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Alright, all you want in life is to be peaceful. There’s a war going on, but you just don’t want any part of it. You’re living an incognito life in a houseboat, and in order to survive, you’ve got to make the occasional swipe from a dock of some rations. Unfortunately, as you’re taking your rations for the coming weeks, the military catches you, and claims you would be a valuable addition to their force in spying out war aircraft from the enemy. They threaten to take away your houseboat, so you have no other choice but to accept. You are stationed alone on an island, provided with a shack for a home, food rations, and a radio to keep in contact with the military. On your way to the island, your houseboat is purposely damaged by the military ship, ensuring that you won’t be able to get away. So, you live on the island for a few weeks, contact your head of the military to tell them of what aircraft you’ve spotted and what direction they’re traveling. You’re sort of enjoying your life of solitude, but then you receive word that on an island not far from yours is a man who can help you repair your houseboat. You travel there overnight in the small personal motorboat the military provided you with in the beginning. Once you arrive on the island, you realise that the man who is supposed to help you has been shot down. Even worse, you meet a stranger and seven students stranded on the island! You have no other choice but to transport them all back to your island to stay safe. And to top it all off, due to enemy activity near your location, the military is unable to send in any resources or planes to take the strangers away and leave you in peace! Will these new additions drive you to insanity, or will you find friendship?
Father Goose is a 1964 action-packed comedy directed by Ralph Nelson. It stars Cary Grant, Leslie Caron, and Trevor Howard. This film definitely has something that all people could enjoy. It’s set during World War II and features intense action scenes, sarcastic comedy, and unassuming romance. The affable characters of Walter Eckland (Grant) and Catherine Freneau (Caron) make the movie even more loveable. It is something that the whole family will enjoy.
This film is near and dear to my heart. Growing up, I used to watch it over and over and over again with my grandmother. She started me young by falling in love with Cary Grant films! I have many fond memories of seeing Father Goose and growing to love the persona that Cary Grant displays in this picture. Even into my later years, I can still remember bits and pieces of my favourite parts of the movie, from the sarcasm of Eckland to the silly pelican that followed him at the beginning of the movie. Between then and now, I couldn’t recall the title of the film, who starred in it or anything, but I always could picture Cary Grant with his scruffy 5 o’clock shadow, sailor’s cap, and weather-worn shoes in the shack on the island, drinking his whiskey contently and eating out of tin cans with a knife. Though I didn’t realise who was playing my beloved Father Goose, Cary Grant has remained one of my favourite faces of the Golden Age of Cinema.
Cary Grant’s performance in Father Goose is a product of his many years in acting. This was made just two years before his announced retirement in 1966 at the age of 62. Even though he was nearing the end of his career, I would say this perfectly displays his ease in portraying complex characters. As always, there is nothing to be desired in what he brings to the screen.
Walter Eckland is someone with a troubled past that drove him to drink. Though his day-to-day personality is fairly happy, he tends to be quite self-centered, but once he meets Catherine and the seven students, he realises that there is more to life than what he’d been occupied with. Regardless of the state he’s in, Walter Eckland is a very loveable character no matter the audience’s age.
Leslie Caron plays the French diplomatic, high-strung Catherine Freneau with impeccability. It’s clear from the start what she thinks of Walter and his drinking habits, but eventually, she sees behind the stone-like surface. Caron was perfect for this role as she adds romance and humour to the film.
Father Goose will remain one of the most underrated films that Cary Grant made. I would recommend it to anybody as there is something loveable in it that any classic cinema lover would find. If you’ve seen this film, leave a comment below, and if you haven’t, go check it out!
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