
Houseboat
Studio: Kino Lorber
Jan 28, 2025 Web Exclusive Photography by Kino Lorber
It’s all-too-easy to crave a film rooted in escapism. One with a plot so light and airy, with characters so simple and unassuming and with resolutions so predictable and charming that it’s nearly impossible to emerge without a smile on your face. Escapism reigns in Meville Shavelson’s Houseboat (1958), a film that doesn’t break (nor tries to break) the mold of the classic romantic comedy. It’s a film that always plays itself; it wouldn’t even know how to play it dangerous. And, for that reason, it’s pretty much a delight from start to finish.
Houseboat follows Tom (Cary Grant), a United States government attorney who, after his estranged wife passes away, is tasked to take care of his three young kids. At first, Tom takes the kids back to his one-bedroom apartment in Washington D.C. The kids, who are from the countryside, hate the city, and they hate Tom. One night, after attending a outdoor Symphony concert, Robert, Tom’s youngest child, runs away, stowing away on a small rowboat.
At the same time, Cinzia (Sophia Loren), the daughter of the Symphony’s Italian conductor, craves the true American experience—the food, the lifestyle and the ability to meet Americans, for romantic reasons or otherwise. She too runs away from her father, taking the rowboat Robert is hiding in into the river beyond. Once the two meet, they instantly take a quasi-familial liking to one another. Hours later, when Cinzia brings Robert home, Tom asks her if she’d like to be the family’s maid. Looking to escape her father’s controlling nature, Cinzia agrees, despite having no idea how to do any household tasks.
Tom, his children, and Cinzia move out to the countryside, where—after certain hijinks ensue—they find themselves living in a dingy, barely stable houseboat. This “move” happens nearly halfway through the 110-minute movie, but because the film is such light watching, it almost feels like no time has passed at all. As the “family” spends more time on the boat, they begin to warm up to one another. In all honesty, you can probably guess how everything resolves itself by the time the film’s credits roll.
More than anything, Houseboat is a true testament to both Grant’s and Loren’s star power. Their chemistry is unbelievable. Even at the beginning of the film, when their two characters are supposed to be frustrated with one another, their romantic tension feels so palpable and apparent, it’s hard to believe there’s any bad blood between them at all. Moreover, both the actors infuse a certain sense of physicality into their performances that make the film’s comedic moments hit with much more force, and finesse, than they probably should. One comedic gag—involving Tom eavesdropping on two women’s conversation at the laundromat (naturally, since Cinzia doesn’t know how to do laundry)—works solely because Grant’s facial expressions and subtle body movements are so on-point and over-expressive. Their energy and overdramatic showmanship elevates a story that, without them, probably wouldn’t amount to very much.
Kino Lorber’s new release of Houseboat features a stunning HD master, which brings the boldness of the film’s VistaVision-shot imagery to life. The sharpness and saturation of the film’s Technicolor is astonishing, almost making the suburbs of Washington D.C. look like Floridan marshlands. The release is light on bonus features, but it does feature an audio commentary track with film writer Julie Kirgo and filmmaker Peter Hankoff. Even so, spotlighting a film like this—a surprisingly little-known film that features big names, is well-attuned to genre conventions and breezes through its somewhat lengthier runtime—makes the release worth it in itself.
(www.kinolorber.com/product/houseboat)
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