Nina M.'s FATHER GOOSE

FATHER GOOSE (1964) is a very funny comedy starring the wonderful Cary Grant and the lovely Leslie Caron. Grant's character is the total opposite of the suave sophisticated and debonair character he usually portrays in his films. In this film, he plays Walter Eckland, an unshaven, scruffy, grumpy and moody drunk who volunteers to go to an island in the Pacific Ocean by himself to watch Japanese troops for the Australian navy. News of an attack on another island sends Walter by a very small boat to investigate. He soon finds the watcher dead and a young women with seven children stranded. The young woman Catherine Freneau, played by Leslie Caron, is the daughter of a French consul. She is very clean, tidy, prim and proper, the complete opposite of Walter, and the guardian of the seven young GIRLS. Relunctantly, Walter takes Catherine and the girls to the island where he must report all Japanese activity and ensure the safety of this group now thrust upon him.

There are very funny scenes of the whole stranded group trying to get in and out of Walter's small boat. Then, all of them on the island together is truly where the fun and laughter begins, especially with Walter wanting them gone, because Catherine and the girls are taking over the island and his life, as well as hiding his precious whiskey. But as time goes on, he grows to like Catherine and the seven girls and in the end, opposites do attract.

Overall it is a funny and witty romantic comedy with a lots of very good enjoyable scenes and the partnership of Cary Grant, Leslie Caron and the seven girls works very well.


*Contributed by: "Nina M." Date: Fri, Nov. 25 2005 04:35:35 PST

Academy Awards®
© A.M.P.A.S.®
1965 Won Best Writing, Story and Screenplay - Written Directly for the Screen:
S.H. Barnett (story), Peter Stone (screenplay), Frank Tarloff (screenplay)
1965 Nominated for Best Film Editing: Ted J. Kent
1965 Won Best Sound Waldon O. Watson (Universal City SSD)