Houseboat (1958)

A widower and single father (Cary Grant) attempts to raise his children on his own shortly after his wife's death. Meanwhile, an Italian girl (Sophia Loren) runs away from her overprotective father (Eduardo Ciannelli), a famous symphony conductor. She accepts a job as a housekeeper on the widower's houseboat where he lives with his three children. Cary Grant ... Sophia Loren ... how long before romance breaks out? It's hard to resist this glamorous piece of unlikely romantic whimsy, so why try? Just give in. There's really not much one can say about a chunk of pastry like this. Directed by Melville Shavelson (CAST A GIANT SHADOW), it's got an above average Oscar nominated script by Shavelson and Jack Rose that doesn't insult our intelligence too much, an alluring Loren who looks fantastic in her Edith Head wardrobe, a tender George Duning (PICNIC) score and one of the best movie songs from the 1950s, Almost In Your Arms as sung by Sam Cooke. With Martha Hyer (once again playing the other woman), Harry Guardino, Murray Hamilton, Werner Klemperer and as the three children, Paul Petersen (THE DONNA REED SHOW), Mimi Gibson and Charles Herbert.