HOUSEBOAT

US, 1958, 110 minutes, Colour.
Cary Grant, Sophia Loren, Martha Hyer, Harry Guardino, Eduardo Ciannelli, Murray Hamilton, Paul Petersen.
Directed by Melville Shavelson.

Houseboat is a popular comedy done with some finesse. The screenplay was nominated for Oscar as well as by the Writers’ Guild of America. Shavelson had written and directed a number of films like The Seven Little Foys with Bob Hope, The Five Pennies with Danny Kaye. He also directed Cast a Giant Shadow – and wrote a humorous book about the difficulties of producing this film which starred Kirk Douglas, John Wayne and a host of stars.

Cary Grant does this kind of film without effort. He had appeared the previous year in the Napoleonic epic, The Pride and the Passion, with Sophia Loren. The young Sophia Loren was at this stage of her career very charming. There is strong support from Martha Hyer and Harry Guardino.

The story is familiar, the father is busy at work, it is World War Two, he lives on a houseboat with his children – who decide to match the nanny with their father.

1. An enjoyable comedy? Why? It was made In the fifties, does it seem dated? Or is it still fresh? Why?

2 How much did the film rely on the performance and charm of Cary Grant and Sophia Loren? What did they contribute to the film?

3 How strong was the film in human interest? For what kind of audience was it made? Families? Children?

4. How humane was the film? too folksy, sentimental?

5. Was the theme credible and the behaviour of the characters? Why?

6. What did the film have to say about families? About the effect of divorce on children? On the children's needs? Reaction to the hostility of the children towards their father? Did it come on too strongly? Or did you sympathise with them?

7. How was it that he was so pig-headed? That he didn't understand his children? That he treated them as machines? As too adult? (His tour of Washington, their life in the apartment, the rational answers to some questions and about the thunder? Was there any possibility of their being reconciled had this gone on?

8. Robert and his mouth organ? The concert?

9. How well did the film establish the parallel between Cynthia and her father? Did this make the encounter between Cynthia and the children more interesting? Why? How attractive a character was Cynthia? her rebellion against her father? How vivacious a girl was she? Her enjoyment of the dance? Her concern for Robert? Why was she so good with the children? Was it evident that she had learnt by her own deprivations? What did she add to the children's life? What did she add to Tom's life? Why could he not see this?

10. Was Angelo a stock figure? What did he add to the film? Was Auntie Caroline a stock figure? Did she add anything to the film besides complicating the romantic side?

11. Were the changes in the children and their father credible? The sequence where David was fishing and the encounter with his father? the little girl's getting into bed with her father and not frightened of the thunder, not treating them, as little adults, but rather as children? Warmth, humour, how did the houseboat add to this and their need to fix it up? Did the houseboat help the reconciliation more quickly?

12. The presentation at the country club? How were snobbish Americans satirised in this film? (when they were also accepted when Cynthia wanted to be quite at home in the country club also?)

13. Why did the children turn against Cynthia? Was this credible? Did the film emphasize this and David's disappointment when she went out?

14. Would the marriage be a success? Why?

15. How typically an American comedy was this? The presentation of the children? Cary Grant comedy? The American approach to Sophia Loren her vivacity and her songs? The humour?