Movie review: ‘Father Goose’

FloridaGator80
A promotional “still” photograph from the movie “Father Goose.”

Cary Grant was one of Hollywood’s legends and, like any actor of his generation, he did World War II films. One is his classic war comedy “Operation Petticoat” and Grant plays the longsuffering professional skipper of a WWII submarine and guides it through his crew’s hijinks, fate and some plain bad luck (click here to read my review). In the next to last film in Grant’s career that spanned four decades, “Father Goose,” he again plays a WWII character but with a personality the polar opposite of the sub skipper … with the exception of professionalism … although it was well-concealed until necessary in “Father Goose.” The film has has some light combat scenes and is drama much of the time, this one is classified a comedy. So, just sit back … you won’t need any concentration to enjoy this one!

‘Father Goose’
(1964; 118 minutes; rated “Approved” under rating system at that time; directed by Ralph Nelson and starring Cary Grant, Leslie Caron and Trevor Howard)

HE GOT MOTHER GOOSED!

(NOTE: I expanded this review by updating links on July 19, 2015. I again expanded it with more opinion and trivia and further of updating of links on July 22, 2018. I again expanded the review on April 30, 2025.)

I always enjoy a film that spends time on all facets of a story and doesn’t try to rush things too much. “Father Goose” was the legendary Cary Grant’s next-to-last film and at nearly two hours has the time to spin through a series of subplots in a World War II era comedy-drama. In this 50th anniversary year of “Father Goose” with the original posting of this review, you’ll find it stands up better than many.

Of course, the spotlight remains firmly on Grant, but his two co-stars (the beautiful and talented Leslie Caron as “Catherine Freneau” and the versatile Trevor Howard as “Cmdr. Frank Houghton”) do a wonderful job and through their effort “Father Goose” rises above a mediocre level that would have been an all too easy result for this film. After all, it has a one-screen list of credits for the 11 members of the principal cast there are just seven more bit parts by actors in uncredited roles. It would have been too easy to rely solely on Grant and this one nearly did.

The plot is simple: an ex-pat American is caught up the Pacific conflict and is blackmailed into becoming a “coastwatcher” (a lone military adviser or civilian volunteer on an island who monitored Japanese aircraft and shipping movements and was supported by indigenous people — although none assists Grant in the film … click on the link to see a complete history). He pretty much has to be blackmailed into everything and ultimately winds up taking care of a French diplomat and the children in her charge on his island. The two are opposites (he calls her “Miss Goody Two Shoes” for her spinsterish, priggish ways and she calls him the “Filthy Beast” for his uncouth manners and constant boozing) but, of course, they find love in the war-torn Pacific.

Grant pinballs around as the odd, hard-drinking “Walter Eckland,” the man who is oblivious to a world war and is only concerned with himself. One moment he’s carefree, the next maneuvering to steal supplies and finally he’s coerced into helping the war effort (mainly through threat of confiscation of his boat and then the inducement of a lot of Black & White whiskey). Actually, whiskey and blackmail are big in Grant’s life here.

It’s only when the chips are down or there’s an emergency (such as when he travels to another island to rescues another coastwatcher or when the Japanese visit his island) that his cool under fire comes through.

  • A promotional “still” photograph from the movie “Father Goose.”

    A two-time Oscar nominee (not for this one), Grant is smooth and solid his role, every much the equal of his “Operation Petticoat” effort. With seeming effortlessness, he slides from one emotion to the next and one scene to the next with relative ease. His most famous films include “North by Northwest,” “Charade,” “An Affair to Remember” and “That Touch of Mink.” His nominations came for lead roles in a pair of films in the 1940s and he was awarded an honorary Oscar for his talent in 1970. Grant died in 1986 at the age of 82 of a cerebral hemorrhage.

