Father Goose (1964)

Father Goose
Directed by Ralph Nelson
Written by Peter Stone and Frank Taroff; story by S.H. Barnett
Granox Company
First viewing/Netflix rental

[box] Walter Eckland: Let me tell you I am not a father figure. I am not a brother figure or an uncle figure or a cousin figure. In fact, the only figure I intend being is a total stranger figure.[/box]

No actor ever aged better than Cary Grant.  Here in Silver Fox mode he still makes a very credible and funny love interest.

The story takes place in the Pacific during WWII.  Walter (Grant) has become a loner, traveling around the world in his small yacht in a perpetual state of inebriation.  He arrives at an island being evacuated by the Royal Navy and starts helping himself to cans of its petrol.  Commander Frank Houghton (Trevor Howard) has Walter’s number though and through a combination of blackmail and trickery enlists him to replace an airplane spotter on an isolated island.  He keeps Walter on the job by rewarding him with the location of bottles of whiskey for confirmed spots.

Before too long, Walter meets up with Catherine (Leslie Caron) who buried Walter’s predecessor on the job and is trying to escort seven schoolgirls to safety.  Walter and Catherine spar their way to romance while trying to survive the rigors of the island and the threat of the Japanese.

This was entertaining.  I was kind of surprised to learn that is was nominated for three Oscars.

Father Goose won the Academy Award for Best Writing, Story and Screenplay – Written Directly for the Screen.  It was nominated for Best Sound and Best Film Editing.