre-George C.Scott), it took a peek behind the veil at one of the world's oldest professions, in your face robbery without the victim every knowing it.
Light and breezy during the small capers, but dark and brooding during the intervals, we see a changing of the guard, but one not born of pomp and ceremony, but of despair, loneliness and resignation.
The other posters are right. It would never be made these days. No sex, violence, guns, backstabbing, revenge or enough neon. So, hopefully, they'll never try to remake it and ruin the memory of a classic. -
hipchecker204 July 2004A terrific Coburn vehicle. Great job by Walter Pidgeon showing why he lasted so long as a supporting player. The scenes in all of the various western cities are great.
Showing people who strive to learn an ancient "trade" rather than work for a living! I really enjoyed this. It adds so much to Coburns' legend.
How else do you live in fancy hotels and meet beautiful people unless you have a real secret of success.
Always remember, "Harry doesn't carry."
Coburn is certainly a guy I will miss. -
bkoganbing11 October 2015The only other film that I saw where a pickpocket is a hero is Pickup On South Street and the stylish James Coburn of Harry In Your Pocket would look down on Richard Widmark. Widmark worked alone and lived hand to mouth until he happened to dip on a Communist spy and got some atomic secrets in that film.
We're dealing with something totally different here. James Coburn in the title role will dip into your's and everyone else's pocket. After watching this film I'm glad I carry my wallet in my front pocket where a strange movement there will set off definite alarms. You watch Harry In Your Pocket and NO ONE will ever carry a wallet in a back pocket again.
Coburn and an old associate Walter Pidgeon take in a pair of young trainees, Michael Sarrazin and Trish Van Devere, and things work out for a bit. But soon Van Devere becomes an object of rivalry for the team. Coburn also is known far and wide by law enforcement, but they can never catch him with the goods.
Some nice scenic cinematography in Seattle, Salt Lake City, and Victoria, British Columbia is in this film as three of the places where the team plys it's trade. Coburn is a man getting on himself and jealous of young Sarrazin. His only real attachment is to the elderly Pidgeon who now just serves as a lookout for marks and a steerer. Pidgeon is rather touching as the old crook for whom there really is no retirement due to the life he's chosen to lead.
For a look at an elegant yet also seamy side of a crooked business you can't go wrong with Harry In Your Pocket. -
BachlorinParadise19 August 2006Just re-saw this movie after some thirty-three years. I first saw it at the now long gone Circle Theater in Miami Springs, Florida. I was a big fan of James Coburn and Micheal Sarrazon, and just had to see this movie. It was enjoyable when I was fifteen years old, and it was still enjoyable now. Very good acting from everyone involved. The movie plays almost like a play and the focus is on the four main characters, with little in regards to the supporting cast.
Pick-pocketing was and always will be around. The film tends to make it an art with a romantic flavor, but then again, it's Hollywood. A bit of a surprise ending, but if you're expecting car chases, punch-outs, and shootouts, you will be greatly disappointed. Just a well-acted and entertaining little flick. Harry in Your Pocket is a pocketful of entertainment. -
viciouslollipop5 August 2009I caught this movie last night on TCM while channel-surfing around...I have always been a big fan of James Coburn and had never seen this(I was born the year, 1973,before it came out). It was a really neat little flick about pickpockets from different generations working together...it is almost like a time capsule watching the places, fashions, and particulars from that era. The story was engaging and it was well-shot;the acting was also good from all four principals(Coburn, Pidgeon, Sarrazin, and Van de Vere). I tend to agree with several of the posters in that this movie probably could not be made today, or it would be a direct to video affair. Character studies and dialogue driven movies are almost niche films by some of todays standards. All in all, if you are a film fan it is definitely worth checking out(if just for the contrasts in styles from the mid 60's/late 70's to today:)
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mim-820 September 2009Harry in your pocket is not a lost masterpiece but more of a lost movie of the decade that was famous for it's crime genre cinema. It's one of the better Coburn films of the 70's and pretty decent all around. All four principal characters take the equal burden of the story, which never becomes boring, predictable or tedious. There are some great scenes that show us the tricks of the trade, but every bit of it remains interesting to the end. Walter Pigeon and James Coburn lead the way in a story of life on a day to day basis, never looking beyond tomorrow, and doing a job that might just take you down in flames, so enjoy it while you can. And they do, best clothes, best hotels, best food and coke, but never in one place for more than a week. Michael Sarrazin and lovely Trish Van Devere are great as well as a no future lovers who immerse themselves in Harry's combustible world of fast money and quick pleasures. The job is risky and takes it's toll, that's how it goes and the ending serves the story. I don't know why this movie wasn't released on DVD but it surely deserves the attention of all fans of 70's cinema. Find and enjoy.