  • The film’s co-star and second billed is two-time Oscar nominee (not for this one), Caron, who was a ballet dancer discovered by Gene Kelly for “An American in Paris” and was in “Lili” and “Gigi” before “Father Goose.” Caron’s “Catherine” is so absorbed in keeping her charges safe that she takes over everything from the moment she arrives anywhere. Caron overwhelms Grant and makes him an afterthought, even taking over the coast watching duties. However, even she ultimately is forced to acknowledge that he does have some usefulness. It’s a pleasure watching her work as she delivers with heart and delicious timing. Her nominations were for “Lili” and “The L-Shaped Room.” Caron’s last acting credit was in 2020 and she’s had 71 acting credits over a career spanning an incredible eight decades since the first, “An American in Paris,” in 1951.
  • In “Father Goose,” I especially enjoy the work by Howard, an Oscar nominee and three-time Golden Globe nominee (not for this one), whose career includes the classic war film “Von Ryan’s Express” with Frank Sinatra and varied roles from films such as “Gandhi” and “Superman” to a string of TV credits. Howard has the perfect blend of competence, assurance and just the right touch of perfidy to juggle the loose personalities he is responsible for commanding. Howard plays it to perfection here and every second of his time on screen is well spent. His nominations were for “Sons and Lovers.” He tallied 117 acting credits over a career spanning five decades from the first in 1944 before his death in 1988 at 74 of influenza and bronchitis.
  • Finally, we come to Primetime Emmy nominee Jack Good as “Lt. Stebbings.” He’s the sidekick to Howard and an energetic, annoying and snobbish young officer. “Father Goose” was Good’s first acting role and he had a total of four, including two episodes on TV’s iconic series “Hogan’s Heroes.” Good conveys his vain character well and luckily the producers didn’t get enraptured with the potential of “Stebbings” – which I might have done given the quality of his work here. He does good work, but any more of him and it would have devalued his effort. Good had a limited career of those four acting credits as well as 15 as a producer and he died at 86 in 2017 in his native England.
A promotional “still” photograph from the movie “Father Goose.”

The rest of the cast is comprised of the seven girls in Caron’s charge. When Grant is sent to another island to rescue a coastwatcher, he finds the man is dead and comes home with Caron and the girls. From there it’s life on the island from conflict to respect to romance to ultimate rescue with a twist and a (naturally) happy ending.

The best interaction between Grant and the girls is when he manages to coax one of them to begin speaking again (she stopped at the start of the war). The scene is marvelous and proof of how a great actor can convey so many character levels in a single role. In another interaction, a second girl (the oldest) falls for him and he has to make a flamboyant gesture to keep her away, but this one is not as effective as the first.

As for co-stars Grant and Caron, their best scene is where he tries to teach her how to fish with bare hands (watch the movie to find out the context). The not-so-subtle hint at sexuality is a nice change from the crass blandishments of the world of entertainment today. I hate to even think what a modern filmmaker would have them doing on the island.

“Father Goose” made $12.5 million in 1964, according to Wiki, and was the seventh ranked film at the box office. It was tough competition that year, what with 007’s “Goldfinger” No. 1 with $124.9 million (click here to read my review) and “Mary Poppins” second at $102.2 million. Here are the other films from 1964 that I’ve reviewed for my blog:

Other cast and film notes (via IMDb.com):

  • John Cleese’s character in “A Fish Called Wanda” was “Archie Leach” (“Monty Python” veteran Cleese was the co-star and co-writer of the film – click here to read my review). It was a not-so-subtle tribute to Grant, since Cleese said he was born near Grant’s birthplace and that the character would be closest he’d get to be Grant, whose birth name was Archibald Alexander Leach.
  • Caron’s full birth name is Leslie Claire Margaret Caron; and Howard’s full birth name was Trevor Wallace Howard-Smith.
  • Howard did three episodes on my favorite tee-vee series: The kitschy “The Love Boat” (click here for my look at this guilty pleasure).
  • Grant’s final film, “Walk Don’t Run,” was in 1966. In an additional note, Grant was no Hollywood mini-man (like so many stars of his and other generations), as he was a shade over 6-foot-1. Oh, that full 12 inches taller than co-star Caron.
  • Directly from IMDb.com: “Frank’s remark to Walter that the Japanese had taken Singapore that morning fixes the date the film opens as February 15, 1942. The official surrender, however, did not take place until 5:15 in the afternoon.”
  • The film uses a stock shot of a submarine firing a torpedo that was also used in Grant’s “Operation Petticoat” (click here to read my review).
  • The location for shooting was eight weeks at Universal Studios in California and four weeks at a coconut plantation at Ocho Rios, Jamaica.
  • “Father Goose” won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay (also nominated for sound and film editing).
  • Directly from IMDb.com: “One of Cary Grant‘s favorite projects. He always maintained his role in this film was most like his real personality. He claimed he kept in touch with most of the girls as they grew up and had families of their own.”
  • Grant chose being in this one over being the lead in “My Fair Lady.” He also wanted Audrey Hepburn as his co-star, but she was committed to “My Fair Lady” and ultimately co-starred with Rex Harrison.
  • Four of the seven girls (Pip Starke as “Anne;” Stephanie Berrington as “Elizabeth;” Laurelle Felsette as “Angelique;” and Nicole Felsette as “Dominique”) had only one acting credit in their “careers” and it was “Father Goose.” None had more than nine and Stephanie’s sister Jennifer Berrington had two.
  • Finally and directly from IMDb.com: “Sidney Poitier visited the set during the production shoot in Jamaica to congratulate director Ralph Nelson on receiving a Best Director Oscar nomination for Lilies of the Field (1963), a film he had worked on with Poitier.”

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