Harold and Maude (1971)

My Review

“Harold and Maude” is a black comedy film about a 20-year-old man who develops a close friendship with a 79-year-old woman. Director Hal Ashby (“The Landlord” 1970) actually does a good job at the helm of this movie, which is nuanced and well-paced with some actual laughs here and there. Excellent screenplay by Colin Higgins.

The stars are Ruth Gordon and Bud Cort in the title roles, with a supporting cast which includes Vivian Pickles, Cyril Cusack, Charles Tyner, Ellen Geer, Eric Christmas, G. Wood, and Tom Skerritt in a small part as a motorcycle officer who twice stop Harold and Maude, when they take off with his cycle.

The watchable “Harold and Maude” was a flop at the box office for producer Colin Higgins, Mildred Lewis and Colin Higgins Productions, and Paramount Pictures. It later became a cult classic. Popular singer Cat Stevens wrote and performed the music for the film. It was filmed in the San Francisco Bay Area, California.