Houseboat

Sometimes what goes on behind the screen is more interesting than what's projected on it. That's the case with Houseboat, a charming, slightly creepy family comedy about a workaholic widower who struggles to reconnect with his kids while forging a relationship with their nanny(!) after his wife's death. Shot in beautiful VistaVision and starring an overly tan Cary Grant and voluptuous Sophia Loren, the film awkwardly mixes slapstick situations with heart-tugging moments and romance. The family strife adds some meat to the movie's bones, but Houseboat remains a rather slim and predictable cinematic exercise.

As the movie opens, gruff Tom Winters (Grant), a government lawyer stationed in Washington DC, arrives at the country estate of his in-laws to discuss the custody of his three kids, who barely know him. Tom's sister-in-law Carolyn (Martha Hyer) wants to raise his daughter, while her parents plan to rear his two boys. None of them feel Tom is a fit father, but rather than see his family split up, an indignant Tom takes the kids with him back to Washington. With little experience as a parent and no rapport with his offspring, things are rocky at first, but a string of coincidences bring the lovely Cinzia (Loren), the wealthy daughter of an esteemed symphony conductor, into their lives.

Unaware of her pedigree, Tom hires Cinzia, who's fed up with her domineering father and affluent lifestyle, as the family maid and nanny, though he soon finds out she's bereft of domestic skills. In an effort to provide more stability for his children, Tom moves everyone to the country, but after their mobile home is destroyed, their only option is to live on a dilapidated houseboat that can barely stay afloat. Tom must now not only try and repair his broken relationships with his kids, he must also repair his broken houseboat, all while dealing with his burgeoning feelings for Cinzia and the advances of Carolyn, who's anxious to snare Tom for herself.

Directed with little flair by Melville Shavelson, Houseboat is pleasant enough, but its stale storyline keeps the movie mired in mediocrity. The script (more on that below), written by Shavelson and Jack Rose, amazingly earned an Oscar nod for Best Original Screenplay, but there's nothing terribly distinguished or memorable about it. The May-December romance between Grant and Loren was typical of the times, with other aging actors like Gary Cooper, Clark Gable, Fred Astaire, and Bing Crosby also engaging in on-screen affairs with leading ladies like Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly, Doris Day, and Leslie Caron, who were two or even three decades younger than they. Such familiarity breeds a bit of contempt and makes Houseboat feel like a retread of other, better films.

What's most interesting about Houseboat is its backstory. The idea for the film came from Grant's wife at the time, actress Betsy Drake, who penned the real original screenplay. The two envisioned Houseboat as a vehicle to star them both, but those plans fell through when Grant began a torrid affair with Loren while they were filming The Pride and the Passion in Italy. Desperate to keep that relationship going, Grant gave Drake's part to Loren, then got Shavelson and Rose to retool Drake's script to suit Loren's Italian heritage. Consequently, Drake got no screen credit, lost a plum role, and - not surprisingly - ended her marriage to Grant (although the couple wouldn't officially divorce until 1962).

Grant's machinations, however, didn't exactly work out to his satisfaction. Before shooting on Houseboat began, Loren abruptly ended their affair and abruptly married Italian producer Carlo Ponti. Grant was devastated. Reportedly, he considered backing out of the film, but Shavelson convinced him to remain. While there was tension on the Houseboat set, filming proceeded smoothly, but all the emotional strife might explain why Grant looks slightly sour throughout and doesn't project the same degree of debonair charm we're used to seeing from him. He's droll at times and romantic when necessary, but most of the time seems to be phoning in his performance.

Loren is sexy and spirited, but hard as she tries, she can't rise above the pedestrian material. Harry Guardino supplies some punch in the chief supporting role and classic TV fans will remember Petersen from The Donna Reed Show and spot Werner Klemperer from Hogan's Heroes in a brief bit.

Part Kramer vs. Kramer (without the second Kramer) and part Roman Holiday, Houseboat glides painlessly along, but the journey isn't very memorable. The material might have seemed fresh back in 1958, but feels dated and trite today. If you're a fan of Grant and Loren, you'll get a kick out of this family comedy, but it's far from either star's best movie.

Vital Disc Stats: The Blu-ray
Houseboat arrives on Blu-ray packaged in a standard case. Video codec is 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 and audio is DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono. Once the disc is inserted into the player, the static menu without music immediately pops up; no previews or promos precede it.

A brand new HD master struck from a 6K scan of the 35mm VistaVision original camera negative yields an often breathtaking 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 transfer that bursts with brilliant color. Bold primaries and delicate pastels wield equal impact, with lush reds often stealing the show. Faint grain preserves the feel of celluloid, excellent clarity and contrast (aided by the enhanced definition of VistaVision) help the picture pop, and deep blacks and bright, stable whites nicely balance the image. Shadow delineation is quite good and razor sharp close-ups highlight Grant's perennial tan, Loren's olive skin, and Hyer's alabaster complexion. Some print damage early on keeps this transfer from earning a five-star rating, but once those pesky marks and blotches pass it's smooth sailing for the rest of the movie. It's always a treat to see VistaVision movies on Blu-ray, so kudos to KLSC for giving this title such a lovely presentation.

VistaVision visuals are so striking, we often forget the format also supplies audio enhancements. This DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono track won't blow you away, but it does pump out impressive sound. Sonic accents like rumbling thunder, train whistles, and car engines are weighty and crisp, while subtle atmospherics like rain and chirping birds nicely shade the action. The music score by five-time Oscar nominee George Duning sounds rich and full, all the dialogue is easy to comprehend, and no age-related hiss, pops, or crackle intrude. 

A couple of supplements round out the disc.

• Audio Commentary by film historian/writer Julie Kirgo and writer/filmmaker Peter Hankoff
• Trailers - In addition to a slew of previews for other KLSC releases, there are two trailers for Houseboat.

Houseboat is fun while it lasts, but ultimately forgettable. Grant and Loren supply plenty of sparks, but the predictable nature of the story keeps the film from making much of an impression. The terrific transfer, culled from a 6K scan of the original 35mm VistaVision camera negative, makes the movie seem far better than it is, while robust audio adds some flourish. More Cary Grant is always welcome on Blu-ray and seeing Sophia Loren in VistaVision is worth the price of the disc. Despite its faults, Houseboat is still a Recommended disc.
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