Father Goose (1964)

I love this movie so much

Admirable film.

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

Father Goose is a brutal movie with a very poorly developed plot and a cast that lack any sense of dedication. I wanted to watch this movie initially because I am a big fan of Cary Grant, who was an amazing actor and terrific in the majority of what he has done. However, there is no sense of him wanting to be in this movie, it is as if he lost a bet or realised early in to production that he made a terrible decision, and when the lead actor does not seem to be having fun, you will not either. There is essentially no plot, a man investigating air crafts during World War II is forced to look after a teacher and several students who crash land on his island. It is a Odd Couple- type of set up, but the gags that ensue between these two very different people are not one bit funny, and as a result of Leslie Caron's irritating performance, is a bit painful to watch.It is also a complete drag, a two hour movie that should not have stretched beyond ninety minutes, it never uses the war theme to add any sort of emotional depth and build up characters' relationships, instead going for one lazy gag after another. Dull, unfunny and poorly acted, I could not, under any circumstances, recommend Father Goose. A man spying on Japan's naval movements for the US has his life turned upside down by a shipwrecked teacher and her pupils. Best Performance: Cary Grant / Worst Performance: Leslie Caron

I've loved this movie since it was on "Saturday Night at the Movies" on NBC in about 1967 - I was 12 years old and I suddenly wanted to be Cary Grant - not the debonair Cary Grant of "To Catch a Thief" who hooks up with Grace Kelly (that desire would come about a year later) but the beach-bum Cary Grant with the cool boat from "Father Goose." I've re-watched the film a couple of times since then, including one viewing quite recently, and it strikes me as completely charming. Grant is outstanding (he felt this role was close to his real-life self). Caron is good. The kids are marvelous - very funny and alive. The boat is as cool as ever. Trevor Howard - that old grizzled Trevor Howard - is very fine. He doesn't have a whole lot to do - I get the feeling he shot his role in about a week in a Hollywood studio - but he makes the most of it. The script offers some interesting subtleties, such as the way Grant proves himself worthy of Caron's love - nothing REAL subtle, but kinda subtle. All in all, good family fare. And I still want to be a beach bum with a cool boat.

I have lost count of how many times I have seen this movie. The first time I saw it was when I was an early teenager nearly thirty years ago with my Grandmother. (As a side note, I put a copy of this DVD in her casket when she passed away six years ago.) The movie has good clean humor, you never hear a swear word in the movie, even though you know that Walter Eckland swears like a drunk sailor, they use creative ways to get around it by innuendo as well as others.Grant's interaction with the children is great, especially with a young girl who refuses to talk, how he gets her to open up and speak is heart warming, and hilarious the way the child reacts to him.The movie is filled with humor from beginning to end, and regardless of your mood, you will always find yourself laughing at some point in the movie.

Father Goose is directed by Ralph Nelson, has a screenplay by Peter Stone and Frank Tarloff and stars Cary Grant, Leslie Caron and Trevor Howard.Cary Grant plays a character here who is far removed from the suave and immaculate characters he played in the 30's and 40's, but is just as lovable.He and Leslie Caron have a wonderful chemistry and he gets to show his comic abilities, the film is an excellent blend of romance and comedy.Father Goose is set during the Second World War, Walter Eckland(Cary Grant)is happily living alone in the Pacific repairing his boat and boozing. His solitude is shattered when Commander Frank Houghton(Trevor Howard)asks him to stay on one of the islands and radio back any sightings of Japanese air activity.This he agrees to do until his solitude is shattered again by the arrival of young French schoolteacher Catherine Freneau(Leslie Caron)and a group of schoolgirls. They are stranded on the island and need to get back to the mainland.After a failed attempt to take them to the mainland they must stay with him which causes a lot of friction.As he gets to know her better though Eckland grows to like and even love the bubbly Catherine.He even becomes a surrogate father to the girls.Danger comes in the form of Japanese soldiers, bomb threats and poisonous snakes.Father Goose proves once again why Cary is one of the best and most likable actors ever to grace the screen.He himself said this was one of his favourite films and it's easy to see why.For once he's playing someone very unlike himself and it's such a shame that he didn't get a chance to do more roles like this in his long career.