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whpratt15 January 2007Sure missed this film over the years and was very glad I was finally able to view it on TV. James Coborn, (Harry), "Intrepid", played the role of a master at the art of pickpocketing and also had a side kick, Walter Pidgeon, (Casey) "Funny Girl" who gave a great supporting role. Michael Sarrazen, (Ray Houlihan) "Feardotcom" was starting out as an apprentice to this field of putting your hands in other peoples pockets. Trish Van Devere, (Sandy Coletto) "Messenger of Death", was also in on this racket and her lover was Ray Houlihan. Trish would wear very very short skirts and bend over to distract young and old men in order to enable her co-workers to pick their pockets dry. This four some went from city to city and had a ball doing whatever they pleased. This is truly a great classic film from 1973 with James Coborn at the top of his career and his supporting cast were outstanding. Enjoy
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TedMichaelMor11 June 2010This recalls pleasant French films that celebrate petty thieves and rascals. Bruce Geller obviously had great potential for other films. James Buchanan and Ronald Austin provided an entertaining and almost believable script. Michael Sarrazin unfortunately plays his role in his usual wooden, implausible style but the old masters James Coburn and Walter Pidgeon enrich with their usual nuances. Trish Van Devere almost overcomes some early ambiguities in the script.
The professionalism of the cinematography by Fred Koenekamp and editing by Arthur Hilton enhance, without in any way distracting from, the narrative. The score by Lalo Schifrin does call attention to itself but, nonetheless, works.
As someone who has visited Salt Lake City several times, I enjoyed that locale. Seeing some place outside L.A. helps sometimes.
This is not a ground-breaking work. It is not especially ingenious. It is not reflective or thoughtful. However, the film is not trivial, except for Michael Sarrazin who seems unable to play any but flat roles. Watching this movie diverts one on a sultry summer afternoon. -
thinker169112 January 2009Many an actor dreams of having a mixed repertoire of characters which he has play throughout his career, eventually becoming exclusively his. Doubtless, a few wish they could shed certain character images as they have become synonymous with and is difficult to shake it loose. This rarely ever happened to actor James Coburn. Here is one film which many of his fans never seen. In this film called "Harry In Your Pocket " he naturally plays the master pickpocket called Harry. In his travels he encounters a street thief named Ray Haulihan (Michael Sarrazin) and his beautiful partner Sandy Coletto (Trish Van Devere) who are looking to upgrade their ability as thieves. At first Harry and his aging partner Casey (Walter Pidgeon) are simply amused with the pair, but later, they become a foursome which becomes quite formidable. Refused by Harry to teach him the art of pickpocketing, Ray convinces Casey to teach him for a cut of the take as Casey has a Cocaine habit to support and one which eventually leads to tragedy. Once Harry learns of the young couple operating without him, he acquiesces and becomes their leader with one important rule, 'Harry never holds'. With the trio now planning to take on a grand event in New Orleans, they have no idea the police are awaiting them. With the rare appearance of Walter Pidgeon this movie is sure to become a classic in years to come. Exceptional feature. ****
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bbretall-11 August 2022The third set had a couple if problems, from the contrived "mistake" that sets up tension to what felt like mostly a "and then what?" non-ending.
I think there was a phase when they were ending movies like this, and I'm clearly not a fan. -
Frightening in two ways. A solid cast (Coburn was always watchable) plays a cadre of professional pickpockets and petty thieves who actually live quite high off the takings. Unfortunately, the movie only comes to life when they're at work. Otherwise, it becomes a romantic-triangle soap opera that tries, and fails, to twinkle. The first way the movie is frightening is the way it fails to show any life between the (all-too-brief) pickpocketing interludes.
More frightening is seeing how these people actually work (I'm sure their methods haven't changed a bundle). Back then, it was an inconvenience to replace a drivers license or other stuff . . . but the pickpockets were only after the money. Even credit cards were of limited use then. They never saw the value of a Social Security card. And everyone carried a limited amount of cash because no one had debit cards!
Though an early scene shows these guys are just pickpockets with hearts of gold trying to make a living in tough times, in these days of identity theft, this gang hardly seems cuddly anymore. They are the sort of thieves who these days can cost you all your money, plus your reputation. Shakespeare saw it four hundred years ago, "Good name in man and woman . . . Is the immediate jewel of their souls: Who steals my purse steals trash; 'tis something, nothing; 'twas mine, 'tis his, and has been slave to thousands; But he that filches from me my good name Robs me of that which not enriches him,And makes me poor indeed."
