Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.5

Father Goose Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov November 25, 2017

Ralph Nelson's "Father Goose" (1964) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of independent distributors Olive Films. The supplemental features on the disc include exclusive new video interview with Ted Nelson, the eldest son of director Ralph Nelson; new audio commentary by film historian David Del Valle; new video interview with author Marc Eliot; new printed essay by essay by critic Bilge Ebiri; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

The boozer

Ralph Nelson’s Father Goose earned multiple Oscar nominations in 1965, but won only in the Best Writing, Story and Screenplay category for Peter Stone and Frank Tarloff’s adaptation of S.H. Barnett’s short story “A Place of Dragons”. Cary Grant appeared in only one other film after it.

The events in Father Goose take place during WW2 at a time of substantial military activity in the South Pacific. The American drifter Walter Eckland (Grant) gets his boat wrecked and is forcefully dispatched to a tiny island where he is expected to observe and report the enemy’s movement to the feisty Aussie Navy Commander Frank Houghton (Trevor Howard). The two are old pals, but this is a serious business that could have a real impact on the way in which the war progresses in the region. It also directly affects Walter’s well-being -- each time he submits a radio report that is confirmed by Frank’s men, he gets a bottle of whiskey. (It is all part of a silly game, but realistically the only way to keep Walter interested in his ‘duty’. He’s got a serious drinking problem, and knowing that he does Frank has made sure that his pal can have his fix only if he cooperates, which is why there are bottles of whiskey hidden all over the island). Shortly after Walter begins reporting under the alias Mother Goose, however, he makes a very strange discovery -- also hiding on the tiny island is the beautiful but almost unbearably prudish French teacher Catherine Freneau (Leslie Caron) and seven schoolgirls. At first they try to coexist, but Catherine very quickly takes over Walter’s cabin and even demands that he stops drinking. When he refuses she quietly confiscates his stash of precious bottles and instructs the girls to hide them where he would never find them. A series of events then gradually allow the two ‘rivals’ to see different sides of their personalities and against all odds, and with bullets frequently flying over their heads, they fall madly in love.

It is virtually impossible to take this film seriously, but the great chemistry between Grant and Caron gives it a very special charm that very quickly becomes irresistible. The rest -- the girls’ witty remarks, the timeless truths about the games grownups like to play, and the gorgeous panoramic vistas -- is basically icing on the cake.

It is worth mentioning that Grant’s Mother Goose is probably one of the roughest and visually most unattractive characters he played during his entire career. There is literally a sea of difference between the unshaved boozer and the many sharp-dressed gentlemen he played in the likes of Charade, His Girl Friday, and North by Northwest.

Father Goose Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Ralph Nelson's Father Goose arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Olive Films.

The release is sourced from a recent 4K remaster, not the same master that was used for the old release of Father Goose, which offers various notable upgrades. Indeed, especially in terms of delineation and depth the improvements can be quite dramatic, and the larger your screen is, the more obvious they will become to you. Plenty of the daylight footage -- and this includes close-ups and wider panoramic shots -- boasts excellent depth with substantially stronger density (see screencaptures #1 and 13). During the darker indoor footage you will also see much improved shadow definition that removes the flatness from the old master and again helps the depth. Grain is also better exposed, and in many areas where on the old release there is practically only mush now you will see proper grain structure and ultimately delineation. This being said, some density fluctuations remain, and in one sequence there is one quick but very obvious drop, but everything that I see tells me that they are inherited source limitations. There are absolutely no traces of problematic sharpening adjustments. Colors are lusher and there is a wider and better range of nuances. My feeling is that overall balance could be a tad better, but I am perfectly fine with what I see. My one and only minor criticism pertains to the presence of some very tiny flecks that occasionally pop up here and there, which could have been removed manually.Also, some very minor encoding optimizations could have been done as well. Still, I much prefer this type of presentation over the refurbished 'remasters' that some big studios have been licensing to the boutique labels. (For reference, see Shout Factory's recent release of John Landis' Into the Night). All in all, this upcoming release of Father Goose represents a very solid upgrade in quality over the first release of the film.

*A quick note about Olive Films' decision to delay the release. A few weeks ago, we discovered encoding glitches on the screener that was sent to us for review from the first pressing and alerted the distributors (see screencapture #26). The current screener, which is from a second pressing, is flawless. Kudos to Olive Films for the prompt response.

Father Goose Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The lossless track has very good depth and action sequences dynamic intensity is as good as one can expect for a period film of this caliber. The dialog is clear, clean, stable, and easy to follow. There are no audio dropouts or distortions to report in our review.

Father Goose Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary - in this brand new audio commentary, film historian David Del Valle discusses in great detail the conception of Father Goose and the production process (with specific comments about the shooting of the film in Jamaica), the clash of personalities in the film, some half-truths and myths about Cary Grant and his character, the film's reception, etc. The commentary was recorded exclusively for Olive Films.

• Unfinished Business: Cary Grant's Search for Fatherhood and his Oscar - in this new featurette, Marc Eliot, author of Cary Grant: A Biography, discusses Cary Grant's personal life and the second half of his career, when he agreed to make Father Goose with Ralph Nelson. There are some very interesting comments about the iconic actor's initial encounter and relationship with Dyan Cannon, as well as his desire to win an Academy Award. The featurette was produced exclusively for Olive Films. In English, not subtitled. (19 min, 1080p).

• My Father - in this brand new video interview, Ted Nelson, the eldest son of director Ralph Nelson and Academy Award-winning actress Celeste Holm (Gentleman's Agreement, All About Eve), discusses his relationship with his father and how his love of filmmaking influenced his pioneering efforts in computers and design. The interview was conducted exclusively for Olive Films in New Jersey in April 2017. In English, not subtitled. (12 min, 1080p).

• Newsreel - presented here is an archival Universal Newsreel that was released on October 26, 1964. It announces the winner of the Star of the Year Award, Leslie Caron, and promotes the Universal International release of Father Goose. It also includes footage from the massive funeral ceremony that was held after the death of President Herbert Hoover. In English, not subtitled. (3 min, 1080p).

• Essay - presented here is a new essay on the film by Village Voice critic Bilge Ebiri. In text-format.

• Booklet - featuring a printed version of Bilge Ebiri's essay and archival stills from Father Goose.

• Sleeve - double-sided sleeve. (See screenshots).

Father Goose Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The great Alfred Hitchcock is almost certainly the main reason why Father Goose exists because he apparently managed to convince Cary Grant that he would get a chance to win an Academy Award only if he adopted a new artistic personality. So in a way Father Goose was one last -- and quite possibly desperate -- attempt to finally make a lifelong dream a reality. While the film isn't flawless I think that it has a special charm, and I find it every bit as enjoyable as Lina Wertmüller's Swept Away and Marco Ferreri's Liza. Olive Films' upcoming Signature Edition is sourced from a recent 4K remaster and represents a very solid upgrade in quality over the first release of the film from 2013. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.