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Houseboat (1958) More at IMDbPro »

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Overview

User Rating:
6.5/10   2,829 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 9% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers:
Melville Shavelson (writer) and
Jack Rose (writer)
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Contact:
View company contact information for Houseboat on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
19 November 1958 (USA) more
Genre:
Plot:
Tom Winston, a widower, is trying to understand and raise three precocious children alone. He gets a little unexpected help from Cinzia... more | add synopsis
Awards:
Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 2 nominations more
User Reviews:
A Charming, Family-Friendly Comedy! more (26 total)

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)

Cary Grant ... Tom Winters

Sophia Loren ... Cinzia Zaccardi
Martha Hyer ... Carolyn Gibson
Harry Guardino ... Angelo Donatello
Eduardo Ciannelli ... Arturo Zaccardi
Murray Hamilton ... Capt. Alan Wilson
Mimi Gibson ... Elizabeth Winters
Paul Petersen ... David Winters
Charles Herbert ... Robert Winters
Madge Kennedy ... Mrs. Farnsworth
John Litel ... Mr. William Farnsworth

Werner Klemperer ... Harold Messner
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Peggy Connelly ... Elizabeth Wilson (scenes deleted)
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Additional Details

Runtime:
110 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
4-Track Stereo (Westrex Recording System)

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Cary Grant initially accepted his role in Houseboat (1958) because he was dating Sophia Loren, whom he was madly in love with. After she married someone else, Grant, heartbroken, wanted to back out. He couldn't, but the director made sure the production was a smooth one. more
Goofs:
Continuity: When the house is stuck on the railroad track, we first hear the whistle of an approaching steam engine; when the train actually arrives and crashes through the house, however, it is a diesel engine. more
Quotes:
Tom: [after yelling at his son] Now where were we?
Cinzia Zaccardi: [She turns on the spray paint and sprays him in the face on purpose] Oops.
Tom: Thank you, Michelagelo.
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Movie Connections:
Soundtrack:
Love Song from Houseboat (Almost in Your Arms) more

FAQ

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7 out of 9 people found the following review useful.
A Charming, Family-Friendly Comedy!, 13 November 2002
Author: Ben Burgraff (cariart) from Las Vegas, Nevada

'Houseboat' is a throwback to the kind of sweet, happy comedies Cary Grant did in the late '40s-early 50s, and it foreshadows the domestic comedies James Stewart and Henry Fonda would do in the sixties. Granted, there is more romance (and with Sophia Loren as the objection of affection, Cary has it all OVER Jimmy and Hank!) but ultimately, it scores as a terrific family movie, as Loren, playing an inept but adorable housekeeper/nanny, wins the affection of widower Grant's kids, and awakens in him a more complete love than he was experiencing with his society girlfriend (played effectively by the beautiful Martha Hyer).

Living in a rundown houseboat to save on expenses, Grant and his family's lives had become a boring routine, until the arrival of Hurricane Loren, with her Italian philosophy, her singing, and her unmistakable femininity and sex appeal (which introduces oldest son Paul Peterson to the joys of puberty, and to daughter Mimi Gibson and younger son Charles Herbert a mother-figure they both needed). Grant is at first oblivious to her charms, but she is hard to ignore for long! The question then becomes, when will Cary 'wake up', and realize everything he needs is right on the houseboat?

Filmed after Grant and Loren's whirlwind affair during the filming of 'The Pride and the Passion', the film was a bittersweet experience for both stars, particularly shooting the wedding scene, as Grant still desperately wanted to marry Loren, but she had already decided to remain with longtime love Carlo Ponti. Viewers aware of the 'behind-the-scenes' story will appreciate the performances of the two leads even more!

After you watch 'Houseboat', catch the flipside of this story in Grant's later 'Father Goose', as a drunken reprobate with a boat who must deal with governess Leslie Caron and her charges! The two films make a fascinating double-feature, and showcases Cary Grant's amazing versatility!

Seen either way, 'Houseboat' is a delight!

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Message Boards

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Recent Posts (updated daily)User
The song that Sophia sings smileyjenny
Houseboat condition hawkeye_74
Background Song in HOUSEBOAT MSCOTLASS
Where is it now? krp1956-1
anyone else think cinzia looked older than 22? gbennie
Not very good dvbar1
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