Father Goose(1964).

Father Goose(1964). Romantic/comedy set in World War II. Cast: Cary Grant, Leslie Caron and Trevor Howard. The title comes from "Mother Goose", the code-name assigned to Grant's character. The film won an Academy Award for its screenplay. The film introduced the song "Pass Me By" by Cy Coleman and Carolyn Leigh, later recorded by Peggy Lee'

At the outbreak of World War II, American whiskey-loving beachcomber Walter Eckland is tricked by his friend, Australian Navy Comdr. Frank Houghton, into becoming a coast-watcher on a lonely South Pacific island. Under the code name "Mother Goose."

With plans to rescue a spotter from another island, Eckland discovers that he has been killed by the Japanese and instead finds seven stranded schoolgirls and their goody two shoes French teacher, Catherine Freneau.

The two adults can not seem to get along, with Catherine trying to reform the unshaven Filthy Beast Eckland, of his drinking and salty language.



Things take a turn for the worse when the girls mistakenly tell Eckland that Catherine has been bitten by a poisonous snake. To ease her final hours, Eckland gets her drunk and admits that he used to be a history professor.

They fall in love and are married by radio during an air raid after it is revealed that the "snake" was actually a big stick. Houghton sends a submarine to rescue them but, the Japanese have different ideas...

Trevor Howard, is so believable in his part as Australian Navy Comdr. that he gives Gary Grant a run for his money. Cary and Leslie Caron make their unlikely match seem like a lot of fun...

Fun Facts:

Cary Grant always claimed his role in this film was most like his real personality. He claimed he kept in touch with most of the girls as they grew up and had families of their own.

Cary Grant was offered the role of Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady but turned it down to star in this movie. He wanted Audrey Hepburn to play Catherine, but she was already committed to My Fair Lady.

The film features the same piece of stock footage of a submarine firing a torpedo that was used in Cary Grant's previous World War II comedy Operation Petticoat.

Cary Grant plays a scruffy whisky-swilling beachcomber sailor in this movie, Cary Grant is considered to be 'cast against type' as a suave sophisticated debonair on-screen persona.

Trevor Howard (29 September 1913 – 7 January 1988), was educated at Clifton College (to which he left a substantial legacy for a drama scholarship) and at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), acting on the London stage for several years before World War II.

His first paid work was in the play Revolt in a Reformatory (1934), before he left RADA in 1935 to take small roles.

After a theatrical role in "The Recruiting Officer" (1943), Howard began also working with cinema with The Way Ahead (1944).

The Passionate Friends though, in which Howard played a similar character to Alec in Brief Encounter was not successful.

The Third Man (1949), in which he played a British military officer and during filming in Vienna, Howard visited the fairground which was, under the jurisdiction of the Russians, still wearing the uniform of a British Army Major, he was arrested. He was returned to the SIB after his true identity was proved.

He also starred in The Key (1958) for which he received the best actor award from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts and Sons and Lovers (1960), for which he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor.

Another notable film was The Heart of the Matter (1953), from another Graham Greene story. Over time Howard shifted to being one of Britain's finest character actors.

Howard's later films includ: Mutiny on the Bounty (1962), Father Goose (1964), Morituri (1965), Von Ryan's Express (1965), The Charge of the Light Brigade (1968), Battle of Britain (1969), Ryan's Daughter (1970), Superman (1978), and Gandhi (1982). The Dawning (1988) was his final film.

One of his strangest films and one he took great delight in, was Vivian Stanshall's 1980 Sir Henry at Rawlinson End in which he played the title role.

While continuing to work in film and occasionally theater, he also found work in television, winning an Emmy award for his role as the titular figure in The Invincible Mr Disraeli (1963) and being nominated for another for The Count of Monte Cristo (1975), in which he played Abbé Faria.

He declined a CBE in 1982.

Throughout his film career Howard insisted that all of his contracts held a clause excusing him from work whenever a cricket Test Match was being played.

He died on 7 January 1988, from a combination of bronchitis, influenza and jaundice, aged 74, survived by his widow Helen.

"Gigi" won a record-breaking 9 Academy Awards (at the 1959 Awards ceremony).

Gigi won a record-breaking 9 Academy Awards (at the 1959 Awards ceremony). In tribute to Gigi's domination of the Oscars, the MGM switchboard answered calls the following day with "M-Gigi-M".

To honor 1958's best films, the 31st Academy Awards ceremony was held on April 6, 1959. The show's producer, Jerry Wald, started cutting numbers from the show to make sure it ran on time.

Video:

Ingrid Bergman presenting producer Arthur Freed with the Oscar® for Best Picture for "Gigi" at the 31st Academy Awards in 1959.



Unfortunately, he cut too much material and the ceremony ended 20 minutes early, leaving Jerry Lewis to attempt to fill in the time. Eventually, NBC cut to a re-run of a sports show.

