Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation

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
• Genre:Comedy / Family
• Runtime:111 minutes

Cast

James Stewart : Roger Hobbs
Maureen O’Hara : Peggy Hobbs
Fabian : Joe
John Saxon : Byron
Marie Wilson : Mrs. Emily Turner

Mr. Hobbs is an overworked businessman who seeks a quiet seaside vacation with his wife Peggy and family, including his grown daughters, sons-in-law and grandchildren.

What he finds upon reaching their vacation destination is a dilapidated beach house with nosy neighbors.

Complications mount up. His teenage son Danny only wants to watch television. His youngest daughter Katey, embarrassed by a new set of braces, refuses to leave the beach house. And his grandkids don’t want anything to do with him.

Furthermore, one of his sons-in-law, Stan, is unemployed and Mr. Hobbs must escort Stan’s potential employer on a boring bird-watching jaunt. And oldest daughter is married to the aloof professor Byron, who has unorthodox ideas about disciplining children and the family dynamic.

One by one, Mr. Hobbs tries to solve each problem. He finds time to take Danny on a boating trip, where they get lost in the fog but bond as father and son. He also manages to take Katey to a dance, where he bribes a handsome young man named Joe to pay attention to her.

The bird-watcher and his prim wife don’t turn out to be what they seem to be and chaos reigns for a while. But in time Mr. Hobbs and his wife sort out everybody’s personal crisis, Joe turns out to be a suitable suitor for Katey and the family is almost sad to leave the beach and return home.Read more