User reviews

First I need to point out that this movie isn't much like the later TV series. It stars Glenn Ford as a widower raising a young child, played by Ron Howard. While their relationship is loving and sweet, they are both looking for a new wife/mother. And Ron Howard is a little devil trying to set up Dad! I like the kid's taste, though, as he sets his sights first on Stella Stevens and then on Shirley Jones--that kid had great taste! Even though you can easily predict where the movie will end up, the acting and writing and direction are so good that you don't really mind at all. That's because it is sentimental but avoids schmaltzy, gooey over-sentimentalism that could have easily ruined this film--thanks in part to a decent use of comedy.

My wife and I watched this film last night on TCM (all hail) and we both enjoyed it. I get so tired of hearing comments about this and other films being "dated". What do you expect? I consider what other people call "dated" as direct links into what society was like at the time the film(s) was(were) written, kind of a celluloid sociology course. Lighten up! A movie that is forty-three years old isn't going to be a modern example of people, places, and things. Sheesh! Anyway, what I'll take from this film is that Ronny Howard WAS the finest child actor in films and television. Consider that, in 1963, at 9 years old, he was already doing the Opie-thing for 3 years. In this film, he acts nothing like Opie, he turns into a whole different child: Eddie Corbitt. The under-used Shirley Jones (big crush) was marvelous again, and Glenn Ford was supremely good at his self-styled "non-acting". Stella Stevens's drum solo scene is an excellent highlight. Also, did anyone recognize Clint Howard as a toddler at Eddie's birthday party scene? Or Rance Howard as a camp counselor?

Glenn Ford did two films with director Vincente Minnelli, the incredibly bad sound remake of The Four Horseman of the Apocalypse and this very good family film about a widower and his young son trying to get on with life after the wife and mother has passed away.

The Courtship of Eddie's Father in addition to being made into a long running television series with Bill Bixby, Miyoshi Umeki, and Brandon Cruz, still holds up very well after 44 years.

What makes the film is the very real chemistry between Glenn Ford and Ron Howard who was on hiatus from the Andy Griffith show to make this film. The Courtship of Eddie's Father is about two very real individuals trying to work through the hurt that's surrounding a very big hole in their lives.

Ford plays the manager of a radio station and Jerry Van Dyke has a nice role as Ford's best friend and one of the disc jockeys. Roberta Sherwood has the part of the housekeeper who's trying to learn Spanish, the part that Miyoshi Umeki did for television. As you can imagine it was rewritten somewhat.

There are three women interested in Ford at one time or another. Shirley Jones is the best friend of the deceased, living in the apartment across the way. Dina Merrill is the society lady that she is in real life. And Stella Stevens is the beauty queen from Montana who's got some hidden talents. One guess who Ford looks like he'll wind up with in the end. Give you a hint, it's the one Ron Howard wishes it is.

After the disaster of The Four Horseman of the Apocalypse, Minnelli owed Glenn Ford a good picture and he certainly delivered.

I disagree that this movie is sexist at all. In fact, I believe that the character of Tom Corbett is quite different (in a good way) from the fathers of that time. I continue to find this movie extremely entertaining (while ertainly more "fluff" than depth) and nostalgic, due in most part to Ron Howard's superb and engaging performance. The parts where Eddie tells his dad at summer camp that he is in love, and the end of the movie, where Eddie is "practicing" with this dad on what to say to the neighbor to ask her out on a date, are absolutely priceless. Watching Ron Howard in this movie makes you realize why he was sought after as a child actor.

I saw most of this film again for the first time in years the other day.I then purchased the DVD to catch the ending..and was glad i did. being a fan of Glenn Ford and Shirley Jones as well as "Ronny" Howard i couldn't pass this one up. Glenn Ford's Eddie's Father isn't the same laid back Eddie's Father that Bill Bixby was in the TV series that was based on this movie.His is a bit quirkier and introspective and maybe not as funny and warm but still worth getting to know. The matchmaking that goes on is strictly sixties through and through a formula we have seen time and time again but the hint of Eddie's Father having himself a time while he is out "courting" is as subtle as a man in a chicken suit in church. Ron Howard is as good as ever and although Brandon Cruz who was Eddie in the TV series was a bit warmer Ron Howard's Eddie is a more honest to god kid most of the time,with all the faults that come with being an 8 yr old boy The women in the film..all beautiful all talented all out for Eddie"s father are as you would expect in an early sixties film kind of cardboard cutouts but good on the eyes

An eight year old Ron, or as he's called here 'Ronny', Howard gives a phenomenal performance as Eddie, (it's easily the best thing he's ever done, either as an actor or as a director), while Glenn Ford gives what is almost certainly a career-best performance as his father in Vincente Minnelli's late masterpiece "The Courtship of Eddie's Father". It's a comedy, and often a very funny one, but with a dramatic edge to it and a large dollop of sentimentality which Minnelli carries off beautifully.

Ford's a widower with a young son and it's the son who decides it's time his unhappy dad found a new wife. The potential candidates are Stella Stevens, (wonderful), Dina Merrill and Shirley Jones as the next-door neighbour and since it's Jones who gets star billing it isn't too difficult to work out who the new Mrs. Ford is likely to be. There's a housekeeper, too, splendidly played by Roberta Sherwood and a nice supporting turn by Jerry Van Dyke as an associate of Ford's and they are all helped along by John Gay's superb screenplay adapted from Mark Toby's novel. The film was sufficiently successful to spawn a television series which lacked the ingredients that made this a classic of its kind and the last truly great film Minnelli would ever direct.

