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The Courtship of Eddie's Father (film)
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Wikipedia article
'The Courtship of Eddie's Father' is a 1963 American Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer romantic comedy film directed by Vincente Minnelli, and stars Glenn Ford as a widowed father and Ronny Howard as his caring son. The film was based on a 1961 novel by Mark Toby, as was the ABC-TV series of the same name with Bill Bixby and Brandon Cruz, which ran from 1969 to 1972.
Plot
Young Eddie Corbett (Ronny Howard) tries his best to be a matchmaker for his widowed father, Tom (Glenn Ford), a radio station executive. At first, sexy Dollye Daly (Stella Stevens) seems promising, but she ends up falling in love with and marrying Norman Jones (Jerry Van Dyke), Tom's friend and colleague.
Tom becomes attracted to a sophisticated socialite, Rita Behrens (Dina Merrill). They begin considering marriage, but Eddie takes an immediate dislike to Rita and she does not know how to deal with him, nor does she particularly wish to learn, and Tom eventually chooses his son over her.
Through all this, the Corbetts are supported by their new housekeeper, Mrs. Livingston (Roberta Sherwood), and by their divorced next-door neighbor, Elizabeth Marten (Shirley Jones). It takes a crisis for Tom to realize what has been under his nose all along.
Cast
* Glenn Ford as Tom Corbett
* Ron Howard as Eddie Corbett
* Shirley Jones as Elizabeth Marten
* Dina Merrill as Rita Behrens
* Stella Stevens as Dollye Daly
* Jerry Van Dyke as Norman Jones
* Roberta Sherwood as Mrs. Livingston
Production
Film rights to the novel were bought by MGM prior to publication for $100,000 in 1961."Trade in Stories for Filming Brisk: Brando's Partner Re-signed; Old Globe Prepares for Bard" Scheuer, Philip K. 'Los Angeles Times' 13 June 1961: 25. The 'Chicago Tribune' called the novel "deeply moving, and at the same time, very funny.""Antidotes to the State of the World" Butcher, Fanny. 'Chicago Daily Tribune' 6 Aug 1961: c3
Producer Joe Pasternak assigned John Gay to write the script and hired Glenn Ford to star."Genevieve's Revue Short on Novelties: Jack Paar Discovery Tries 'Evening' on Intime Scale" Scheuer, Philip K. 'Los Angeles Times' 21 March 1962: C15. Shirley Jones accepted her role in part because she did not have to sing."Hamlet Tired of Taking Pratfalls" Scott, John L. 'Los Angeles Times' 15 July 1962: A5.
Roberta Sherwood, a nightclub singer and TV entertainer, made her film debut."HOLLYWOOD CALENDAR: Anne Bancroft a Swinger in Tarzan League" Scott, John L. 'Los Angeles Times' 17 March 1963: M8.
Pasternak says he interviewed hundreds of children to play Eddie but as soon as he talked to Ronny Howard "I knew he was right.""Sick Movies? Can't Do 'Em---Pasternak: Stories Written in Blood, Not Ink, Industry's Need" Scheuer, Philip K. 'Los Angeles Times' 25 March 1963: C11.
The bowling alley sequence was filmed at the now-defunct Paradise Bowl, located at 9116 South Sepulveda Boulevard in Los Angeles (two miles north of LAX).
See also
* List of American films of 1963
References
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