Arts, Briefly - But "Harvey" Stalls - NYTimes.com Steven Spielberg has withdrawn from the film adaptation of Mary Chase's 1945 Pulitzer Prize-winning play, "Harvey," Variety reported. Difficulty finding a leading man could be a major reason for Mr. Spielberg's departure. Tom Hanks turned down the role of the eccentric Elwood P. Dowd, whose best friend is a 6-foot-3 transparent rabbit, Variety said, because he was not "enthusiastic" about filling the shoes of Jimmy Stewart, who was nominated for an Oscar for his performance in the 1950 movie adaptation. Negotiations also went nowhere with Robert Downey Jr., who returned the script, by Jonathan Tropper, with rewrites. 20th Century Fox, which was to have begun production early next year, will continue developing the film.