HOUSEBOAT (DVD) DOL DIG(ENG MONO/ENG SUB/WS ENHANCE 16X9) DVD

Houseboat
Cary Grant scored still another box-office smash with his 1958 vehicle Houseboat. Grant plays a widowed father who packs himself and his spoiled kiddies off to a ramshackle houseboat. Enter Sophia Loren, who is attempting to break loose from her tyrannical father's (Eduardo Cianelli) iron grip. She hires on as Grant's housekeeper and his children's governess. Though Grant struggles valiantly to maintain a "hands off" policy, he and Loren are billing and cooing by fadeout time--but not before plenty of reversals, recriminations and sitcom-style mishaps. As a bonus, the kids end up behaving like little angels (not surprising, since Loren has threatened from time to time to turn them into genuine angels if they don't toe the line). According to most sources, the on-screen romance between Cary Grant and Sophia Loren in Houseboat spilled over into their private lives as well, though Sophia put an end to this dalliance when she married Italian movie mogul Carlo Ponti. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Cast Cary Grant as Tom Winston Sophia Loren as Cinzia Zaccardi Martha Hyer as Caroline Gibson Harry Guardino as Angelo Eduardo Ciannelli as Arturo Zaccardi Murray Hamilton as Alan Wilson Mimi Gibson as Elizabeth Winston Charles Herbert as Robert Winston Madge Kennedy as Mrs. Farnsworth John Litel as Mr. Farnsworth Werner Klemperer as Harold Messner

Crew John B. Goodman - Art Director Hal Pereira - Art Director Edith Head - Costume Designer Michael D. Moore - First Assistant Director Melville Shavelson - Director Frank Bracht - Editor Ray Evans - Composer (Music Score) George Duning - Composer (Music Score) George Duning - Musical Direction/Supervision Jay Livingstone - Songwriter Wally Westmore - Makeup Ray June - Cinematographer Jack Rose - Producer Sam Comer - Set Designer Grace Gregory - Set Designer John P. Fulton - Special Effects Hugo Grenzbach - Sound/Sound Designer Charles Grenzbach - Sound/Sound Designer Jack Rose - Screenwriter Melville Shavelson - Screenwriter

Houseboat
Houseboat demonstrates exactly how important star power can be to some projects. Any number of actors could have made this frothy little omantic comedy, and the results would have been pleasant but instantly forgettable. Fortunately, Cary Grant and Sophia Loren were engaged for the parts, and so the otherwise mediocre Houseboat turns out to be a charming and engaging little piece of fluff. Forget the screenplay; its Oscar nomination notwithstanding, Houseboat's script is well structured and has some good dialogue, but is basically nothing more than standard sitcom fare. Likewise, Melville Shavelson's direction is neat and efficient, but uninspired. And while the kids in the cast -- especially Paul Peterson -- are good, they're not enough to make Houseboat stand out. Ah, but Grant and Loren, whether together or separate onscreen, provide some magic. The chemistry between the two is palpable and invaluable, but each is just as powerful even when the other is absent. Grant could walk through this kind of part with his eyes closed; that he puts so much into the part (yet still makes it looks so utterly effortless) is an example of why Grant was such an irreplaceable star. Loren, looking sensational, is a sensual tornado with a wonderful flair for light comedy. The difference in age between the two stars is a bit disconcerting, but there's nothing else to criticize about them. They make Houseboat worth watching -- and watching again. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
 

Harry Guardino: Golden Globe, Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Pic (nominated) Jackson Rose: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Original Screenplay (nominated) Jay Livingston: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Song (nominated) Melville Shavelson: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Original Screenplay (nominated) Ray Evans: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Song (nominated)

General Specifications: Language Options: English, French Subtitle Options: English Sound Processing: DD1: Dolby Digital Mono Additional Features: cc Theatrical trailer Teaser trailer Photo gallery MPAA Rating: NR DVD Discs Included: 1 DVD Sides: 1 DVD DVD Region Code: 1 Content Length: 109 min   DVD Chapters: Side #1 -- 1. Taking the Children 2. Tour of Washington DC 3. Two Runaways 4. Robert Comes Back 5. Moving to the Country 6. New Home 7. Distant Family 8. Sharing the Chores 9. David Goes Overboard 10. Tom's Philosophy of Life 11. Learning English 12. A Date for Cinzia 13. Country Club Dance 14. Disappointment 15. Everything Goes