Der große Wolf ruft

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.

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.

I have a certain fondness for this 1964 movie because it is one of the earliest I remember seeing in the back of my parents' 1963 Rambler station wagon at the now-defunct Burlingame Drive-In near San Francisco. The film's catchy theme song, "Pass Me By", was in my head for years. In the intervening years, I have come to recognize Cary Grant's immaculate precision as a comic actor, and even playing a grizzled, alcoholic beachcomber like Walter Eckland, he still exudes the sharp wit and crack timing that is his hallmark. In fact, Grant is at the top of his game here.

Sharply written by Peter Stone and Frank Tarloff, the story revolves around Eckland's futile attempts to remain reclusive aboard his boat tooling around the South Pacific. Unfortunately, WWII is raging on, and the British Navy need to use him as a hidden spotter of Japanese fighter planes. He is tricked into the role and remains shipwrecked manning his post on an isolated island. Enter Catherine Freneau, a priggish French schoolteacher, who has been stranded on another island with seven schoolgirls. Eckland fetches them, and they all cohabitate with inevitable shenanigans occurring.

Director Ralph Nelson, who generally made relatively lightweight fare, keeps the story fairly facile until they come under attack and a suspenseful element is carried through to the end. In what turned out to be his last leading role, romantic or otherwise, Grant was applauded at the time for dispensing with his suave manner to inhabit this character, but actually it's a throwback to the everyman characters he played in "Only Angels Have Wings" and "Gunga Din". The difference is that at age sixty, he displays his talents as both romantic comedy lead and action hero with such seasoned adroitness.

As Catherine, Leslie Caron demonstrates just how greatly underrated she is as a comedy actress. Even though her character threatens to be strenuously rigid, she conveys Catherine's vulnerability with subtle nuance and also has a very funny drunk scene where she gets to show off her ballet dancer gams. Grant and Caron have great chemistry. Trevor Howard dryly plays Eckland's friendly adversary, Commander Houghton, who transmits instructions by ham radio, and the girls are all gratefully portrayed with individual personalities. I have always been impressed how this film maintains its light heart and humor even though it's clear that the wartime setting is a critical element of the plot. It remains good, solid entertainment.

I've recently learnt about Cary Grant and purchased a few of his movies. I like Father Goose the best. Cary Grant and Leslie Caron were very intelligent in this movie: the way they brought out character they played - Mr. Eckland and Madame Freneau.

I feel connected with the story. My daughter and I have watched this movie more than 100 times and we really enjoy it every time. In Father Goose, Cary Grant played a character, which was quite different from other of his movies such as Indiscreet, That Touch Of Mink, To Catch A Thief, etc.., He was unshaved, uncombed, filthy, untidy, insensitive, and care-free. But underneath of this messy image, a suave, full of fact-of-life Walter Eckland would not mind to suck out the venom in an attempt to save Ms. Freneau. I was really moved.

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.