Jimmy Stewart had the physical mannerisms of an easily exasperated person, but playing this sort of endlessly befuddled parent didn't suit the measured intelligence that Stewart brought to his characters in the latter half of his career in feature films. The result is a forced comedy about a family vacation at the beach, with whiny kids, finicky appliances and nubile younger neighbors. Maureen O' Hara is along for the ride as the dutiful mom trying to force feed her family a happy shared experience.
The biggest problem with this movie is that it is a comedy that isn't very funny. Somehow this film got 3 Golden Globe nominations, 1962 must have been a weak year for comedies.
The biggest problem with this movie is that it is a comedy that isn't very funny. Somehow this film got 3 Golden Globe nominations, 1962 must have been a weak year for comedies.
