Who’s Harry Crumb? seemed to air on HBO constantly. As an 8 year old, I never realized that I wasn’t seeing peak John Candy. I just liked the fat guy dressing up in costumes and acting like a cartoon version of Fletch. Shawnee Smith made her first impression on me and I realize that my date me a bit. Still, she was like the go-to teen girl in these films for ages. Now, all these kids know her from is the Saw franchise.
John Candy made an impression on my generation in this film, Camp Candy and Hot to Trot. I’ll spot you The Great Outdoors, but the segmentation of comedy means that every 5 years a new cycle of impressionable comedy hits a new wave of fans. While those fans can always dip back to the past, this film was the start of slipping into more things like Wagons East and less films like literally anything he did before 1989.
It’s a shame, but it’s also the nature of the beast. Take it for what you will.
Who’s Harry Crumb is available January 15th from Mill Creek!
