Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		5.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

The Courtship of Eddie's Father Blu-ray Movie Review

Girls, girls, girls.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III June 21, 2023

Possibly overshadowed by a three-season sitcom of the same name starring Bill Bixby, Vincente Minnelli's The Courtship of Eddie's Father is a likable romantic comedy/drama starring Glenn Ford and young Ronny Howard well into his career but more than a decade before Happy Days. Wholesome with a clear path towards future TV success, this is a largely effective production whose director and stars elevate material that might otherwise fail to stand out in a crowd.

For better or worse, The Courtship of Eddie's Father is the kind of film that can be summed up in five or six sentences with an equally basic flow to match. Widowed ad director Tom Corbett (Ford) is adjusting to life with his caring six year-old son Eddie (Howard), who tries valiantly to find a sweetheart for lonely dad. Will it be Dollye Daly (Stella Stevens), a sexy beauty contestant? Maybe, but she's got eyes for Tom's pal Norman (Jerry Van Dyke), a radio DJ. How's about fashion consultant Rita Behrens (Dina Merrill)? Tom likes her well enough, but Eddie has second thoughts and is more interested in hanging out with Elizabeth Marten (Shirley Jones), their divorced next-door neighbor. As Tom's revolving door of possible wives begins to close, a family tragedy reveals the clearest path for he and Eddie's future.

Its lightweight plot is matched just about perfectly with a fine grasp of tone from the reliably great Vincente Minnelli, who infuses The Courtship of Eddie's Father with a buoyant atmosphere that's aided by excellent cinematography and especially production design. While it shares quite a bit of visual DNA with other contemporary films of the era, such as Jack Arnold's Bachelor in Paradise starring Bob Hope, it easily stands out due to solid performances and an emphasis on crowd-pleasing entertainment. Yet while it's this same breezy tone that keeps The Courtship of Eddie's Father from feeling more "important" (almost like a big-screen TV pilot, which it kind of is if you squint hard enough), it still makes for solid family fare that's accessible, entertaining, and emotionally effective. Perfectly encapsulating the time and place in which it was filmed, it also has great time-capsule appeal, what with Tom's durable electric range (I had a similar one that finally died only last year) and a competitive game shot at the Paradise Theater's bowling alley.

Though perhaps a bit slight on paper, The Courtship of Eddie's Father nonetheless holds up a full six decades after its theatrical run, thanks in no small part to Warner Archive's absolutely dazzling new Blu-ray. Headlined by another top-tier A/V restoration sourced from first-generation elements, it's also supported by a few solid vintage extras including a very enjoyable DVD-era audio commentary featuring its three leading ladies. It's a bargain at any price and one of my favorite discs this month, sitting just behind the boutique label's excellent new edition of King Solomon's Mines.

The Courtship of Eddie's Father Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Sourced from a new 4K scan of the camera negative, Warner Archive's new 1080p transfer of The Courtship of Eddie's Father meets the extremely high visual standards achieved by the boutique label's strongest catalog Blu-rays. This is a deceptively fine-looking film with lots of terrific era-specific production design and great use of ultra-wide Cinemascope framing, which is well-suited to support its spaced-out conversations and crowded gatherings. Visual aesthetics aside, Warner Archive's typically stunning restoration work is in full effect here, with the raw 4K scan of its presumably well-kept source elements treated to a round of careful manual cleanup to erase virtually all signs of age-related wear and tear while retaining the filmic textures of its original stock. As such, fine detail and black levels are pitch-perfect from start to finish, aside from a few somewhat dodgy establishing shots and the optical opening credits, with dominant mid-range compositions that invite viewers to browse the full 2.35:1 frame and its nostalgic background elements. Color values are likewise exceedingly impressive, with reds and other warm hues being particular standouts that somehow show no traces of bleeding. Quality disc encoding keeps the show running at a high bit rate with no signs of banding, macro blocking or other compression-related issues. Overall, a true five-star effort that fans will love.

The Courtship of Eddie's Father Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

A reliable source informed me that Warner Archive's DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mix for The Courtship of Eddie's Father was sourced from the original mono magnetic master, with only light audio restoration needed. It's a terrific-sounding film with crisp dialogue and effects and a surprisingly rich dynamic range with plenty of room left over for composer George Stoll's original score. No age-related wear-and-tear was heard along the way including hiss, distortion, and drop-outs... just a cleanly-presented effort that gets the job done with no tangible room for improvement.

Optional English (SDH) subtitles are offered during the main feature only, not the extras.

The Courtship of Eddie's Father Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This one-disc release ships in a keepcase with attractive vintage poster art and no inserts of any kind. The enjoyable extras are all carried over from SD releases dating all the way back to WB's 2004 "snapper case" DVD.

• Audio Commentary - How cool is it to have this ported-over DVD-era commentary featuring then-surviving cast members Shirley Jones (still alive, but almost 90), Dina Merrill (d. 2017), and Stella Stevens (d. 2/2023)? Pretty nice, especially since it wasn't advertised on the initial press release. As before, this remains a pleasantly chatty track that finds all three in good spirits, freely discussing their respective characters and other topics such as their individual introductions to the film, working with Vincente Minnelli, stories from the set, co-stars, the contributions of producer Joe Pasternak, and more. A joy to listen to for fans and first-timers alike.

• Penthouse Mouse (7:15) - Nope, it's not an X-rated Steamboat Willie short, just a fan-favorite 1963 Tom and Jerry installment directed by the one and only Chuck Jones; his very first for MGM after being fired from Warner Bros.' animation department, which is all kinds of ironic. If I'm not mistaken this also marks the short's debut on Blu-ray (it wasn't part of the Tom & Jerry: Golden Collection, Volume One), and as such it looks great here; not much in the way of manual cleanup has been applied, but the colors are vivid and it's extremely crisp.

• Theatrical Trailer (2:57) - This swanky vintage promotional piece can also be seen here.

The Courtship of Eddie's Father Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Vincente Minnelli's The Courtship of Eddie's Father is solid family-friendly entertainment (and the precursor to a popular sitcom later that decade), coasting by on the strength of its tone, direction, and performances even if the story feels a little "small screen". Warner Archive boosts its overall impact with another top-tier Blu-ray treatment that includes an outstanding A/V restoration and several choice extras. Firmly Recommended to fans and first-timers alike.