Back home

Father Goose

187 votes

Producing House

During World War II, South Sea beachcomber Walter Eckland is persuaded to spy on planes passing over his island. He gets more than he bargained for as schoolteacher Catherine Frenau arrives on the run from the Japanese with her pupils in tow!

movie

Status: Released

Released Date: 1964-12-10

Runtime: 118 mins

Director: Ralph Nelson

Writer: Frank Tarloff, Peter Stone

Spoken language: English, Français, Italiano, 日本語

Genres: Adventure, Comedy, Romance

Original title: Father Goose

Production Companies: Granox Productions

Production Countries: United States of America

Reviews

G

Geronimo1967
“Walter” (Cary Grant) is a bit of a rogue who is conned into helping the war effort by “Houghton” (Trevor Howard) and so takes up residence on a remote Pacific island where he is to report sightings of Japanese aircraft, shipping etc. In return, he will be given his very own island Easter egg hunt - only it will be for bottles of Scotch, instead! He’s grumpily resigned to his duty until one day he encounters “Catherine” (Leslie Caron) on his island complete with her own set of ducklings - half a dozen young daughters of the French diplomatic corps left behind. She demands that he help, he demands that she leaves. Is it a Mexican stand-off? Well, no - not for long, pretty swiftly she and her gaggle have this poor hapless fellow dangling and the story sets off down a predictably one-sided battle of the sexes path. No, the story isn’t especially novel or original but there’s a lovely chemistry between Grant and Caron that reminded me a little of the “African Queen” (1951) and the girls contribute amiably too. It is a bit of a slow starter, and the conclusion is a little bit rushed, but the gist is entertaining and both stars seem to be enjoying the mischief as they do their own little bit to defeat the enemy - which ever side he/she/they might be on.
2025-04-20

Recommendations

King Kong vs. Godzilla
3.5

King Kong vs. Godzilla

1962-08-11

The advertising director of Pacific Pharmaceuticals, frustrated with the low ratings of their sponso

The Soft Skin
3.6

The Soft Skin

1964-04-20

Pierre Lachenay is a well-known publisher and lecturer, married to Franca and father of Sabine. He s

All the Way Boys
3.4

All the Way Boys

1972-12-22

The "Trinity" crew makes another modern era film. Plata and Salud are pilots ditching aircraft for i

Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
3.6

Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children

2005-07-14

Two years have passed since the final battle with Sephiroth. Though Midgar, city of mako, city of pr

Goldfinger
3.7

Goldfinger

1964-09-20

Special agent 007 comes face to face with one of the most notorious villains of all time, and now he

You Only Live Twice
3.3

You Only Live Twice

1967-06-13

A mysterious spacecraft captures Russian and American space capsules and brings the two superpowers

Pearl Harbor
3.5

Pearl Harbor

2001-05-21

The lifelong friendship between Rafe McCawley and Danny Walker is put to the ultimate test when the

The Living Daylights
3.3

The Living Daylights

1987-06-29

After a defecting Russian general reveals a plot to assassinate foreign spies, James Bond is assigne

Licence to Kill
3.2

Licence to Kill

1989-06-13

After capturing the notorious drug lord Franz Sanchez, Bond's close friend and former CIA agent Feli

The English Patient
3.6

The English Patient

1996-11-14

In the 1930s, Count Almásy is a Hungarian map maker employed by the Royal Geographical Society to ch

About the Looking for and the Finding of Love
2.3

About the Looking for and the Finding of Love

2005-01-27

Director helmut Dietls and Patric Susskinds illustrate a legendary story of two lovers who cant keep

To Be or Not to Be
3.9

To Be or Not to Be

1942-03-06

During the Nazi occupation of Poland, an acting troupe becomes embroiled in a Polish soldier's effor

Bee Movie
3

Bee Movie

2007-10-28

Barry B. Benson, a recent college graduate who wants more out of his life than making honey, decides

Who Am I?
3.6

Who Am I?

1998-01-17

A group of covert CIA operatives trailing a potential new energy source are double-crossed by corrup

It Happened at the World's Fair
2.9

It Happened at the World's Fair

1963-04-03

Mike and Danny fly a cropduster, but because of Danny's gambling debts, a local sheriff takes custod

Top Secret!
3.5

Top Secret!

1984-06-08

Popular and dashing American singer Nick Rivers travels to East Germany to perform in a music festiv

The Red Baron
3.3

The Red Baron

2008-03-29

Richthofen goes off to war like thousands of other men. As fighter pilots, they become cult heroes f

The Gods Must Be Crazy
3.6

The Gods Must Be Crazy

1980-09-10

A Coca-Cola bottle dropped from an airplane raises havoc among a normally peaceful tribe of African

DOA: Dead or Alive
2.6

DOA: Dead or Alive

2006-09-07

Four beautiful rivals at an invitation-only martial-arts tournament join forces against a sinister t

Snakes on a Plane
2.7

Snakes on a Plane

2006-08-17

FBI agent Neville Flynn boards a flight from Honolulu, Hawaii to Los Angeles, escorting a key witnes