Father Goose

This second to last film of Cary Grant was one he spoke highly of in interviews.

It was my decided pleasure to be in attendance at his "A Conversation With Cary Grant" at the Front Row Theater in Cleveland shortly before his death. During this unforgettable evening, Grant fielded questions from an audience of over five hundred for nearly two hours.

Grant seemed to possess a photographic memory, recalling incidents of his life and career down to the smallest detail. "Father Goose" was revealed to be one of his favorite projects.

Looking at the film today, one can see the senior star enjoying his character and well polished script. He was nicely paired with Leslie Caron, and the two struck an engaging chemistry for these capers.

Grant also had the good sense to say farewell to these leading man parts (being aware that he could never become a "character" actor) threw in the towel and moved on to better things, like Fabrege.

We're left with another delightful Grant performance in an illustrious and remarkably diversified career.

If you are looking for comparisons and don't mind a bit of a stretch, then you can consider "Father Goose" (1964) as another version of "Bringing Up Baby". In both Cary Grant gets to play a character experiencing a host of aggravations. Leslie Caron's Catherine Frenau is not as zany as Hepburn's Susan, but still manages to irritate Grant for most of the film until he finally realizes that he is in love with her. And instead of a leopard and a dog running amuck in rural Connecticut, "Father Goose" features seven schoolgirls of various nationalities running amuck on a Pacific island during WWII.

Everything works pretty well in this film although Grant is not quite up to an American accent so there are several awkward moments with the script. And the age difference makes the Grant-Caron romance unconvincing. Fortunately the producers skate over the romantic elements. In fact, the romance is treated so superficially that you wonder why they bothered to insert it into the story. A similar romance got much the same treatment that year in "My Fair Lady".

The film's real strength is the interaction between Grant and the seven schoolgirls as it manages a fair amount of believable characterization for each of them. The initially silent Jenny (Sharyl Locke), tomboy Harry (Jennifer Berrington), chronic complainer Anne (Pip Sparke), Elizabeth (Stephanie Berrington) and her imaginary friend Gretchen, coming of age Christine (Venina Greenlaw), and the French twins (Laurelle and Nichole Felsette). All have distinct personalities and it is obvious that Grant had a lot of fun working with each of them; so much so that he stayed in touch with them even after they grew up, married, and started their own families.

Grant's Walter Eckland is an American drifter hoping the war will just pass him by; illustrated during the opening credits by Digby Wolfe singing "Pass Me By" as Eckland (with an unwanted hitchhiking Pelican) steers his boat into the harbor. The war catches up with him there when the Harbor Master (Trevor Howard) tricks him into taking a coast-watching job until a replacement can be found.

His job is reporting by radio any movements by Japanese planes and ships near his island station. The reluctant recruit is rewarded with a bottle of whiskey (previously hidden somewhere on the island by the Royal Navy) each time one of his reports is confirmed.

Walter seems to thrive on this assignment until he has to share his island with a French teacher Catherine Frenau (Leslie Caron) and seven young charges. Miss Frenau hides the remaining whiskey bottles and the females take over Walter's hut.

Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.

It appears that many reviewers on IMDb want to consider Father Goose as a minor feature, lacking the sophistication of better comedies. I think it is worthy of a listing toward the top flight of comedic endeavor. What makes a "good comedy" after all? Can you comment on a more important event than WW 2 and attitudes towards it? Can you have a more able actor and supporting cast? Was the initial attack on the South Seas and attempts to defend more important than later efforts? Is the true story of humanity with all weaknessness, better expressed in any other WW2 movie? I think Father Goose is a first class movie in Script and performance. Why say it is less because it doesn't appear to address PC issues? I love this movie.

This film is lots of fun and goes down smooth. Grant is classic as the grizzled boozer who plays look-out for the Allies and a gaggle of young lassies. It is one of the more well-executed romantic comedies (that's how I would classify it, anyway) and the tension of the final scenes is excellent considering the difficulty of weaving in such weighty material to an otherwise farcical film. Nobody does those twisted-lip facial expressions of exasperation better than Grant.

I will always remember a certain Sunday in lil ole Luverne, Alabama, having a great time with my family watching trusty TBS (the way it used to be). It's not the greatest movie ever, but it is a fine choice for a lazy afternoon or light evening fun. I give it a 7/10 and it might deserve higher marks. Break out the Orville Reddenbocker, and follow with an "Operation Petticoat" chaser.

Have seen this movie many times.. Cary Grant at his best! In real life, Cary is in his 60's and Caron is in her 30's. But the age difference doesn't even come into play here. They seem to fit perfectly. See it, you won't be sorry!