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Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation

February 28, 2023

Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation is a 1962 American comedy film directed by Henry Koster and starring James Stewart and Maureen O'Hara.[4] The film is based on the novel Mr. Hobbs' Vacation, by Edward Streeter[5] and features a popular singer of the time, Fabian.

Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation
Original cinema poster
Directed byHenry Koster
Screenplay byNunnally Johnson
Based onMr. Hobbs' Vacation
1954 novel
by Edward Streeter
Produced byMarvin A. Gluck
Jerry Wald
StarringJames Stewart
Maureen O'Hara
CinematographyWilliam C. Mellor
Edited byMarjorie Fowler
Music byHenry Mancini
Color processDeLuxe Color
Distributed by20th Century Fox
Release date
  • June 15, 1962 (1962-06-15) (US)
Running time
116 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$2,000,000[1]
Box office$4 million (US/Canada rentals)[2][3]

Plot

Roger Hobbs is an overworked banker who reflects on his recent vacation. Originally, he and his wife Peggy were to travel overseas alone together, but Peggy instead arranges a seaside holiday, which includes their two grown daughters Susan and Janie, teenage daughter Katey, teenage son Danny, family cook, sons-in-law, and young grandchildren.

When Roger and Peggy reach their vacation destination, they find a dilapidated beach house with rotting steps. The shared telephone line and unreliable plumbing are running gags throughout the film.

Complications mount. Their youngest child and only son Danny only wants to watch television. Katey, embarrassed by a new set of dental braces, refuses to engage in any activities inside or outside the beach house. Meanwhile, their grandson wants nothing to do with Roger.

Furthermore, one of his sons-in-law, Stan, is unemployed, which is causing tension in his marriage to Susan. Their children are undisciplined, as Susan does not believe in saying no to them. Janie is married to Byron, a windbag college professor who has a lot of ideas on psychology.

Peggy is quite worried about these issues, but Roger argues that the children must all learn to deal with problems themselves, and that he and Peggy need to stay at arm's length.

However, Roger quietly goes about trying to solve each problem, one by one. After the television breaks, he takes Danny on a boating trip, where they get lost in fog but bond as father and son. He also manages to convince Katey to go to a local teen dance, where she insists on sitting on the sidelines with her mouth clenched shut. Roger bribes a handsome young man named Joe to pay attention to her; Joe genuinely falls for Katey and returns the money. Byron shows interest in an attractive neighbor, but Roger tells him that she is a paranoid schizophrenic, effectively keeping him from a full-fledged affair with her.

Son-in-law Stan has a shot at a good job, and Susan asks Roger and Peggy to entertain the potential employer and his wife for a few days. The couple present as prim, proper, and sober; the only interest the man has is bird-watching, and Roger endures a boring jaunt with him, but they are not what they seem to be. Chaos ensues in a madcap scene involving a hot shower and a broken door lock.

In the end, everybody's personal crises are resolved and the family is actually sad to leave; the grandson is upset that he is leaving his grandfather.

They book the beach house for the next summer.

Cast

Production

Nunnally Johnson wrote the screenplay for Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation based on Edward Streeter's novel, Mr. Hobbs' Vacation. Streeter had previously written the novel Father of the Bride, which was filmed in 1950 and remade in 1991.[citation needed]

Johnson had just finished directing a series of films, and wanted to focus on writing. He agreed to do Hobbs because he liked the story "and I knew something about it."[7]

Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation was filmed in California at Laguna Beach and Dana Point. The film was shot using CinemaScope wide-screen formatting, with color by DeLuxe. It marked the first time James Stewart and Maureen O'Hara starred together in a film. They co-starred again in the 1966 Western The Rare Breed. During the scene in which Mr. Hobbs escorts his daughter Katey to a dance at the yacht club, Herb Alpert is the trumpet player in the band.[8]

The movie was the first of two James Stewart made with Fabian.[9] "If anybody’s ever blessed, you have to be blessed to work with Jimmy Stewart," recalled Fabian. "He was the most congenial, helpful person I ever worked with."[10]

It was a rare comedy role for John Saxon.[11]

Reception

The film was relatively successful in the United States and Canada upon its release on June 15, 1962, earning $4 million with an estimated budget of $2 million, but found even greater success when released overseas.[citation needed]

James Stewart won the Silver Bear for Best Actor at the 12th Berlin International Film Festival for his performance,[12] and director Henry Koster was nominated for Best Director. Stewart was nominated for a Golden Globe as Best Actor in a Musical/Comedy. The screenplay by Nunnally Johnson was nominated for Best Written Comedy by the Writers Guild of America. Stewart and Maureen O'Hara were also nominated for their performances by the Laurel Awards.[citation needed]

Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation's success inspired a series of light-hearted family comedies written by Johnson. Two of these also starred Stewart and were directed by Koster: Take Her, She's Mine (1963) and Dear Brigitte (1965).[13]

This was the final feature film for actress Marie Wilson.

