Harry in Your Pocket (1973)

Brilliant and touching

an ambitious but ultimately ineffective debut endeavor.

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

The acting in this movie is really good.

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)

Part of the pleasure in watching this movie today is remembering how cool James Coburn was 30+ years ago, but I also love the sequences where the pickpockets are at work -- the hand-off shots -- and the insight into criminal codes devoid equally of glamor and unnecessary grit. Walter Pidgeon's role enriches the depth of Coburn's character much more than the flawed melodrama that plays out in the relationship with Trish Van Devere, but even if it gets a little sappy and clouded, which it does, I think the movie gives audiences plenty to think about. And, yes, the practice scenes are not unique, but they are as well done as could be -- referenced even in the recent bestseller The Time Traveler's Wife. Personally, I think this movie is worth watching more than once and I wish I could find it on DVD.

Just 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.

Yes 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.