Harper (film)

Harper
Theatrical release poster
Directed byJack Smight
Screenplay byWilliam Goldman
Based onThe Moving Target
(1949 novel)
by Ross Macdonald
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyConrad Hall
Edited byStefan Arnsten
Music byJohnny Mandel
Production
company
Gershwin-Kastner Productions
Distributed byWarner Bros. Pictures
Release date
  • February 23, 1966 (1966-02-23)
Running time
121 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$3.5 million
Box office$12 million

Harper is a 1966 American neo-noir mystery thriller film directed by Jack Smight from a screenplay by William Goldman, based on the 1949 novel The Moving Target by Ross Macdonald. It stars Paul Newman as private investigator Lew Harper (renamed from the novel's 'Lew Archer'), who is tasked with finding a missing multimillionaire. The cast also features Lauren Bacall, Julie Harris, Arthur Hill, Janet Leigh, Pamela Tiffin, Robert Wagner and Shelley Winters.

The film was released by Warner Bros. Pictures on February 23, 1966, and was both a critical and commercial success. Goldman received a 1967 Edgar Award for Best Motion Picture Screenplay. A sequel, The Drowning Pool, was released in 1975, with Newman reprising his role.