Critical reaction

Bosley Crowther of The New York Times wrote in his review: "Right off the bat, it is suggested in this wacky domestic report that togetherness is strictly for the birds and that sensible parents, especially elders, should write it out of their books. The Mr. Hobbs of the title, played beguilingly by James Stewart, is very much of this opinion as far as his own brood is concerned."[14]

References

  1. ^ Solomon, Aubrey (1988). Twentieth Century Fox: A Corporate and Financial History. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press. p. 253. ISBN 978-0-810-84244-1.
  2. ^ "All-Time Top Grossers". Variety. January 8, 1964. p. 69.
  3. ^ "Big Rental Pictures of 1962". Variety. 9 Jan 1963. p. 13. Please note these are rentals and not gross figures
  4. ^ "Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation". Turner Classic Movies. Atlanta: Turner Broadcasting System (Time Warner). Retrieved September 7, 2016.
  5. ^ Streeter, Edward (1954). Mr. Hobbs' Vacation. Harper & Brothers. OCLC 1391704.
  6. ^ IMDb erroneously identifies this character as "Mr. Kagle" (https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0171956/?ref_=tt_cl_t_15)
  7. ^ Johnson, Nunnally (1969). Recollections of Nunnally Johnson oral history transcript. University of California Oral History Program. p 134
  8. ^ "Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation (1962) - IMDb". IMDb.
  9. ^ Vagg, Stephen (26 August 2019). "The Cinema of Fabian". Diabolique.
  10. ^ Jack Neary, "Interview with Fabian" 2014-02-01 at the Wayback Machine accessed 18 January 2014
  11. ^ Vagg, Stephen (July 29, 2020). "The Top Twelve Stages of Saxon". Filmink.
  12. ^ "Berlinale 1962: Prize Winners". berlinale.de. Retrieved 2010-02-07.
  13. ^ Johnson, Nunnally (1969). Recollections of Nunnally Johnson oral history transcript. University of California Oral History Program. p 136
  14. ^ Crowther, Bosley (June 16, 1962). "Screen: 'Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation'". The New York Times. Retrieved September 8, 2016.

