Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation (1962)

Mr. Hobbs wants to spend a quiet holiday at the beach, but his wife has invited all their family to stay with them.

Director:

Henry Koster

Writers:

Nunnally Johnson (screenplay), Edward Streeter (novel)

Stars:

James Stewart, Maureen O'Hara, Fabian

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 1 win & 5 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
James Stewart	...	Roger Hobbs
Maureen O'Hara	...	Peggy Hobbs
Fabian	...	Joe Carmody
Lauri Peters	...	Katey Hobbs
Lili Gentle	...	Janie Grant
John Saxon	...	Byron Grant
John McGiver	...	Martin Turner
Marie Wilson	...	Emily Turner
Reginald Gardiner	...	Reggie McHugh
Valerie Varda	...	Marika Carter
Natalie Trundy	...	Susan Carver
Josh Peine	...	Stan Carver
Michael Burns	...	Danny Hobbs
Minerva Urecal	...	Brenda
Richard Collier	...	Mr. Kagle

Storyline

St. Louis based banker Roger Hobbs is writing a letter to his wife, Peggy Hobbs, about his true feelings concerning their just returned from month long vacation, the letter to be opened only after his death, whenever that may be. Mr. Hobbs wanted the vacation to be a romantic getaway for two, but Peggy insisted that it be a family vacation to a central California beach-side house, given to them for the month by friends. The vacation included all their offspring, and their offspring's respective families where applicable. Hobbs hated the idea as he felt he didn't know his offspring - and their spouses even less - and that they, in turn, no longer needed him. They include: daughter Susan Carver, who, with her husband, Stan Carver, have a permissive parenting style as per the latest child psychology books; daughter Janie Grant, whose husband, college professor, Byron Grant, has an academic view of everything in life; fourteen year old daughter, Katey Hobbs, who is self conscious around ...

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Plot Keywords:

beach | summer vacation | dysfunctional family | house | reference to thomas edison | 

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Taglines:

Rollicking Fun! Sand, Sea and Sun!

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Genres:

Comedy | Family

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 June 1962 (USA)

Also Known As:

Mr. Hobbs macht Ferien

Filming Locations:

Laguna Beach, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$2,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox

Technical Specs

Runtime:

116 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

According to Maureen O'Hara in her memoirs Tis Herself, Jimmy Stewart was a kind and gentle guy, a remarkable actor, but not a generous one such as John Wayne. Stewart wanted very scene revolving around him and only him.

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Goofs

When Mrs. Turner in locked in the bathroom, Jimmy Stewart calls her Mrs. Hobbs and she says, "Mrs. Turner" and he says, "Oh yes, Mrs. Turner."

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Quotes

Katey Hobbs: [discussing how weird their parents are] My father did something once that was so crazy.
Joe: Yeah, what?
Katey Hobbs: You wouldn't believe it, you wouldn't believe it.

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Crazy Credits

At the end credits each major character is shown as they are identified along with the acting credit.

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Connections

Referenced in California's Golden Parks: Movie Beach (2009)

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Soundtracks

Cream Puff
By Johnny Mercer and Henry Mancini

User Reviews

Amusing Nostalgic Comedy.

Jimmy Stewart plays a St. Louis bank executive who goes on vacation with his wife(Maureen O'Hara) and children on a beach front house in California, where his planned romantic getaway with his wife does not go as planned, since the children get involved with their own problems(his lovelorn teenage daughter and young son who only wants to watch television, especially westerns!) On top of that, the plumbing does not work properly at times, especially a water pump with a mind of its own.

Amusing comedy is quite warm and funny, with a charming performance by Jimmy Stewart as the harried father, whose attempts at sailing and bird-watching also meet with mixed results, but film remains a nostalgic comedy of a (sadly) bygone era, but one that can still be enjoyed on DVD whenever the viewer likes.