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Amazon.co.uk Review
Cary Grant's penultimate feature before retirement was this cheerful 1964 effort to overturn his career-long image of urbane sophistication. As the unshaven, messy misanthrope Walter Eckland, a World War II-era beach bum who monitors Japanese air activity for the Australian navy in exchange for booze, Grant makes a convincingly hard-bitten, hard-drinking antihero. Until, that is, a pretty French schoolmistress (Leslie Caron) and her seven little charges (all girls) survive a nearby plane crash and invade Eckland's raunchy isolation. Directed by 1960s hit-maker Ralph Nelson (The Lilies of the Field, Charly), Father Goose is a glossy comedy that also does justice to its more suspenseful scenes (a deadly snakebite suffered by Caron's character is especially memorable) and leaves plenty of room for Grant to indulge in some entertaining if atypical screen behaviour. All in all, this is a minor treat in the actor's magnificent filmography. --Tom Keogh
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
14 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:VHS Tape
If you liked the original ODD COUPLE - slob and compulsive neatnik thrown together in the same apartment - or HEAVEN KNOWS, MR. ALLISON - tough guy WWII Marine marooned on an enemy-held South Pacific island with a pretty nun, then you should enjoy FATHER GOOSE starring Cary Grant, Leslie Caron and Trevor Howard. I saw it once again on the telly this past weekend while doing the ironing, and I'm fortunate to be old enough to have an appreciation of all three films.
Grant is Walter Eckland, an antisocial, unkempt escapee from "civilization" that spends his time bumming around the South Seas on an old yacht. At the start of WWII, he's coerced into service as a "coast watcher", an observer stationed on a remote island as a lookout for Japanese planes or ships, by the wily and dry-witted local Royal Navy authority figure, Comdr. Houghton (Howard). Eckland is bribed with booze to perform in His Majesty's service. One of his first assignments is to boat over to another island and rescue a fellow coast watcher. But, on arriving, he finds only his colleague's grave and the Caron character, Catherine Freneau, the daughter of a French government official, who's been stranded with a bevy of underage schoolgirls of which she has charge. Walter naturally takes them back to his island and his hovel, where the differences between the two adults soon surface. To Eckland, Freneau becomes "Goody Two Shoes", while, to the latter, her knight in stained armor becomes the "Filthy Beast".
While admittedly silly entertainment, FATHER GOOSE is a delightful romantic comedy that doesn't, like some of the current Tinseltown offerings, rely for laughs on sensitive body parts being caught in zippers, bodily fluids masquerading as hair gel, or carnal knowledge of apple pies. This film has Class, chiefly due to the presence of Grant, who character demonstrates more suavity unshaven and without socks than any one of today's crop of male actors dressed up in a tux. (Perhaps only Sean Connery, Robert Redford and Paul Newman are close to being in the same league.) Caron's strong-willed and very feminine Freneau is more than a match for Eckland's obstinately boorish masculinity - a pairing made in heaven, or at least Hollywood.
Perhaps my high esteem for this film is more a function of nostalgia. But there're a lot of other films from that same period of my youth that are eminently forgettable, so I have to think that FATHER GOOSE is a cut above.
11 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
To me, this is the greatest Cary Grant film ever! He plays a lonely, ex-teacher/alcholic who gets coaxed into helping the british navy spot Japanese aircraft from a small island. He is supposed to be temporary but things don't go to plan &, while on a neigbouring island, he finds a French woman & the 7 girls that she is caring for. He takes them back to his island where there is shelter & food but things quickly go wrong for him. I won't spoil it by giving you all the details but, needless to say, it's very funny.
It's a great little warm-hearted family film that i'm sure anyone could enjoy.
I have this on a video cassette that my dad bought over 20 years ago &, finally, it's given up the ghost. I can't wait for this d.v.d to come out, i already have it on reserve for the release date.
Oh, by the way, if you enjoy this or films like this you may want to check out Operation Petticoat (availible to buy.) It's another Cary Grant film also starring the excellent Tony Curtis (some like it hot) & it's just as good as father goose.
Enjoy!
It's a great little warm-hearted family film that i'm sure anyone could enjoy.
I have this on a video cassette that my dad bought over 20 years ago &, finally, it's given up the ghost. I can't wait for this d.v.d to come out, i already have it on reserve for the release date.
