Father Goose (1964)

Cary Grant's penultimate feature before retirement was this cheerful 1964 effort to overturn his career-long image of urbane sophistication. As the unshaven, messy misanthrope Walter Eckland, a World War II-era beach bum who monitors Japanese air activity for the Australian navy in exchange for booze, Grant makes a convincingly hard-bitten, hard-drinking antihero. Until, that is, a pretty French schoolmistress (Leslie Caron) and her seven little charges (all girls) survive a nearby plane crash and invade Eckland's raunchy isolation. Directed by 1960s hit-maker Ralph Nelson (The Lilies of the Field, Charly), Father Goose is a glossy comedy that also does justice to its more suspenseful scenes (a deadly snakebite suffered by Caron's character is especially memorable) and leaves plenty of room for Grant to indulge in some entertaining if atypical screen behavior. All in all, this is a minor treat in the actor's magnificent filmography. --Tom Keogh Amazon.com

Father Goose ~ classic movie !

Light-hearted, yet philosophical and with a spark of "danger"
thrown in at just the right times.
Brilliant role by Cary Grant, with his classic expressions, and
subtle moves. Just a great sit-back-and-enjoy movie. September 6, 2008

Father Goose with Cary Grant

Father Goose is not only a showcase of cry Grant's considerable acting talents, but an excellent example of American culture and social attitudes during World War Two. Although set in the Pacific, this film (by turns dramatic, romantic and very, very funny) shows American mores and values of yesteryear. All in all, a great film that I'd recommend to anyone!
Father Goose August 7, 2008

Charming movie

My husband and I both enjoyed this charming movie very much, very entertaining, lots of humour. There were some glitches in the script, but we forgave that. We enjoyed it very much. AND it was not at all dated. August 4, 2008

Cary Grant's Last Great Film

If you love Cary Grant you should go wild over this movie, where he spends most of his time in a grisly half-beard and scruffy clothes. It was his last great movie.

Grant, playing against type, ends up helping the U.S. in World War II by being a spotter on a Pacific island. Who else could capture the screen time so well when being all alone on the island (maybe Tom Hanks, since he did it too?). When Grant meets Caron and the little girls it turns into a hilarious battle. The ending has some suspense before it all ends happily ever after.

A great movie for Grant fans. Too bad he didn't end with this one instead of going on to make Walk, Don't Run as his final film! July 29, 2008

Father Goose

I received this new remastered DVD in a matter of days after ordering. The product is excellent, and the story "Father Goose" is humorous family entertainment. July 18, 2008

More reviews at Amazon.com ...