The 1962 laugh riot Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation is a Jimmy Stewart masterpiece. In the film, Stewart shines as a loving husband and father who takes his family on a seaside holiday, only to be plagued by a lothario with eyes for his wife, a son who’s glued to the TV set, a daughter who refuses to go out in public with braces, and two daughters with marital woes.
As amazing as the movie is, there’s a lot of trivia about the picture that is fascinating. With that in mind, here’s some things you may not have realized about the film!
1 – It was based on a novel Mr. Hobbs’ Vacation by Edward Streeter — who also wrote the book that the original Father of the Bride was based on.
2 – Jimmy Stewart and Maureen O’Hara later teamed up again on screen in 1966’s The Rare Breed.
3 – Herb Albert briefly appears in the film as a trumpet player. Can you spot him?
4 – Fabian brought some teen appeal to the film as he was then a idol to the youthful set. He later appeared in a diverse series of films, including The Longest Day and Ten Little Indians.
5 – In joke or clever reuse of a prop? Either way, it’s pretty fun that a portrait of Captain Daniel Gregg (i.e. Rex Harrison in The Ghost and Mrs. Muir) can be glimpsed in the cottage by the staircase.