The Courtship of Eddie's Father (film)
Encyclopedia
The Courtship of Eddie's Father is a 1963
romantic comedy film
directed by Vincente Minnelli
and starring Glenn Ford
as a widowed father, with a young son to care for, played by Ron Howard
.
It inspired a television series of the same name
, starring Bill Bixby
and Brandon Cruz
. A remake is being made starring Nicolas Cage
.
for his widowed father Tom. At first, sexy Dollye Daly seems promising, but she ends up falling in love with and marrying Tom's friend and radio colleague Norman Jones.
Tom becomes attracted to a sophisticated socialite
, Rita Behrens. They begin considering marriage, but Eddie takes an immediate dislike to Rita and she does not know how to deal with Eddie (nor does she particularly want to learn). In the end, Tom chooses his son over her.
Through all this, the Corbetts are supported by their new housekeeper Mrs. Livingston and by their divorced next-door neighbor, Elizabeth Marten. It takes a crisis for Tom to realize what has been under his nose all the time.
The bowling alley sequence was filmed at the now defunct Paradise Bowl, 9116 S. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles, Calif. (2 miles N. of LAX)
1963 in film
The year 1963 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* June 12 - Cleopatra starring Elizabeth Taylor, Rex Harrison and Richard Burton premieres at the Rivoli Theatre in New York City....
romantic comedy film
Romantic comedy film
Romantic comedy films are films with light-hearted, humorous plotlines, centered on romantic ideals such as that true love is able to surmount most obstacles. One dictionary definition is "a funny movie, play, or television program about a love story that ends happily"...
directed by Vincente Minnelli
Vincente Minnelli
Vincente Minnelli was an American stage director and film director, famous for directing such classic movie musicals as Meet Me in St. Louis, The Band Wagon, and An American in Paris. In addition to having directed some of the most famous and well-remembered musicals of his time, Minnelli made...
and starring Glenn Ford
Glenn Ford
Glenn Ford was a Canadian-born American actor from Hollywood's Golden Era with a career that spanned seven decades...
as a widowed father, with a young son to care for, played by Ron Howard
Ron Howard
Ronald William "Ron" Howard is an American actor, director, and producer. He came to prominence as a child actor, playing Opie Taylor in the sitcom The Andy Griffith Show for eight years, and later the teenaged Richie Cunningham in the sitcom Happy Days for six years...
.
It inspired a television series of the same name
The Courtship of Eddie's Father
The Courtship of Eddie's Father is an American television sitcom based on the 1963 movie of the same name, which was based on the book written by Mark Toby...
, starring Bill Bixby
Bill Bixby
Wilfred Bailey Everett “Bill” Bixby III was an American film and television actor, director, and frequent game show panelist.His career spanned over three decades; he appeared on stage, in motion pictures and TV series...
and Brandon Cruz
Brandon Cruz
Brandon Edwin Cruz is an American former child actor and currently a punk rock musician, and also works in drug and alcohol rehabilitation. In the late 1960s, the freckled-faced Cruz came to prominence by playing Tom Corbett's charming and conniving son, Eddie Corbett, in the comedy-drama The...
. A remake is being made starring Nicolas Cage
Nicolas Cage
Nicolas Cage is an American actor, producer and director, having appeared in over 60 films including Raising Arizona , The Rock , Face/Off , Gone in 60 Seconds , Adaptation , National Treasure , Ghost Rider , Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans , and...
.
Plot summary
Young Eddie Corbett tries his best to be a matchmakerMatchmaking
Matchmaking is any process of matching two people for the purpose of marriage or a sporting contest.-Practice:In some cultures, the role of the matchmaker was and is quite professionalized...
for his widowed father Tom. At first, sexy Dollye Daly seems promising, but she ends up falling in love with and marrying Tom's friend and radio colleague Norman Jones.
Tom becomes attracted to a sophisticated socialite
Socialite
A socialite is a person who participates in social activities and spends a significant amount of time entertaining and being entertained at fashionable upper-class events....
, Rita Behrens. They begin considering marriage, but Eddie takes an immediate dislike to Rita and she does not know how to deal with Eddie (nor does she particularly want to learn). In the end, Tom chooses his son over her.
Through all this, the Corbetts are supported by their new housekeeper Mrs. Livingston and by their divorced next-door neighbor, Elizabeth Marten. It takes a crisis for Tom to realize what has been under his nose all the time.
The bowling alley sequence was filmed at the now defunct Paradise Bowl, 9116 S. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles, Calif. (2 miles N. of LAX)
Cast
- Glenn FordGlenn FordGlenn Ford was a Canadian-born American actor from Hollywood's Golden Era with a career that spanned seven decades...
as Tom Corbett - Ronny Howard as Eddie
- Shirley JonesShirley JonesShirley Mae Jones is an American singer and actress of stage, film and television. In her six decades of television, she starred as wholesome characters in a number of well-known musical films, such as Oklahoma! , Carousel , and The Music Man...
as Elizabeth - Dina MerrillDina Merrill-Early life:Merrill was born Nedenia Marjorie Hutton in New York City, New York, the only child of Post Cereals heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post and her second husband, Wall Street stockbroker Edward Francis Hutton...
as Rita - Stella StevensStella StevensStella Stevens Stella Stevens Stella Stevens (born October 1, 1938 is an American film, television and stage actress, who began her acting career in 1959 and starred in such popular films as The Nutty Professor, The Courtship of Eddie's Father, The Silencers, The Ballad of Cable Hogue and The...
as Dolly - Jerry Van DykeJerry Van DykeJerry Van Dyke is an American comedian and actor. He is the younger brother of comedian and actor Dick Van Dyke, and made his acting debut on The Dick Van Dyke Show with several guest appearances as Rob Petrie's brother, Stacey...
as Norman - Roberta Sherwood as Mrs. Livingston