I tuned in to this one because I'm becoming a real Glenn Ford fan. I think he's a superb and underrated actor with a wide range, and he indeed shines in this charming and unpretentious flick. As far as all the comments about being dated and politically incorrect, I recall the admonition of my college history professor that we cannot judge past eras by the standards of the culture we live in. And this film is not that ancient. I and many viewers grew up in the era in which this movie was made, and considering things nowadays I wouldn't mind going back. Anyway, the film does have its flaws, primarily the speed with which Eddie goes from mourning to trying to get his Dad hitched again. It's a bit unnatural, but we should just suspend disbelief. The chemistry between father and son is what makes the film shine, and in this age of broken families and parents willing to discard their children, it's sadly nostalgic to see such devotion. The film never overplays Tom's relationship with his two paramours. Character development is well done, including the housemaid Mrs. Livngstone, who finally learns Spanish, only to find out she studied the wrong language. It's a charming and tender movie, and the production values are great. The color technology in films of that era was so superior to today's.

I can't believe it took us all these years to finally discover this gem! Delightful, great acting by a very young Ron Howard; and a wonderful feel good story. Loved every minute!

And not enough Shirley Jones. Seriously, Jerry brings down anything he's in. Always playing the same overbearing, unlikable characters. Although in this one he adds "sleazy" to his resume.

Glenn Ford is hard to like in this as well. His character is unsympathetic, even at the end.

I don't know how a such a beloved TV series was created from this joyless movie.

Plushly-produced fluff stars Glenn Ford as a widower father dating different women, unaware that the divorcée next-door might just be the perfect gal for both Dad and his precocious young son. Vincente Minnelli's direction isn't as detailed or full-bodied as one might hope--and the picture doesn't flourish as a result. John Gay's screenplay, based on the novel by Mark Toby, trades off comedy with sentiment, though there's also a curious undercurrent of cynicism in the mix (with a penchant for events to happen off-screen). Nevertheless, the lead performances by Glenn Ford, Shirley Jones and Ronny Howard are first-rate, while Stella Stevens is colorful in a stop-and-start supporting role (one that isn't allowed to take off). Later a popular TV series. **1/2 from ****

Your view of this movie will depend on whether you like Eddie or find him too precocious and pushy about his dad's romantic life. Personally, I was utterly charmed. There is a lot of chemistry between Glenn Ford and Ronnie Howard as the father and son duo, and I loved their conversations. I thought Ford's interpretation was very good. His feelings and personality come across clearly in all his scenes. However, you can expect that of a high-quality, seasoned actor. The fact that a child actor like Howard can match him is impressive.

This movie is what we could call a dramedy. It has comic elements and is a delight to watch, but it also has moments of genuine drama. On that, it differs from The Parent Trap, which also shows kids playing matchmakers for their parents but is all comedy. In The Courtship of Eddie's Father we also have serious dramatic moments, like Eddie's reaction when he finds his dead goldfish, showing that beyond his usual cheerfulness, the trauma of losing his mother is still raw. This mixture of genres might not work for some viewers, but it did for me. It gives the movie more weight and heart.

A delight to watch.

It is true the film is quite dated and no longer relevant go the times for live in now. However, for me this is what I enjoyed about this film. It's like a time capsule of the past. From the way it was shot, the dialogue and even the overall theme is a quaint reminder of where we were.

Dina Merrill should have had a much more successful screen career. She is a beautiful, intelligent, warm, extremely credible actress. Perhaps her very strong resemblance to Grace Kelly worked against her. In this film, "The Courtship of Eddie's Father," someone had the dumb idea to make her a brunette, probably because the lead actress, Shirley Jones, was also a blonde. For Merrill, this is a nothing role which she brings a great deal more to than it deserves. The rest of the cast is good, especially Ron(nie) Howard, although Glenn Ford is, as usual, low-key to the point of monotony; and Jerry Van Dyke proves that the same genes don't necessarily produce comic geniuses in a family.

charming comedy about a handsome widower whose precouious six-year-old son who vets all his potential dates. Glenn Ford is playing tom corbet very convincing and Shirley Jones is wonderful as elizabeth marten. this movie is smooth and wonderful. 8 of 10

Eddie Corbett (Ronny Howard) lives with his father Tom (Glenn Ford) in Manhattan as they try to recover from his mother's recent death. There is the next door neighbor friend Elizabeth Marten (Shirley Jones). The father and son encounter Dollye Daly (Stella Stevens) at a fair. She ends up marrying Tom's co-worker friend Norman Jones (Jerry Van Dyke). Tom starts dating snotty socialite Rita Behrens (Dina Merrill).

There are some overly dramatic acting early on. I can excuse the over the top crying from little Ronny Howard but the adults go too far. When they dial it up to eleven so early, the actors have nowhere else to go. It would be better for little Ronny to break down during the climax allowing her to come in and save the family. The problem with the initial breakup is that the separation keeps them from building any chemistry. As for the Dollye and Norman relationship, I don't really care that much about it unless they can make it funnier. It's a waste of screen time. I still like the premise and the actors. This is a functional family story. Mostly, I find the father son struggles intriguing. I like the conflict.

Ronnie Howard really shines in this cute film. He makes you laugh AND cry. Stella Stevens is as hilarious as she is beautiful. Shirley Jones does well as the sympathetic neighbor.

Glenn Ford seems completely out of place here, but Ronny Howard hams it up in most scenes, you hardly notice.

Jerry Van Dyke is awful, as is Stella Stevens. The time wasted on them seems interminable!

Not an interesting movie, and full of dated stereotypes, but quite a bit of cool early 60s pop culture items.

I almost forgot; the music throughout is horrible!