The English charm of Cary Grant and the Italian charisma of Sophia Loren combine to make a very entertaining romantic comedy movie called “Houseboat.” It was capably directed by Melville Shavelson (“Beau James” 1957), who was able to handle the strong personalities of the two major stars. He co-wrote the screenplay with Jack Rose, also the film’s producer. They provided great lines for Grant and Loren to perform.
The duo not only demonstrated appealing on-screen chemistry, they also blended well with the supporting cast, including Martha Hyer as Cary’s sister-in-law, and Paul Peterson (of “The Donna Reed Show” 1958-1966), Charles Herbert, and Mimi Gibson (later a real estate agent) as his children. Co-stars include Harry Guardino, Murray Hamilton, Eduardo Ciannelli, Werner Klemperer, John Litel, Susan Cabot, and Madge Kennedy (Aunt Martha of “Leave It To Beaver”).
Filmed in Technicolor and VistaVision, “Houseboat” from Paramount Pictures was a crowd pleaser in theaters in 1958. It received two nominations for Academy Awards: Best Story and Screenplay (Shavelson and Rose) and Best Song (“Almost in Your Arms,” music & lyrics by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans).
Houseboat (1958)
cinema
My Review
The English charm of Cary Grant and the Italian charisma of Sophia Loren combine to make a very entertaining romantic comedy movie called “Houseboat.” It was capably directed by Melville Shavelson (“Beau James” 1957), who was able to handle the strong personalities of the two major stars. He co-wrote the screenplay with Jack Rose, also the film’s producer. They provided great lines for Grant and Loren to perform.
The duo not only demonstrated appealing on-screen chemistry, they also blended well with the supporting cast, including Martha Hyer as Cary’s sister-in-law, and Paul Peterson (of “The Donna Reed Show” 1958-1966), Charles Herbert, and Mimi Gibson (later a real estate agent) as his children. Co-stars include Harry Guardino, Murray Hamilton, Eduardo Ciannelli, Werner Klemperer, John Litel, Susan Cabot, and Madge Kennedy (Aunt Martha of “Leave It To Beaver”).
Filmed in Technicolor and VistaVision, “Houseboat” from Paramount Pictures was a crowd pleaser in theaters in 1958. It received two nominations for Academy Awards: Best Story and Screenplay (Shavelson and Rose) and Best Song (“Almost in Your Arms,” music & lyrics by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans).