Te veré en mis brazos

Widowed lawyer Cary Grant hires Sophia Loren to take care of his three kids and moves them all onto a houseboat. He believes Sophia to be a maid but, in fact, she's the daughter of a famous Italian conductor. Comedy and romance ensues. Cary does well with a character that's not really likable at first. He has great chemistry with Sophia, who pretty much owns the picture. She's sexy, funny, and charming. The three kids are played by Paul Peterson (of Donna Reed Show fame), Charles Herbert (13 Ghosts, among others), and Mimi Gibson (this is probably her best role). They're all good, particularly Herbert. Love his scenes with Sophia. Harry Guardino is a treat as the guy who sells Cary the houseboat after destroying their other house. Cary's then-wife Betsy Drake was originally set to star. Their marriage was on the rocks at the time, and he was having an affair with Sophia, so she wound up with the part. It worked out best for us as it would have been a far different movie with Drake, who had a pretty bland screen presence. It's a pleasant, enjoyable mix of romantic and family comedy. Nothing unpredictable or deep but good fun.

Houseboat (1958)

It's crazy to write a review of a movie this old, with two legends, as if I have anything new to say. But that's exactly why it's worth my while. I watched it as a "Cary Grant movie" which is a category like a "Greta Garbo movie." And he's good, though there are no real sparks on screen between him and Sofia Loren, a substitute for Grant's wife of the moment, who wrote the original script. I think it ends up just a match of two screen beauties. The 1958 public liked it, at least.

It's weird how old Loren looks here—she's playing a 22 year old (she's 24 during the shoot), but her whole demeanor and hairstyle scream 30 or 40. Weird, because she's supposed to be a wild kid that her dad can't control. This matters because Grant plays an older man—an older father of three whose wife has died and who really needs a nanny. Loren's character becomes the nanny even though she's from a privileged family, mostly as an escape. Famously, Grant had been trying to woo Loren for months during their previous film, and he may or may not have gotten anywhere, but by this filming she made clear she wasn't interested, and even got married (to Carlo Ponti) while this one was being shot.

The plot is fun but the film is a bit plasticky. It's not as funny or clever as the old screwball days. Or as fast. The three kids are fine but barely—no great acting here, and no great direction either. Oh yeah, the director—Melville Shavelson—is not making the most of his material. He's more of a screenwriter (he co-wrote this) and there are some great lines. The direction is routine, however, which is a shame, because some scenes are clunky and others play out as if the script would do all the work.

Even the cinematography is merely adequate, though the sets and setting are great so you might not notice. The idea of using a houseboat (a real one in Maryland) is a great money saving device, no doubt, and it gives everything an offbeat air.

So it's all enjoyable if nothing remarkable, more or less typical of this low point in Hollywood movie-making. The best here is Grant, who still throws his classic one-liners off as if they were his. Too bad they echo out of sync with the rest of the cast.

Cary Grant's devotees-and they are legion--will come to his defense even under the most trying of circumstances (I'm the same way with actors and actresses I admire). Grant's performances are often lovingly called "droll" and "relaxed" while I see them as unimaginative and one-dimensional. He's not at home on-screen so much as he inhabits the space he's in, and I unavoidably begin imagining different actors in his roles (consider Rod Taylor opposite Audrey Hepburn in "Charade"!). "Houseboat" is no exception, but it's a good movie. Grant is overanxious, as usual--and pushy or needling with the kids involved--but he's well-placed as a love-interest opposite Sophia Loren (whom he was dating just prior to the filming but not during). At first glance, "Houseboat" looks like the worst type of sitcom: stern father gets saddled with his estranged children, later hiring a governess who is really a runaway from high society. Grant plays the dad with consternation and suspicion (according to the script, of course, though Grant is typically like this). He goads his kids into being more than what he sees on the surface--and when his son finally pushes back, it seems an exceptionally realistic reaction. As for Sophia, who basks in her movie-star close-ups: she takes a cartoonish character (which is written like a cynical refugee from "Roman Holiday") and gives the lady a big heart. Her bonding with the children (and with Grant) is a treat and, while I wasn't convinced it would all work out happily, I was reasonably entertained. **1/2 from ****

A romantic comedy short on logic but long on suave chemistry from 1958. A woman passes leaving her passel of 3 children w/their estranged father played by Cary Grant. Enter the luminous Sophia Loren, the daughter of a well regarded Italian music conductor who's on the outs w/her father so she flees his strict confines to meet up Grant & offer her services to be his maid & au pair to his unruly trio of brats when they move into the moored titular houseboat. That she falls for Grant while his wife's sister has made her feelings known makes for an interesting set of misconceptions & situations. What is essentially a remake of Grant's Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House mixed w/Sabrina has romance being the main sauce to this amorous pasta which makes this meal go down smoothly w/o the caloric guilt. Enjoy!

For those who still have the hopeless romantic side to them still kindling, and for those who are not totally cynical about predictable outcomes, Houseboat is decent fun. Cary Grant repeating his romantic comedy work for the umpteenth time, works well with the ravishing and radiant Sophia Loren. Given they were thirty years apart, Grant and Loren were in a pretty heavy romance off screen at this time. Their chemistry is evident and it shows well here. Harry Gaurdino has a good and humorous supporting role. It cracks me up when movies of the 50's portrayed Italian women as fiery and impulsive. It's done that way a bit here as well with Loren, except the script offers her character a bit more warmth and depth. Hollywood stereotypes of Italians have improved until "The Sopranos" came along forty years later. Houseboat is just a cute movie that is worth watching to fill in time. And if you are a fan of either star, it will be that much better.