• Review Index
  • About Me
  • Suggestions

vinnieh

~ Movie reviews and anything else that comes to mind

vinnieh

Tag Archives: Charles Herbert

Houseboat

07 Wednesday Aug 2013

Posted by vinnieh in Movie Reviews

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

1950's, Cary Grant, Charles Herbert, Harry Guardino, Houseboat, Martha Hyer, Melville Shavelson, Mimi Gibson, Paul Petersen, Romantic Comedy, Sophia Loren

Film Title

Houseboat

Director

Melville Shavelson

Starring

  • Cary Grant as Tom Winters
  • Sophia Loren as Cinzia Zaccardi
  • Martha Hyer as Carolyn Gibson
  • Paul Petersen as David Winters
  • Charles Herbert as Robert Winters
  • Mimi Gibson as Elizabeth Winters
  • Harry Guardino as Angelo Donatello

At first glance, Houseboat appears to be the same old romantic comedy you’ve seen a million times. But in the hands of Melville Shavelson and benefiting from the star pairing of Cary Grant and Sophia Loren, it emerges as a delightful and warm romantic comedy drama. If this doesn’t put a smile on your face, I don’t know what will.

Houseboat stillTom Winters, a worker at the US State Department, has been estranged from his three young children and wife for many years. He returns from Europe to the news that his wife has died. Although his children; David, Robert and Elizabeth want to stay in the country with the wealthy Aunt Carolyn, Tom takes them to live with him in Washington DC. He finds assuming the position of being a real father a hard job as the children resent him for not being there for them. One day after attending a concert, young Robert runs away. He is later found by Cinzia Zaccardi, an Italian woman and daughter of a prominent conductor. She is trying to escape the cloistered world of her father’s touring and the people he surrounds himself with. Robert immediately takes a shine to Cinzia and she brings him home to Tom. After meeting his children, Cinzia has a positive effect on the youngsters, who insist she become their maid. She eventually agrees to this and Tom takes them to live in an old country house owned by Aunt Carolyn. Unfortunately the house is ruined when the driver, the wolfish Angelo, flirts a little too much with Cinzia and the moving house is wrecked by a train. Angelo, out of kindness, offers them his old houseboat, which is in need of repair to say the least. After moving in, we witness and Cinzia’s warm presence helps the children eventually come to terms with their long-absent father and how she eventually falls for her employer. So prepare for comical mishaps before the Tom and Cinzia realise their feelings for each other, reconciliations and how the presence of one person can influence a whoHouseboat Cinzia and Tomle household.

Although clichéd and a little sentimental, Houseboat still manages to entertain in a comical and touching way. Part of this is down to the script that presents the characters and the influence each has on the other, especially the children as they come around to the idea of Tom as their father. Melville Shavelson employs gorgeous Technicolor to highlight the brightening of lives and the kind of romantic feelings that only Old Hollywood can supply. The musical adds to the feelings of a growing relationship, especially when Cinzia and Tom dance and you can see as they gaze into each other’s eyes that they truly care for one another. The glamorous pairing of Cary Grant and Sophia also helps lift the film from the usual romantic comedy route. Their interactions and undeniable chemistry are especially palpable, as we sSophia Loren as Cinzia Houseboatee them eventually warm to one another after searching for answers.

Cary Grant embodies the debonair personality of Tom, yet also lets us to glimpse his fear and eventual love of responsibility for his children. Sophia Loren provides vivacious beauty and kindness as Cinzia, but shows how this young woman will not back down from her opinions as Tom realises how much good she has done with his offspring. The child actors all provide pugnacious yet adorable performances as their lives are changed and they come to see the good in their father after missing him for so long. Charles Herbert is a particular stand out as the lonely, harmonica loving Robert, who begins to warm to his family as a result of Cinzia. Martha Hyer plays the small role of Aunt Carolyn, who has always carried a torch for Tom and tries to undermine the growing affection between him and the loving Cinzia. Stealing all of the scenes he is in is Harry Guardino as the strutting, skirt-chasing handyman Angelo. His scene when he is supposed to takHouseboat Angelo and Tome Cinzia dancing and he refuses because he feels she is a threat to his bachelor status is quite hysterical in its execution.

Warm, witty and cosy, Houseboat may be formulaic but when you’ve got chemistry like Grant and Loren, superb writing and stunning music, who really cares?

Subscribe

  • Entries (RSS)
  • Comments (RSS)

Archives

  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012

Categories

  • 007 thoughts and reviews
  • Adventures of Satrap
  • Announcements
  • Awards and Achievements
  • Birthdays and Tributes
  • Blogging Community
  • Blogging Questions
  • Creepy
  • Gif Posts
  • Humour
  • Movie and Television Trivia
  • Movie opinions and thoughts
  • Movie Reviews
  • Music reviews and opinions
  • Photography Discussion
  • Rest In Peace
  • Sport
  • Television Opinions
  • Television Reviews
  • Uncategorized

Meta

  • Register
  • Log in
May 2022
M T W T F S S
 1
2345678
9101112131415
16171819202122
23242526272829
3031  
« Apr    

Tags

007 1940's 1950's 1960's 1970's 1980's 1990's 2000's 2010's Action Adventure Announcement Based on a true story Bernard Lee Bette Davis Birthday Blogs You Should Follow Cate Blanchett Comedy Crime Desmond Llewelyn Disney Drama Fantasy Foreign Language Film Gillian Anderson Halle Berry Happy Birthday Horror James Bond Judi Dench Julianne Moore Julia Roberts Liebster Award Lois Maxwell Madonna Maggie Smith Matthew Fox Meryl Streep Music Musical Mystery Natalie Portman Neve Campbell Period Drama Psychological Horror Psychological Thriller Rest In Peace Romance Romantic Comedy Science Fiction Spy Supernatural Horror Thriller

Top Posts & Pages

Lyric Analysis - Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and Kylie Minogue: Where the Wild Roses Grow
The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane
A TV Show From My Childhood
R.I.P Kelly Preston
Some Sexy Magazine Covers to Brighten the Day
Happy Birthday Sophia Loren
Feel Good Day
What are your favourite romantic movie scenes?
Photography Discussion
Perfect Sense
Follow vinnieh on WordPress.com

Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com.

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
  • Follow Following
    • vinnieh
    • Join 3,764 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • vinnieh
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...