Watch The Courtship of Eddie's Father

The Courtship of Eddie's Father is a 1963 family-oriented romantic comedy film, directed by Vincente Minnelli and starring Glenn Ford, Ron Howard, and Shirley Jones. The film is based on a novel written by Mark Toby. It tells the story of a young boy named Eddie Corbett (Ron Howard) who is struggling to come to terms with the recent loss of his mother. His father, Tom Corbett (Glenn Ford) is an executive for a major airline and is now left to raise Eddie on his own. Eddie, who is wise beyond his years, takes it upon himself to find a new wife for his widowed father. He believes that his father needs someone to take care of him and to help him with his busy work schedule.

As Eddie begins to search for the perfect woman for his father, he becomes fixated on his beautiful neighbor, Elizabeth Marten (Shirley Jones). Eddie sets out to make Elizabeth his new mother, much to the amusement of Tom, who is still grieving the loss of his beloved wife.

Tom, meanwhile, is struggling with his own personal issues. His work takes up most of his time, making it difficult to spend quality time with Eddie. Tom's best friend and colleague, Norman Jones (Jerry Van Dyke), encourages him to take a break from work and focus on his family.

The plot thickens as Tom begins to develop feelings for Elizabeth, who is harboring a secret of her own. Elizabeth is dealing with her ex-husband, who is trying to take their daughter away from her. Tom steps in to help Elizabeth and her daughter and soon he and Elizabeth begin to fall in love.

As Tom and Elizabeth's romance blossoms, young Eddie realizes that his plan has not worked out as he imagined. He had initially wanted Elizabeth to become his new mother, but instead, he finds himself in danger of losing his father to her. The realization that he might lose his father and that he will never fully replace his mother causes Eddie to come to terms with his grief and embrace the idea of his father moving on.

In the end, Eddie learns valuable life lessons about love, loss, and acceptance. The Courtship of Eddie's Father is an endearing film that explores the themes of family, friendship, and the importance of communication between parents and children.

The film is remembered for its solid performances by the cast, particularly the breakout performance by child actor Ron Howard. The Courtship of Eddie's Father was also notable for its popular theme song, "My Best Friend", composed by Henry Mancini and sung by the legendary crooner, Johnny Mathis.

Overall, The Courtship of Eddie's Father is a charming and heartwarming story that will resonate with audiences of all ages. Its timeless tale of love and loss is still relevant today, making it a classic in its own right.

The Courtship of Eddie's Father is a 1963 drama with a runtime of 1 hour and 58 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.8.