Houseboat is a 1958 romantic comedy film starring Cary Grant, Sophia Loren, Martha Hyer, Paul Petersen, Charles Herbert and Mimi Gibson. The movie was directed by Melville Shavelson, who also directed the original 1968 version of Yours, Mine and Ours.
Plot Summary
Tom Winters, Cary Grant, has been separated from his wife for a few years and a divorce is pending when she is killed in a car crash. He returns home from Europe to find his three children - David, Elizabeth, and Robert - in the care of his wife's family. The children's grandparents intend to raise Elizabeth, and Tom's sister-in-law Carolyn (Hyer) plans to take in David and Robert. The children wish to stay with their aunt and grandparents in the country, but Tom decides to take the children back home to Washington, where he works in the State Department.
The children resent their father's presence and, at an outdoor Watergate concert, Robert runs away. He is found by Cinzia Zaccardi (Loren), the daughter of a famous Italian conductor. She, too, is running away and is enchanted by little "Roberto" and his harmonica. When she brings him back home to Tom's apartment, he offers her a job as a maid, which she eventually accepts.
Carolyn, now recently divorced from her husband, offers Tom and the children her old guest house, which was supposed to be moved to its new foundation before the family arrives. However, while on the way to their new home, they meet Angelo Donatello, who happens to be driving their home. While Angelo flirts with Cinzia and Tom tries to fix the car, only David (Petersen) notices the oncoming train. The traveling guest house is destroyed and Angelo, feeling a little guilty, offers Tom his weekend home: a houseboat. The houseboat is a leaky, dirty mess, but Tom decides to buy it from Angelo. Once moved in, Tom discovers that Cinzia is unable to cook, do laundry or make "American coffee". Upon learning this, Carolyn and others mock Cinzia and her role in the household. However, Cinzia is able to befriend David, who complains that his father treats him like a "lame brain" and convince Elizabeth that her father loves her. The entire family becomes very fond of Cinzia.
Meanwhile, Tom is spending evenings at the country club with Carolyn, who has harbored a secret crush on him her entire life. She helps Tom buy a gaudy gold dress for Cinzia, for her date with Angelo. Cinzia, who at first believes she's being asked on a date with Tom, transforms the dress into a gorgeous gown, stunning both Angelo and Tom. Angelo, frightened at how beautiful and classy she looks, cancels the date. Carolyn arrives at the boat with Mr. and Mrs. Farnsworth. William Farnsworth (Litel) has already had quite a few drinks and makes lewd remarks at Cinzia when she serves drinks. She throws a drink on him in retaliation. Tom asks the three of them to leave the boat. David cheers Cinzia up and they make plans to go fishing, but Tom ruins his son's plans when he asks Cinzia to the country club. Once there, he reconciles with Carolyn and they agree to get married. He then tries to tell Cinzia the news, but realizes he is truly in love with her.
The children don't want Cinzia to marry their father: David tells Cinzia she's an ugly old woman despite his past praise, Elizabeth wants to continue sleeping in her father's bed, and Robert doesn't think Cinzia can replace his mother. Depressed by this, Cinzia returns home to her father (Cianelli). But Tom comes after her and Cinzia's father convinces them to get married because they love each other. The ceremony takes place on the houseboat, but the children refuse to be involved even though Cinzia begs Tom to try to get them to go. However, as the ceremony begins, Elizabeth and David join their father and Cinzia at the altar and Robert plays "Here Comes the Bride" on his harmonica before joining his new family.
Production
Grant's wife Betsy Drake wrote the original script, and Grant originally intended that she would star with him. After he began an affair with Loren while filming The Pride and the Passion, Grant arranged for Loren to take Drake's place with a rewritten script for which Drake did not receive credit. The affair ended in bitterness before The Pride and the Passion's filming ended, causing problems on the Houseboat set. Grant hoped to resume the relationship, but Loren agreed to marry Carlo Ponti instead.[1]
Filming locations
Parts of the movie were filmed in Fort Washington, Maryland on the Potomac River and Piscataway Creek at the present site of Fort Washington marina.
Featured cast
Awards
- The film was nominated for two Oscar Awards: one for Best Original Song for "Almost in Your Arms (Love Song from Houseboat)", and the other for Best Writing, Story and Screenplay - Written Directly for the Screen.
- The movie won Golden Laurel Awards for Top Comedy and Top Male Comedy Performance by Cary Grant.
References
- ^ Jaynes, Barbara Grant; Trachtenberg, Robert. Cary Grant: A Class Apart. Burbank, California: Turner Classic Movies (TCM) and Turner Entertainment. 2004.
External links
