In the immortal words of Elwood P. Dowd...

[Bruce McAuley]

Paraphrasing here,
"'Elwood', my mother used to say,'There's two ways for a man to get ahead in this world. One way is to be smart. The other way is to be pleasant.'
For many years I thought the better way was to be smart.
Now I know it's much better to be pleasant." -From the movie, "Harvey"(1950) with James Stewart.

So the poll here is to scan the opinion of members of DU and see what they think.
Was Elwood right? Is it better for a man to be pleasant than smart?
Or a combination of both?
Or is smart good enough?
What if George Bush was merely pleasant, would we want him as a leader?
Or would he be a better person because of it?
I like pleasant myself, works way better with the women!

Bruce

[valerief]

1. Fabulous movie, but Elwood was nuts, remember. Also, the nicest

people are the ones robbing you blind. That's how the Republic Party wins over converts (well, the ones they don't bribe).

[bmbmd]

2. He was not nuts.

Everyone else was. They were to busy to notice a Pooka in the room with them.

[valerief]

4. Ha! I get it. You're nuts, too. nt

[Bruce McAuley]

3. I watched it again yesterday, and maybe Elwood was smart...

He always managed to come out on top, just by claiming to have seen Harvey.
Everyone in the movie, even his mean sister who wanted to take his money and property, was won over in the end.
By being pleasant Elwood made himself always come out on top.
Crazy?
Like a pleasant fox.

Bruce

[valerief]

5. He was an alcoholic. nt

[Bjornsdotter]

6. He wasn't nuts

I think you missed the point of the movie.

Cheers

[valerief]

7. It's one of my favorite movies. But I don't think being an uemployed

alcoholic is the best way to enjoy life, even if the point was to believe in something that wasn't there just to make yourself happy.

[hfojvt]

12. it might not be so bad,

if you can afford it. Elwood was independently wealthy and so did not have to work, but he also did not play the 'hobnob with the bluenoses" game that his sister wanted to play.

Besides being a comedy, it's kind of a Santa Claus movie. Other people do not see or believe in Harvey, not because he is not there, but because they are so caught up in their egos and their drive to 'get ahead' and 'be mature' (where maturity is defined as grim faced seriousness) that they cannot see or experience the wonder and the joy of life.

[valerief]

13. Yeah, I got the Stop and Smell the Roses part of the movie, but

I think the satire made more of a point that being pleasant isn't enough (whether intended or not) unless you're medicated. And, of course, this was contrasted with the family's frantic social-climbing for comedic effect. True happiness can only be found somewhere in between purposeful activity and leisure.

[Warpy]

8. Depends on what you mean by "get ahead."

I know a lot of seriously unpleasant people who have gotten rich. I know a lot of seriously unpleasant people who have lots of hangers-on and call them friends.

I know too many pleasant people who are dirt poor and seem to drift along with the vicissitudes of fate.

However, I much prefer the company of the latter.

[bmbmd]

10. Well, I prefer

your company, too.

[Bruce McAuley]

16. I was only paraphrasing...

As I recall how the script went. It could have easily been she said "..be successful in this life.." and that depends on how you measure success. I feel Elwood had certainly figured out the "pleasant" part, and maybe he really WAS a maudlin alcoholic in the author's original story. Certainly Hollywood has turned it into a short vignette of Dowd's life, and it's rightfully a classic with so much unsaid that each viewer has their own impression of Dowd, usually as an alcoholic I'll agree.
Those impressions are what makes the movie memorable, and I'll enjoy watching it next time too.
I love farces, my favorite type of movie.
The poll tells me most people want a man to be slightly more pleasant than smart, so it's gotta be the best thing for quick first impressions anyway, and likely for long term impressions too. Works for me! Thanks to those who responded.

Bruce

[pdxmom]

9. Just rewatched Harvey again this weekend. Elwood was smart and

pleasant. Listen to his explanations and advice to the other characters in the movie.

And the Pooka was real. You just had to take the time and have to open mind to see it.

And was he an alcoholic? He went to the bars and he brought home the "riffraff" (common man). But I didn't see him as an alcoholic in this movie. That was an accusation his sister made, only at the suggestion of the psychiatrist.

Elwood was pleasant and smart and knew how to enjoy life. Lots of lessons in that movie, if you watch and listen closely.

[valerief]

11. Watch it again and see how often he's antsy to have a drink. nt

[Bruce McAuley]

14. Nowadays it'd be "Let's go to Starbucks and get a latte".

I looked for the alcoholism too this time, and yes, he does invite everyone out to the bar, but I didn't see him drinking himself under the table.
All his suggestions and observations were lucid and right on point, how else could he get the psychiatrist to sit on his own couch and tell him his wishes and fantasies?
A timeless farce, for sure.
Even now I'm getting new stuff out of that movie.
I still prefer pleasant, underlaid by maybe 25% smart. Should be all most guys need to get by in life, IMO.
If I had to characterize Presidents, I'd say Jimmy Carter and Harry Truman(2 of my favorites) were both about half and half, while George Bush is maybe 85% smart(include cunning in this part) and 15% pleasant, and only in front of the voters. Not a really pleasant person at all...

Bruce

[Bjornsdotter]

15. Yep

That's how I see the movie also.

It was great to see that movie again.

Cheers