Grimerlana Plenty to Like, Plenty to Dislike

Afouotos Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

Raymond Sierra The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

Haven Kaycee It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film

edwagreen Cary Grant and Sophia Loren in a romantic comedy about a man who was to be divorced only to lose his wife in a car accident. She has left him with 3 precocious children. He has neglected them as he is a government official.The children are filled with love but despair. In the midst of this is Martha Hyer, Grant's sister-in-law, who has recently separated from her husband and has confessed openly that she wants Grant.In the interim, we have a lovely Sophia Loren, who wishes to break away from her conductor father. Meeting Loren by chance, the film focuses how they fall in love.Everything seems to be going on track until the children, who at first loved Cinzia, (Loren) are upset that they may be losing their dad to this marriage. Of course, we still have Hyer who nearly marries her brother-in-law.Hyer captures the same upper-class figure that she expressed so well in "Some Came Running." She received a supporting nomination the same year for the latter film.There is also a nice supporting performance by Harry Guardino as a gigolo. It is his incompetence that leads all to the houseboat.The film belongs to Grant and Miss Loren. They truly capture the feeling of a daring government employee who tries to redeem himself among his children and a woman who seeks love desperately.The film is also memorable as it depicts class status.

MartinHafer This is a very cute and inconsequential family film starring Cary Grant and the very young Sophia Loren. While it is not a movie that will change your life or make a huge impression, it's still an awful lot of fun. Cary is a widower who lives on a houseboat with his kids. The trouble is that he needs a combination housekeeper and mom for the kids, so he goes about trying to hire one. He picks Ms. Loren and after a while everyone in the family succumbs to her very ample charms. Considering she was a great housekeeper (though she couldn't cook), loved the kids and was built like,....Sophia Loren, it certainly isn't surprising that by the end of the film Cary has also recognized her as prime wife material. Predictable,...yes. But who cares, as it's a lot of fun and yet another nice outing from Grant. Plus, the romance that predictably develops between them and the way the film ends is highly entertaining. While I give this movie only a 7, it is well worth seeing--deep no--but lots of fun. About the only serious negative is the REALLY annoying song that Loren sings throughout the movie. But, once again, being Sophia Loren, most audiences of the day probably weren't there to hear her singing.

TxMike "Houseboat" is set in Washington, DC and nearby Virginia, including the houseboat on the Potomac. Tom Winters (Cary Grant) works for the government, his divorced wife was recently killed in a car wreck, and the grandparents were set to get custody of the three young children, papers already to be signed by Tom. But Tom would have none of that, instead took them to his hotel apartment in DC. Getting a nanny sure would be nice, plus a bigger place.Enters Cinzia (Sophia Loren), well educated daughter traveling with her famous conductor father, Tom's young son wanders away after the concert and ends up spending the evening with Cinzia. When she brings him home, both dirty, Tom thinks this "peasant" might make a good nanny. Never mind that she was also gorgeous.The houseboat becomes the gimmick to set up the dynamics of the story. While a cottage is being moved for them, sold by Tom's sister in law (Martha Hyer), it stalls on the tracks and gets destroyed by the train. The truck driver just happens to have a houseboat on the Potomac to rent them. But it is dilapidated, the roof leaks, and a host of problems crop up to keep the comedy flowing. In addition, Hyer is divorcing her husband and has had an eye for Tom since she was 4, and wanted him now.Cary Grant and Sophia Loren are an odd pairing, and was no doubt done to capitalize on their popularity. Grant was over 50, and was to make only a few more movies. Loren was 23 and while she was a seasoned actress in foreign films, was still relatively new to American cinema. Still, we the audience believe they can become romantically involved.It was nice to see a young Paul Petersen as Tom's son, David. I remember Petersen mostly for his 8-year stint on the old Donna Reed TV show, playing one of her sons. He is a real brat in "Houseboat."SPOILERS: In the end all gets sorted, Tom has to reject Hyer's proposal, he isn't in love with her. Cinzia at first leaves to return home, but then comes back and she and Tom are married, and the kids are happy. They also leave the houseboat.

tedg I've commented on about 2000 films. I can find something interesting in just about any film, the worse the better. But this is not just a bad movie, it is offensive.I'm not just talking about what would suggest sexual abuse in today's context. Every element is the worst of the Hollywood formula system: — the way that one of the world's most glamorous women is made up and photographed as actually ugly.— the vapid appeal to "Saturday Post" notions of religion, something that would offend even a Texas fundamentalist.— the completely valueless and nonsensical dynamics of the romantic situation on both sides: the sister-in-law cum lover then dumped and the presumably hotblooded impetuous runaway daughter cum maid then second wife.— the blatant theft of the Buster Keaton bit about the train hitting the house, except all we see are some Styrofoam boards thrown toward Grant.— the promising setup of the houseboat that is utterly ignored.— the bankable humor of Grant that seems to have been deliberately avoided at every opportunity. Add to this the other characters, so poorly drawn they don't even qualify as cartoons.— the Edith Head costumes that are unflattering, uninteresting _and_ unphotogenic.Ted's Evaluation -- 1 of 3: You can find something better to do with this part of your life.