Film Review
James Stewart is on cracking form in this rambling but generally
entertaining comedy, which remains one of his most popular films.
Although, by the late 1950s, Stewart was generally better known as a
dramatic actor, appearing mostly in westerns, he had considerable
talent as a comic performer, as his previous films
The Philadelphia Story (1940)
and
Bell Book and Candle (1958)
amply demonstrate. Based on Edward Streeter's novel of the same
title,
Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation
proved to be a hit both at home and abroad and won its lead actor the
prestigious Silver Bear award at the 1962 Berlin International Film
Festival. Here, Stewart is effectively partnered with a vivacious
Maureen O'Hara, their first and most enjoyable on-screen pairing.
Whilst the film struggles a little for the laughs in places and does
get a tad mushy around the mid-point as Hobbs tries to find a playmate
for his chronically shy daughter, the abundance of gags and Stewart's
endearing portrayal of a father coping with a series of family crises
keep the audience amused. The best jokes are reserved for the
last two reels, which include the hilarious spectacle of John McGiver
teaching Stewart the correct way to walk whilst bird watching and an
even more hilarious bathroom calamity in which Stewart is served up a
nice helping of forbidden fruit whilst trapped in a steamy bathroom
with McGiver's alluring wife. After this, James Stewart featured
in two more popular comedies:
Take
Her, She's Mine (1963) and
Dear
Brigitte (1965).
© James Travers 2012
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.
Film Synopsis
One summer, Mr Hobbs, a hardworking banker, is looking forward to a
relaxing holiday with his wife in some exotic clime. What he gets
is something very different - the holiday from Hell with his huge
extended family. The vacation gets off to an unpromising start
when he, his wife and their two youngest children, Danny and Katey,
discover that their holiday home is a rundown beach shack which is
barely standing. Much to Danny's chagrin, there is no aerial for
his television and the hot water is supplied by a system that may well
pre-date the Industrial Revolution. Things go from bad to worse
when the Hobbs's grown up daughters turn up with their husbands and
children. When his unemployed son-in-law Stan runs off,
apparently having broken up with his wife, Mr Hobbs is persuaded to
entertain a potential boss, but only seems to make matters worse when
he is trapped in the bathroom with the latter's wife...
© James Travers
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.