Oh, by the way, if you enjoy this or films like this you may want to check out Operation Petticoat (availible to buy.) It's another Cary Grant film also starring the excellent Tony Curtis (some like it hot) & it's just as good as father goose.
Enjoy!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Father Goose is Cary Grant's second to last film, with hindsight I personally would have liked this to have been his final film. Not that his last picture, Walk Don't Run, is a stinker, I just feel this particular film leaves a more fitting impression to the great man's comedic ability.
Playing against his sophisticated image, Father Goose sees Grant playing a drunken beach bum who is stuck on a South Sea island with Leslie Caron and her seven young lady scholars. Bluffed into being there in the first place by crafty Trevor Howard {Commodore Frank Houghton}, Grant as Walter Eckland is more concerned with the fact that the Commodore has hidden all of his whiskey rather than focus on actual work! As the Japanese forces close in on the group, Eckland is forced to find his fatherly and straightened out inner self, thus providing comedy, drama, and of course a little romance into the bargain.
I could have done with a far more stronger female lead than Caron, who does OK without really convincing as a viable comedy lead, whilst Trevor Howard merely looks to be reading from an autocue. But with an Oscar winning screenplay from Frank Tarloff and Peter Stone, and Cary delivering some cracking one line zingers, Father Goose gets in and does it's job with some delightfully cheery results. 7/10
Playing against his sophisticated image, Father Goose sees Grant playing a drunken beach bum who is stuck on a South Sea island with Leslie Caron and her seven young lady scholars. Bluffed into being there in the first place by crafty Trevor Howard {Commodore Frank Houghton}, Grant as Walter Eckland is more concerned with the fact that the Commodore has hidden all of his whiskey rather than focus on actual work! As the Japanese forces close in on the group, Eckland is forced to find his fatherly and straightened out inner self, thus providing comedy, drama, and of course a little romance into the bargain.
I could have done with a far more stronger female lead than Caron, who does OK without really convincing as a viable comedy lead, whilst Trevor Howard merely looks to be reading from an autocue. But with an Oscar winning screenplay from Frank Tarloff and Peter Stone, and Cary delivering some cracking one line zingers, Father Goose gets in and does it's job with some delightfully cheery results. 7/10
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Great Service & Product
DVD arrived in exceptionally quick time out to Australia. DVD plays brilliantly. Such a great classic another one to add to the collection. well done
Published 3 months ago by Karenp
Excellent film
I loved this film when I was young and couldn't wait to see it again. I still love it, and especially Cary Grant. I would recommend this film to all age groups. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Wildthing
Hollywood movie
A really enjoyable comedy war movie set on a desert island in the pacific. Starring Cary Grant at his best. Good light hearted family movie
Published 8 months ago by Mr. C. Hooley
Timeless classic
A relaxing easy watch, with gentle humour that is as tickling today as in the sixties. We watch it regularly when we want to forget about everything else. Read more
Published 12 months ago by chilternhedge
Brill oldie
This film ive had since i was a kid on VHS but now i have it on DVD and the sound and picture quality are soooooooooooooo much better which adds to the brilliance of the movie
Published 13 months ago by hammerman84
Wonderful sophisticated war comedy
This is a rare war comedy that has a serious side and a touch of sillyness that makes you feel good. Read more
Published 21 months ago by good music
"It LOOKED like a snake..!"
Cary Grant's second-last movie, made in the sixties when he realised his time was passing but nonetheless relished the chance to play an ocean-going scruff and cheerfully trash his... Read more
Published 22 months ago by Quackser
Critics goosed
Apparently when this film was first released it got a thumbs down from the critics. I saw it at the time and thought it marvelous, and it seems to get better at each viewing. Read more
Published 22 months ago by Allan Broadfield
father goose
Saw the film as a kid,and only saw it again a few week's ago on sky,it brought back so many memories,and i loved it so much i brought it from amazon and iam so glad. Read more
Published 23 months ago by Mathew Bayley
Poor Transfer Quality
Loved the film
Video transfer to DVD was i feel poor,lots of blocking soft image quality
I realise this is an old film but the manufacturers did a poor job of... Read more
Video transfer to DVD was i feel poor,lots of blocking soft image quality
I realise this is an old film but the manufacturers did a poor job of... Read more
Published 24 months ago by K. Hicks
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