Father Goose (1964)

Father Goose (1964), directed by Ralph Nelson.

Cary Grant's second-to-last film is a light, low-energy WW2 romantic comedy of a confirmed drunkard who is marooned on an island north of New Guinea. The Navy wants him to spot Japanese planes and report them in exchange for the location of hidden whiskey bottles. He rescues a strict teacher and her seven school girls. Much hilarity ensues.

There are some laughs and a few exciting survival bits. You can't help liking Cary Grant -- grubby is a new look for him -- but this is the sort of performance he could generate automatically. Leslie Caron: it helps that she's French; she must be appealing, right? Trevor Howard: he's always perfect.

As always, it's all about domestication of the open range male. Shave, put on socks, stop drinking, get married, be a good father.

We have two sets of actual sisters among the girls. Filmed in Jamaica.

Available on Blu-ray from Olive Films. Bare-bones as always, no subtitles.