The film Gigi won nine Oscars, breaking Gone with the Wind's record of eight. It only lasted for one year, as Ben-Hur broke the record with eleven Oscars the following year. Gigi was also the last film until The Last Emperor, winning all 9 of its nominations. The record was broken in 2003 by The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.

 

Gigi is a 1958 musical/ romantic/comedy directed by Vincente Minnelli. The screenplay by Alan Jay Lerner is based on the 1944 novella of the same name by Colette. The film features songs with lyrics by Lerner; music by Frederick Loewe, arranged and conducted by Andre Previn.

The film begins in Paris with Honore Lachaille, telling the audience.. "Like everywhere else, most people in Paris get married, but not all... There are some who will not marry, and some who do not marry. But in Paris, those who will not marry are usually men, and those who do not marry are usually women."

Honore Lachaille grandson Gaston, enjoys spending the afternoon with Madame Alvarez and her granddaughter, Gigi. Who is being trained by her Great Aunt Alicia, to be a courtesan. Gigi, is not to sure she wants to follow in her great aunts footsteps.

After Gaston publicly embarrasses his cheating mistress, he decides to take a vacation by the sea. Gigi, makes a bet with him... if she beats him at a game of cards he must take her and Mamita along. He accepts and of course she wins. During their vacation, Gigi and Gaston, learn Honore and Mamita were once in love.

When Gaston sees Gigi wearing a white gown, he tells her she looks ridiculous and storms out, but.. later returns and apologizes, offering to take her to tea.

Mamita refuses, telling him that his company might damage Gigi's future. Gaston, once again storms out and wanders the streets of Paris. He later returns wanting to take Gigi as his mistress.

Gigi, tells him she wants more from life than to be passed from one man to another. Gaston, leaves heartbroken. Gigi, later realizes that she can not live without him.

Gaston takes the now sophisticated Gigi, to dinner at Maxim's, where the stares of other patrons make Gaston, realize his love for her.

For me.. Gigi, as one of the most wonderful musicals ever made. You will never forget the songs: "I Remember it Well," "The Night They Invented Champagne," "Thank Heaven For Little Girls," as well as the title track... "Gigi"

Fun Facts:

Writers Colette and Alan Jay Lerner chose Audrey Hepburn for the title role, which she performed on stage in 1952. Unfortunately, in 1958 Hepburn was busy with other films and could not commit.

After Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe had composed a few songs, they took them to Maurice Chevalier who loved them and immediately agreed to star in the film.

The entire film was written, cast and ready to shoot in four and a half months.

Most of the film was shot on location in Paris, with the last few numbers being completed in an apartment that MGM constructed on their backlot.

The film won all 9 Academy Awards that it was nominated for, more than any other film at that point in Oscar history. That record has since been eclipsed by Ben-Hur (11 wins), The Last Emperor (9 wins), Titanic (11 wins) and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (11 wins).

The biggest money-maker for Vincente Minnelli from his years at MGM.

From 1954-56, Arthur Freed had to battle the Hays Code in order to bring Colette's tale of a courtesan-in-training to the cinema. He eventually convinced the film industry's Code Office to view the story as condemning rather than glorifying a system of mistresses.

Happy Birthday: Leslie Caron

Leslie Caron was a ballet dancer when Gene Kelly discovered her and cast her to perform with him in the musical An American in Paris(1951), a role in which a pregnant Cyd Charisse was originally cast. A musical film inspired by the 1928 orchestral composition by George Gershwin. The film is set in Paris with dance numbers choreographed by Gene Kelly and set to Gershwin's music. Songs and music include "I Got Rhythm", "I'll Build A Stairway to Paradise", " 'S Wonderful", and "Our Love is Here to Stay". The climax of the film is "The American in Paris" ballet, a 16 minute dance featuring Kelly and Caron set to Gershwin's An American in Paris. The ballet alone cost more than $500,000.This led to a MGM contract in films, The Glass Slipper(1955), a musical film adaptation of Cinderella, and the drama Gaby (1956). A drama film and the third version of the play Waterloo Bridge, previously made into films in 1931 and 1940. It is the only version of the play made in color and the least faithful to it.

She also performed in the musicals Lili (1953), were Leslie, plays a naive French girl, whose emotional relationship with a carnival puppeteer is conducted through the medium of four puppets. She also performed in the classic film, Daddy Long Legs(1955), a musical comedy film set in France, New York City and the fictional college town of "Walston" in Massachusetts. Music and lyrics by Johnny Mercer. Loosely based on the novel Daddy-Long-Legs by Jean Webster. It was one of Astaire's favorites, because the script is about the complications of a love affair between a young woman and a man thirty years her senior. Also, she performed in the film, Gigi (1958) with Louis Jourdan and Maurice Chevalier.



FUN FACT:

When she said to Fred Astaire that she wanted to create her own costumes for Daddy Long Legs (1955), he said, "OK, but no feathers, please". Astaire remembered one of Ginger Rogers costumes in a dance scene in Top Hat (1935). Some ostrich feathers came loose from Ginger Rogers' gown and floated around Astaire's face.