On The Lookout For a Pooka

Possibly my favorite movie of all time is the 1950 film, Harvey, starring Jimmy Stewart as Elwood P. Dowd whose best friend is Harvey, a six foot tall invisible rabbit.  Harvey is what’s known as a pooka.  At one point in the movie one of the characters, Mr. Wilson, looks up the word “pooka” in an encyclopedia and finds the following:

 Pooka - from old Celtic mythology: a fairy spirit in animal form - always very large. The pooka appears here and there, now and then, to this one and that one - a benign but mischievous creature.  Very fond of rumpots, crackpots, and how are you, Mr. Wilson?

The clip below shows Elwood out in the alley behind his favorite bar, taking in the evening air, and talking to a doctor and nurse who have come from the local mental health facility to see him.  It starts out a little slow, but soon Elwood is explaining how he and Harvey spend their time, and then he tells a great story about how he first met Harvey.  I think it contains some of the sweetest and gentlest humor ever.  I think we could all benefit from finding a pooka.