Worth watching for Coburn, and also for seeing just how these thugs can rob you without your knowing it. It's hard to believe people can actually steal your life so easily, but it's done. -
frazeegirl28 May 2001How many of you movie fans actually REMEMBER Walter Pidgeon? This role is off beat for him but what a great time we have sharing it. "It is what I do!" is one of the great lines in filmdom. There are so few films made now that can get and keep one's attention. (Attention Deficit Disorder no doubt is caused by disjointed, bad editing in Hollywood.) This film allows us to enter a world unknown to most of us...and offers a good lesson too...i.e., know where your wallet is at all times! It's great fun! James Coburn was never better.
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A rookie pickpocket (Michael Sarrazin) tries to dip a girl (Trish Van Devere) at a train station, but fails. She feels sorry for him, but when the pair join forces with a pair of older professional and experienced pickpockets (James Coburn and Walter Pidgeon) who show them how to work as a team and work the streets of Seattle and Salt Lake City.
An interesting film that makes excellent use of fresh locations of Seattle and Salt Lake City rather than more obvious cities, going into great detail on the art and presenting the viewer with a whole glossary of terminology on how to work a crowd as pickpockets. Coburn is good, but Pidgeon is outstanding in one of his later roles in which he is understated in his performance as an ageing dipper with a cocaine habit. -
'Harry in Your Pocket' (1973) has the same serviceable sense and inner logic as the rational US tv private eye series 'The Rockford Files', which incidentally is my favourite television series of all time. Tall silver-haired toothy US actor, James Coburn had incredible rhythm and 'cool'. David Thomson described him as '...that least neurotic of American leading men..' Some of the gaudy and garish early-'70s fashions, tastes and settings are amusing - flared lapels, huge shirt collars etc. In America 'the dollar is king' and this movie has US sense of the tangible to the maximum. Walter Pidgeon was born in the remote 1890s.
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pranderson0630957 June 2022The movie get a 7 because it has enough to keep the viewers interest wanting to see the end. James Colburn is his usual self as he rarely I ever actually becomes the character he plays. Always an overrated actor, it puzzles us how he developed any following. But knowing that, this role is quite perfect for Coleburn and does not tax his acting skills. Trish Van Devere is the second best after Walter Pigeon who rarely fails to become the character he plays. Michael Sarazzan as usual stiffly delivers his lines as if he just memorized them just as a pro amateur would. The story has huge gaps which play no purpose in moving the plots along. One does not need these breaks in what is a low tension and predictable story. But still we find these "filler" movies made at a time theaters were one screen and offered an afternoon of double features. The most disappointing thing about movies in the late 1960-1970's are often the endings which don't really exist as the movie sort of just stops without resolution. This again is a disappointment in this movie about pickpocket gang. After watching "Harry in Your Pocket" one might enjoy another Colburn movie, "Duck Sucker".
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Harry In Your Pocket is one of the 20 best films of the 1970s. Rather than being a superifical film about thieves...this film is an intense character study involving guts, emotions, egos, lust and addictions. I feel this is one of James Coburn's best films...he puts on quite a convincing performance as a veteran pickpocket who is head of a 4 person team of thieves. Trish Van Devere as the love interest created quite a strong character for the screen that really impressed me and Walter Pidgeon as the old pro who has developed shaky hands from having a young person's drug addiction is outstanding in every way. This film can be very hard to hunt down but is well worth it...a time capsule from the 1970s and a guilty pleasure for those of us lucky enough to have seen film multiple times. It is difficult to create sympathetic characters when you have innocent victims constantly having their wallets and purses stolen but Coburn manages to pull it off. This a film about small dreams and not overreaching in life...as Coburn says about the idea of going to New York City....no easy marks in New York (this movie takes place in the mid west). This film is a 1970s classic that you will still be thinking about with a smile on your face for days afterward. Tom Wilson, New Jersey, USA (HardToFindMovies)
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mark.waltz7 September 2017This foursome do not come off at all like Fagin's gang in the Charles Dickens classic, "Oliver Twist". Like Fagin, under the training of Walter Pidgeon and James Coburn, newbies Michael Sarrazin and Trish Van Severe learn that " You've got to pick a pocket or two", but unlike the British waifs under Fagin's thumb, they learn to do it with panache. But a thief is a thief is a thief, and as charming as these four are, that makes them difficult to root for.
Still, watching them at work in this comedy thriller is fascinating, and when the victims are lecherous men ogling Van Severe, watching the pervert loose his shirt is amusing. Veteran actor Pidgeon is as far from Mrs. Miniver's husband as he can be, a delightful old codger who keeps his spark flaring even if his days are fizzling out. Coburn is no-nonsense and bossy, Sarrazin sexy yet bumbling. Attractive but minus the spark that makes movie stars, Van Devere seems like a desperate replacement for either Dyan Cannon or Raquel Welch.
