Filmed independently by Michael Roemer in 1969, The Plot Against Harry didn't earn a mainstream release until 1989. What was contemporary in 1969 became a period piece by the time it saw the light of day, but this anachronistic quality lent a great deal of charm to the proceedings. Harry Plotnick (Martin Priest) is a once-notorious criminal whose life becomes a series of comic disasters once he's released from prison. His family members either refuse to acknowledge his existence or think the very worst of him, and his health rapidly deteriorates. Meanwhile, Harry's brother Max (Henry Nemo), beset with tax problems, sets fire to his business. Naturally, poor Harry is held responsible. Just when he has an opportunity to start life anew, Harry suffers a heart attack on a TV marathon. Certain that he's about to die, Harry confesses to all his past transgressions-and ends up behind bars once more. In lesser hands, The Plot Against Harry might have been clumsy or, even worse, maudlin. But with Michael Roemer at the helm, the laughs never stop-even though we sometimes feel guilty at deriving pleasure from poor old Harry's misery. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
Writer/director Michael Roemer made The Plot Against Harry in 1969, but preview audiences didn't respond to the film, and distributors were puzzled by it, so it sat on the shelf until it found an audience at film festivals 20 years later. It's a comedy that rarely announces itself as such, its tone so deadpan that viewers may be unsure what sort of film they're watching. But, if you slip into the film's subtle rhythms, you may find yourself laughing heartily throughout; Roemer's wit may be low-key, but it's intelligent and effective, with such amusing details as a beautifully tacky fashion show, a party on a subway train, a perfectly catered bar mitzvah, and a child playing with cheesecake photos of his suburban mother. Martin Priest is perfect as the put-upon Harry, one part wiseguy and two parts shnook, with strong support from Henry Nemo as his loyal but dim sidekick and Ben Lang as his brother-in-law, who can face any crisis with a smile and a shrug; sadly, all three actors rarely worked in movies after this. The film's New York locations may date it visually, but it still feels fresh and vital. It's a comedy less about gags than about characters and the strange situations that fate throws them into; if Harry Plotnick's life seems like the butt of a joke, Roemer knows how to make that joke worth hearing. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Cast
Martin Priest - Harry Plotnick
Ben Lang - Leo
Henry Nemo - Max
Stephen Cheng - Jimmy Hong; Christopher Cross - Telethon MC; Ernesto Gonzalez - Carlos; Ellen Herbert - Mae; Sandra Kazan - Margie; Joan Leslie - Irene; Jose Ocasio - Jesus; Ed Setrakian - Vitale; Jacques Taylor - Jack; Maxine Woods - Kay; Louis Basile - Doctor
Credit
Howard Mandel - Art Director, Martin Priest - Associate Producer, Michael Hausman - Associate Producer, Michael Roemer - Co-producer, Robert Young - Co-producer, Lily Partridge - Costume Designer, Michael Roemer - Director, Georges Klotz - Editor, Terry Lewis - Editor, Frank Lewin - Composer (Music Score), Robert Young - Cinematographer, Robert M. Young - Cinematographer, Robert M. Young - Producer, Michael Roemer - Screenwriter
