1963 - THE COURTSHIP OF EDDIE'S FATHER, a romcom about a little kid I guess

Glenn Ford and Shirley Jones get top billing in this romantic comedy about a single father and his young son.  The son thinks it's time for his dad to find someone to marry again after the death of his mother.  So we are off on another mild romantic comedy adventure as Glenn Ford appears to have his choice of three attractive women. Even though the credits would lead you to believe that Ford and Jones are the stars of this film the emphasis is really on child actor Ronny (Ron) Howard.

Howard has had a very long career in Hollywood. He actually started his acting career at six years old and got a part in The Andy Griffith Show at the age of seven.  In The Courtship of Eddie's Father he is all of eight years old and basically carrying the movie.  It's hard to judge Howard's performance, technically he's a total pro.  He cries hysterically when he has to, he acts cute when it's required of him and he's good at playing the innocent son.  He's impressive but a lot of his performing doesn't seem to have a lot of emotional feeling to it.

 

I'll give the other actors Glenn Ford, Shirley Jones, Stella Stevens and Dina Merrill credit, they know enough to stay out of the way of Howard.  They are basically seconds bananas to this tiny terror of a scenery chewing kid actor.  This film wants to be sort of wholesome entertainment but it's not above throwing in Stella Stevens in her usual thankless role as a gorgeous but clueless bombshell who ends up with Jerry Van Dyke miscast as a "love em or leave em" ladies man.   

 

The film was shot in widescreen and color.  The director was Vincente Minnelli who as usual spends about as much time directing the sets and women's fashions as he does the actors.  Shirley Jones is supposed to play a volunteer nurse but you would never know it from the incredible apartment and clothes she wears, the salary for a volunteer nurse must have been in the six figures back in 1963..

 

The film marches along to it's inevitable end. Will Glenn Ford end up with career woman Dina Merrill or earth mother type Shirley Jones?  Don't ever bet against motherhood.

The screenplay was by John Gay, the running time is 118 minutes.