Father Goose (1964)

Yawn. Poorly Filmed Snooze Fest.

The first must-see film of the year.

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

On a South Seas island during WWII, beach bum Cary Grant is paid (in alcohol) by the Allies to watch for Japanese planes and ships. He finds himself reluctant protector to French teacher Leslie Caron and her students. A delightful and charming comedy. It's Cary Grant's penultimate film and this gruff role is a great change of pace for him. Trevor Howard is good as the Australian Navy commander who forces Grant into service. The child actors are all enjoyable. Leslie Caron is fun and has a lovely chemistry with Cary. Love the blood talk. Grant never felt comfortable being leading man to women young enough to be his daughter (kudos to him for that), and yet that was what he was being offered at the time. He would do one more movie before retiring. This was his last really good one, though. It's a little bit romantic comedy and a little bit family comedy but not enough of either to be hackneyed. Nice theme song "Pass Me By."

During the start of World War II, Walter Eckland (Cary Grant) buys a boat on cheap to sail around in the south Pacific. He doesn't care about the world and not even the war. Australian Naval commander Frank Houghton (Trevor Howard) forces him to observe for the incoming Japanese. Just to be sure, Frank punches a hole in Walter's boat. Walter is stranded on a deserted island. His code name is Mother Goose. Frank has hidden bottles of boozes and gives Walter each location when he gives a confirmed sighting. Frank tricks Walter to rescue a man in danger from the Japanese. When he gets there, the man is dead and he finds schoolteacher Catherine Frenau (Leslie Caron) and seven schoolgirls. He's a drunk and she's a "Goody Two Shoes". They clash and eventually fall in love.Cary Grant is funny and charming as always. Leslie Caron is a bit young for Grant but they develop good chemistry. Verbal combat is always a good way to develop that chemistry. She's playing a bossy spinster. This is a fun little rom-com.

During WWII many an island coast watcher were found not only useful, but often invaluable to the Allies in the Pacific. In this zany but delightful comedy, the film " Father Goose " takes Cary Grant and nearly replicates his actual persona. He plays Walter Eckland a crusty, middle age, south seas beachcomber with no intention of changing his lay-back lifestyle simply because there is a major war taking place. However, his lifetime friend Frank Houghton (Trevor Howard) once harbor master, now a Naval Commander for the British Navy and his aid Lieutenant Stebbings (Jack Good) convince him to join the coast watching service. Having little choice, Eckland reluctantly agrees. Things are tolerant enough for him as long as he's stuck alone on a deserted island keeping an eye on the Japanese navy when overnight, he's invaded by a bevy of preteen girls. They not only disturb Eckland's solitary existence, but completely disrupt his once peaceful solitude. The girls' prissy guardian/governess, Catherine Freneau (Leslie Caron) immediately sets out to make the best of a difficult situation and that includes altering the reclusive life of reluctant Father Goose. This movie was listed among Grant's favorites and watching it, easily becomes an audience Classic as well. ****

Cary Grant's penultimate film was one I had missed out on countless times on Italian TV: it is a curious blend of romantic comedy and war adventure (winning the Best Screenplay Oscar no less) that proves a surprisingly palatable, if overlong, confection. Grant is an alcoholic loner assigned through devious means (by Australian officer Trevor Howard) as a watcher for approaching enemy aircraft on a Pacific island; his codename is "Mother Goose" and they strike a bargain that, with every sighting Grant reports, Howard will divulge the location of one of the many whiskey bottles strategically hidden on the island! The lifestyle of the usually debonair star (here more self-centered than ever and looking deliberately shabby) is thrown further off-balance with the unexpected appearance of Leslie Caron, daughter of the French consul, and her seven girl charges of varying ages (all off-springs of international diplomats); needless to say, he also loses his autonomy of the shack/outpost and is forced to take refuge in the run-down boat that was purposely damaged by Howard to prevent Grant from giving him the slip! Gradually, though, the impressionable children are drawn to our cynical and reluctant hero: the eldest even becomes infatuated with him, while the youngest – who had not spoken a word since their arrival – finally lets loose thanks to his 'support'; besides – as was the norm with old-style Hollywood fare, irrespective of genre – after the initial animosity, Grant and (the much-younger) Caron realize they are made for each other…leading to a marriage ceremony via radio while the island is under aerial attack! As I said, FATHER GOOSE goes through several moods (a battle-of-the-sexes scenario, child interest, thrills, exotic locale) and does so relatively successfully on all fronts: naturally, Grant is always worth watching and the film undeniably very funny in spots and good-looking to boot.