The Trouble with Harry

The quirky but down-to-earth residents of the small hamlet of Highwater, Vermont, encounter the freshly dead body of Harry Worp, which has inconveniently appeared on the hillside above the town. The problem of who the deceased is, who was responsible for his sudden death, and what should be done with the body is "the trouble with Harry." Captain Wiles is sure that he killed the man with a stray shot from his rifle while hunting, until it is shown he actually shot a rabbit. Jennifer Rogers, Harry's estranged wife, believes she killed Harry because she hit him hard with a milk bottle. Miss Gravely is certain that the man died after a blow from the heel of her hiking boot when he lunged at her out of the bushes, while still reeling from the blow he received from Jennifer. Sam Marlowe, a nonconformist artist, is open-minded about the situation and prepared to help his neighbors and new friends in any way he can. No one is much upset about Harry's death. However, they all are hoping that the body will not come to the attention of "the authorities" in the form of cold, humorless Deputy Sheriff Calvin Wiggs, who earns his living per arrest. The Captain, Jennifer, Miss Gravely and Sam bury the body and then dig it up again several times throughout the day. They then hide the body in a bathtub before finally putting it back on the hill where it first appeared, in order to make it appear as if it was just discovered. Finally it is learned that Harry died of natural causes; no foul play was involved. In the meantime, Sam and Jennifer have fallen in love and wish to marry, and the Captain and Miss Gravely have also become a couple. Sam has been able to sell all his paintings to a passing millionaire, although Sam refuses money and instead requests a few simple gifts for his friends and himself.

Plot from The Trouble with HarryCC BY-SA 4.0