FATHER GOOSE

US, 1964, 116 minutes, Colour.
Cary Grant, Leslie Caron, Trevor Howard.
Directed by Ralph Nelson.

Father Goose is a pleasant, if not startling, war comedy adventure. It is a pleasing Cary Grant vehicle - and the star maintains his charm and presence at the age of 60. He is put upon by Leslie Caron's starchy French school teacher and seven at first exceedingly obnoxious schoolgirls stranded in the Pacific Islands during the war. Needless to say, peace is established amongst the group after a lot of battles.

Trevor Howard enjoys himself as the local Commander. The film is one of those familiar reformation of beachcomber films as he is offered the opportunity for heroics during the war and is softened by his encounter with a schoolteacher. The film is slow paced but pleasantly entertaining, has fairly straightforward characterisations and issues. It is the kind of film that is pleasant family entertainment - and the moralising is not too far from the surface. The direction is by Ralph Nelson, a director with a wide range of conventional films including Oscar-winners Lilies of the Field and Charley. The screenplay co-written by Peter Stone, Frank Tarloff won an Oscar for original story in 1964.

1. An entertaining comedy adventure? Cary Grant vehicle? Sentimental comedy - for a wide audience, family audience?

2. The colour photography of the Pacific and the islands? The atmosphere of the war in the Pacific? The sea,, jungle? The special effects for the war sequences? Musical score? The popular song and its lyrics?

3. The conventions of this kind of adventure? The establishing of the rogue hero? The genial navy commander? The prim schoolteacher and her children stranded in an unlikely manner? Interaction? Mellowing on both sides? Romance and marriage? Heroism in war? How conventional was the material? How well presented for entertainment?

4. The war situation and heroism? The Japanese invasion of the Pacific? The Royal Australian Navy and its holding the islands against the Japanese? The need for aircraft spotters? The beachcombers transformed into war heroes? The locals and their role in the navy? Knowledge of harbours and of jungles? The radio contact? The ordinary people making their mark in a war?

5. Cary Grant and his popularity? His role as a wanderer along the New Guinea coast? His later explanation of his school teaching, inability to be conventional? His stealing of the petrol? His being commandeered by Frank Houghton? His being blackmailed? The ramming of his boat? His being established on the island, radio contact, his information? Code name Mother Goose? The encounter with Catherine and the girls? Hostility, his being rude to them, their being overbearing and turning him out? The interactions at meals, fishing? Their stealing his clothes? The girls helping him on the boat? Hero-worship? The mellowing of Catherine? His looking after when ill? Their falling in love? His final heroism in saving them - as contrast to his rescuing them? Happy ending? The genial Cary Grant hero? His one-liners and wisecracks? The blend of the serious and the comic?

6. Leslie Caron's prim style as Catherine? Taking care of the girls as if they were in boarding school? Her taking charge of Walter? Transforming the hut, taking his clothes, hiding the alcohol? Her brusque manner? Her trying to learn to fish? Her being bitten by the snake? The humour of her being treated by whisky? Thinking she was dead? Change of heart, marriage and the humour of the ceremony with the aircraft raid? The final happy ending?

7. Trevor Howard as Frank Houghton - the experience of New Guinea, place in the navy, standing his ground against Walter? Radio contact? The ordinary heroism of the war?

8. The presentation of the girls - in uniform in New Guinea, their being rescued, their girlish traits, their following Catherine's lead, taking over Walter's boat, later helping him, even with the whisky? The adventures and dangers - collecting coconuts etc.? The girl with the crush and Walter's threatening her? Her being the maid of honour at the wedding?

9. The action sequences and the echoes of realism of the war? The comedy sequences of crusty bachelor taming the prim schoolteacher and the prim schoolteacher mellowing the crusty bachelor with the help of schoolgirls?

10. Genial entertainment? The basic ingredients of good and evil, heroes and heroines, romance?