Further reading

External links

February 28, 2023
hobbs, takes, vacation, 1962, american, comedy, film, directed, henry, koster, starring, james, stewart, maureen, hara, film, based, novel, hobbs, vacation, edward, streeter, features, popular, singer, time, fabian, original, cinema, posterdirected, byhenry, k. Mr Hobbs Takes a Vacation is a 1962 American comedy film directed by Henry Koster and starring James Stewart and Maureen O Hara 4 The film is based on the novel Mr Hobbs Vacation by Edward Streeter 5 and features a popular singer of the time Fabian Mr Hobbs Takes a VacationOriginal cinema posterDirected byHenry KosterScreenplay byNunnally JohnsonBased onMr Hobbs Vacation1954 novelby Edward StreeterProduced byMarvin A GluckJerry WaldStarringJames StewartMaureen O HaraCinematographyWilliam C MellorEdited byMarjorie FowlerMusic byHenry ManciniColor processDeLuxe ColorDistributed by20th Century FoxRelease dateJune 15 1962 1962 06 15 US Running time116 minutesCountryUnited StatesLanguageEnglishBudget 2 000 000 1 Box office 4 million US Canada rentals 2 3 Contents 1 Plot 2 Cast 3 Production 4 Reception 4 1 Critical reaction 5 References 6 Further reading 7 External linksPlot EditRoger Hobbs is an overworked banker who reflects on his recent vacation Originally he and his wife Peggy were to travel overseas alone together but Peggy instead arranges a seaside holiday which includes their two grown daughters Susan and Janie teenage daughter Katey teenage son Danny family cook sons in law and young grandchildren When Roger and Peggy reach their vacation destination they find a dilapidated beach house with rotting steps The shared telephone line and unreliable plumbing are running gags throughout the film Complications mount Their youngest child and only son Danny only wants to watch television Katey embarrassed by a new set of dental braces refuses to engage in any activities inside or outside the beach house Meanwhile their grandson wants nothing to do with Roger Furthermore one of his sons in law Stan is unemployed which is causing tension in his marriage to Susan Their children are undisciplined as Susan does not believe in saying no to them Janie is married to Byron a windbag college professor who has a lot of ideas on psychology Peggy is quite worried about these issues but Roger argues that the children must all learn to deal with problems themselves and that he and Peggy need to stay at arm s length However Roger quietly goes about trying to solve each problem one by one After the television breaks he takes Danny on a boating trip where they get lost in fog but bond as father and son He also manages to convince Katey to go to a local teen dance where she insists on sitting on the sidelines with her mouth clenched shut Roger bribes a handsome young man named Joe to pay attention to her Joe genuinely falls for Katey and returns the money Byron shows interest in an attractive neighbor but Roger tells him that she is a paranoid schizophrenic effectively keeping him from a full fledged affair with her Son in law Stan has a shot at a good job and Susan asks Roger and Peggy to entertain the potential employer and his wife for a few days The couple present as prim proper and sober the only interest the man has is bird watching and Roger endures a boring jaunt with him but they are not what they seem to be Chaos ensues in a madcap scene involving a hot shower and a broken door lock In the end everybody s personal crises are resolved and the family is actually sad to leave the grandson is upset that he is leaving his grandfather They book the beach house for the next summer Cast EditJames Stewart as Roger Hobbs Maureen O Hara as Peggy Hobbs Fabian as Joe Carmody Lauri Peters as Katey Hobbs Lili Gentle as Janie Hobbs Grant John Saxon as Byron Grant John McGiver as Martin Turner Marie Wilson as Emily Turner Reginald Gardiner as Reggie McHugh Valerie Varda as Marika Carter Natalie Trundy as Susan Hobbs Carver Josh Peine as Stan Carver Michael Burns as Danny Hobbs Minerva Urecal as Brenda the Hobbs cook Richard Collier as the plumber Mr Saltonstall 6 Peter Oliphant as Peter Carver uncredited Production EditNunnally Johnson wrote the screenplay for Mr Hobbs Takes a Vacation based on Edward Streeter s novel Mr Hobbs Vacation Streeter had previously written the novel Father of the Bride which was filmed in 1950 and remade in 1991 citation needed Johnson had just finished directing a series of films and wanted to focus on writing He agreed to do Hobbs because he liked the story and I knew something about it 7 Mr Hobbs Takes a Vacation was filmed in California at Laguna Beach and Dana Point The film was shot using CinemaScope wide screen formatting with color by DeLuxe It marked the first time James Stewart and Maureen O Hara starred together in a film They co starred again in the 1966 Western The Rare Breed During the scene in which Mr Hobbs escorts his daughter Katey to a dance at the yacht club Herb Alpert is the trumpet player in the band 8 The movie was the first of two James Stewart made with Fabian 9 If anybody s ever blessed you have to be blessed to work with Jimmy Stewart recalled Fabian He was the most congenial helpful person I ever worked with 10 It was a rare comedy role for John Saxon 11 Reception EditThe film was relatively successful in the United States and Canada upon its release on June 15 1962 earning 4 million with an estimated budget of 2 million but found even greater success when released overseas citation needed James Stewart won the Silver Bear for Best Actor at the 12th Berlin International Film Festival for his performance 12 and director Henry Koster was nominated for Best Director Stewart was nominated for a Golden Globe as Best Actor in a Musical Comedy The screenplay by Nunnally Johnson was nominated for Best Written Comedy by the Writers Guild of America Stewart and Maureen O Hara were also nominated for their performances by the Laurel Awards citation needed Mr Hobbs Takes a Vacation s success inspired a series of light hearted family comedies written by Johnson Two of these also starred Stewart and were directed by Koster Take Her She s Mine 1963 and Dear Brigitte 1965 13 This was the final feature film for actress Marie Wilson Critical reaction Edit Bosley Crowther of The New York Times wrote in his review Right off the bat it is suggested in this wacky domestic report that togetherness is strictly for the birds and that sensible parents especially elders should write it out of their books The Mr Hobbs of the title played beguilingly by James Stewart is very much of this opinion as far as his own brood is concerned 14 References Edit Solomon Aubrey 1988 Twentieth Century Fox A Corporate and Financial History Lanham Maryland Scarecrow Press p 253 ISBN 978 0 810 84244 1 All Time Top Grossers Variety January 8 1964 p 69 Big Rental Pictures of 1962 Variety 9 Jan 1963 p 13 Please note these are rentals and not gross figures Mr Hobbs Takes a Vacation Turner Classic Movies Atlanta Turner Broadcasting System Time Warner Retrieved September 7 2016 Streeter Edward 1954 Mr Hobbs Vacation Harper amp Brothers OCLC 1391704 IMDb erroneously identifies this character as Mr Kagle https www imdb com name nm0171956 ref tt cl t 15 Johnson Nunnally 1969 Recollections of Nunnally Johnson oral history transcript University of California Oral History Program p 134 Mr Hobbs Takes a Vacation 1962 IMDb IMDb Vagg Stephen 26 August 2019 The Cinema of Fabian Diabolique Jack Neary Interview with Fabian Archived 2014 02 01 at the Wayback Machine accessed 18 January 2014 Vagg Stephen July 29 2020 The Top Twelve Stages of Saxon Filmink Berlinale 1962 Prize Winners berlinale de Retrieved 2010 02 07 Johnson Nunnally 1969 Recollections of Nunnally Johnson oral history transcript University of California Oral History Program p 136 Crowther Bosley June 16 1962 Screen Mr Hobbs Takes a Vacation The New York Times Retrieved September 8 2016 Further reading EditExternal links EditMr Hobbs Takes a Vacation at IMDb Mr Hobbs Takes a Vacation at the TCM Movie Database Mr Hobbs Takes a Vacation at AllMovie Mr Hobbs Takes a Vacation at the American Film Institute Catalog Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Mr Hobbs Takes a Vacation amp oldid 1141909430, 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