Still, there's great location photography of several Pacific coast cities (notably Seattle) and a nostalgic feeling in the costumes, dialog and trends. They pickpocket as if it was just another day in market trading. As caper films go, it's dated fun yet the type of money making scheme they are out to perpetrate leaves an awkward feeling lingering. -
RanchoTuVu11 January 2007The upper class of the low-life, pickpockets, work Vancouver and then go on to Salt Lake City, two pretty locales that provide for some great shots. James Coburn and Walter Pidgeon play the two experienced pros, who teach rookies Trish Van Devere and Michael Sarrazin the ropes. Made in 1973, this fits in with other explorations into the long-hair hippie criminal confidence stories that arose from the ashes of the counter-culture. As such, it's an interesting analysis of two generations and a great and perhaps one of the only films about the inherently non-violent but dangerous crime, where in some societies they would chop off a hand. But in any case, it's quite embarrassing and dramatic to get caught.
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pery-11 August 2005Yes Pigeon and Coburn are great, and it's interesting to watch them, although Coburn seems rather restrained and dull here. It's enjoyable to view Seattle, Victoria and Salt Lake City of 1970's, and the period cars and clothing. That's all the good in this boring film. The dialog is incredibly bad, as is most of the acting. Ray and Sandy's motivations seem forced and unlikely. I've seen this "training to be a pickpocket" routine several times before. There's a long build up, leading to nothing. Better to catch an episode of "Streets of San Francisco", or one of the many great crime/caper movies. To name a few, there are Bedtime Story, remade as Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, The Lavender Hill Mob, The Grifters, Paper Moon, The Sting, and best of all, House of Games.
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Hey_Sweden8 September 2016Michael Sarrazin plays Ray Haulihan, a hard working but not typically efficient pickpocket, who lifts the watch of Sandy Coletto (Trish Van Devere) one day in a train station. This act sort of binds them together, and since they're both now in need of some finances (in going to confront him, she left her other valuables vulnerable), they go to meet with Casey (Walter Pidgeon), who's recruiting members for a team of thieves that will be masterminded by Harry (James Coburn, smooth as always). Casey and Harry are veterans of the pocket picking game, and therefore experts, who teach the young couple everything there is to know about it.
Much of the joy here lies in learning the lingo and watching the Harry / Casey / Sandy / Ray team in action as they finally start to gel. Tony Giorgio, who has a small role as a detective, served as the technical adviser, and the whole premise is fascinating enough to reel viewers in, with the presentation by writers James David Buchanan & Ronald Austin and producer / director Bruce Geller remaining largely matter-of-fact and fairly low key for the duration. Although this was marketed as a comedy, "Harry in Your Pocket" is actually pretty serious most of the time, although it's not without laughs. It benefits greatly from location shooting on a few American and Canadian locations (Seattle, Salt Lake City, Victoria) and good, straightforward storytelling, not to mention a wonderful music score by the ever dependable Lalo Schifrin. Hairstyles and fashions may help to date the film, but this is never a big distraction.
The quartet of principal actors all shines. Van Devere is very, very sexy, and Coburn is compulsively watchable as usual. But Pidgeon is a special treat as the endearing old timer who unfortunately happens to have a cocaine habit. (He also played a pickpocket in his penultimate film, "Two-Minute Warning".) Top character actor Michael C. Gwynne ("Payday", "The Terminal Man") has a one scene role as a fence.
A very fine film, overall, that deserves to be better known. It was the only theatrical filmmaking effort for Geller, better known as a TV veteran who'd created the classic series 'Mission: Impossible' and 'Mannix'.
Eight out of 10. -
CalTempe@aol.com9 November 2002I enjoyed this movie, in part, because it was shot in Seattle before Seattle was hip. Before Starbucks, grunge, Microsoft and the Mariners. It also featured a cameo of the then Seattle mayor. Trish Van Devere was a beauty and Michael Sarazin later played opposite her husband (George C. Scott- an odd coupling, I thought). The movie had a quick pace and the characters were interesting. I liked it then, and I like it now.
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Bladerunner10110 November 2013Bruce Geller made a huge impact with Mission Impossible but this film lacks that show's drive and innovation. Painstakingly plotted and performed it nevertheless drags in places and it's no surprise it was his only feature film.
Pigeon looks out of his depth throughout and fails to spark any rapport; Coburn brings his usual cool reserve and magnetism, Sarazzin improves as the film goes on. The revelation is Trish Van Devere who plays the love interest and conscience of the film with real style. As well as looking like a cross between Debbie Reynolds and one of Charlie's Angels (both these things being magic) Devere brings an engaging lightness of touch that overshadows Coburn's own, and keeps the viewer just about caring how things turn out.