Harper
Warner Bros. | Release Date: April 9, 1966 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
51
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 6 Critic Reviews
Positive:
2
Mixed:
4
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
70
Time OutStaff (Not Credited)
William Goldman, in his first solo script credit, plays knowing games with the Chandlerish conventions, while director Smight pumps up the pace and tags along with the allusive casting of Bacall. Enjoyable performances throughout. Read full review
70
TimeStaff (Not Credited)
By combining flamboyant suspense with a sunbaked slice of life and lots of good mean fun, Director Smight makes every clue a pleasure to follow. Read full review
60
VarietyStaff (Not Credited)
Some excellent directorial touches and solid thesping are evident in the colorful and plush production. Abundance of comedy and sometimes extraneous emphasis on cameo characters make for a relaxed pace and imbalanced concept, resulting in overlength and telegraphing of climax. Read full review
60
TV Guide MagazineStaff (Not Credited)
MacDonald's novel--his first solo screenwriting credit--is full of rapid-fire dialogue but some of the characterizations are thin. Despite all the big names involved, Harper doesn't begin to approach the big leagues of hard-boiled detective films. Nonetheless, Newman gives a convincing performance. Read full review
50
The New York TimesBosley Crowther
The action is swift and the mystery fetching in this handsomely made color film. But eventually it seems a bit too obvious, imitative, old-fashioned and, worst of all, stale. Read full review
40
The New YorkerPauline Kael
Paul Newman in a bungled attempt to recapture the Bogart private-eye world of The Big Sleep. Shelley Winters gives the picture artificial respiration for a few minutes, but it soon relapses. A private-eye movie without sophistication and style is ignominious.
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