The Plot Against Harry

A comedy about Harry Plotnick, a New York Jewish numbers racketeer, who is released from jail after nine months. He quickly perceives that his world has been transformed. He is no longer a big deal in his neighbourhood, where blacks and hispanics have taken over. Harry decides to work his way up, and fate arrives in the form of his ex-wife who he accidentally runs in to (with his car!). But the rules of the middle class differ from those of the circles in which Harry is used to move; the discrepancy throws him right off the balance.

Comment:
In 1969, after a long period of research, shooting and editing Roehmer had a few screenings of ''Harry'' for cast and friends. Nobody laughed. Exhausted from so many years of work, Roemer had no energy left to sell his film and ''Harry'' was shelved.
In 1989 Roemer decided to put together a complete set of his films on videocasette, as a gift for his children. When the man doing the video transfer started to laugh hysterically at the film, Roemer had his first indication ever that ''Harry'' really was funny. This was later confirmed - after 20 years it became a critical and festival hit.