Fred MacMurray

Nancy Olson

Keenan Wynn

Tommy Kirk

Leon Ames

Elliott Reid

Edward Andrews

David Lewis

Jack Mullaney

Belle Montrose

Wally Brown

Wally Boag

Don Ross

Forrest Lewis

James Westerfield

Alan Carney

Charlie Briggs

Gage Clarke

Alan Hewitt

Raymond Bailey

Wendell Holmes

Ed Wynn

Bess Flowers

Paul Frees

Hank Patterson

Colin Kenny

Arthur Tovey

Ralph Clanton

Charles Fogel

Robert O. Cook

Robert Stevenson

Bill Walsh

Cotton Warburton

Joshua Meador

Eustace Lycett

Peter Ellenshaw

Hal Gausman

Samuel W. Taylor

Robert A. Mattey

George Bruns

Edward Colman

Walt Disney

Pat McNalley

Carroll Clark

Robert G. Shannon

Emile Kuri

Ruth Sandifer

Bob Herron

Flubber Collection

Comedy

Family

Science Fiction

The Absent-Minded Professor

Walt Disney Productions

United States of America

English

flying car

inventor

professor

basketball

absent minded

secret formula

flubber

Substance X, we dub thee - Flubber! 

The Absent-Minded Professor is directed by Robert Stevenson and adapted to screenplay by Bill Walsh from a story by Samuel W. Taylor. It stars Fred MacMurray, Nancy Olsen, Keenan Wynn, Tommy Kirk, Leon Ames and Elliott Reid. Music is by George Bruns and cinematography by Edward Colman.

Out of Disney, we get the kind of wacky family friendly comedy that serves a purpose on a miserable real life day. MacMurray's professor has invented flying - gravity defying - rubber, which he christens Flubber. It can make you bounce up to incredible heights, make the prof's car fly and naturally it draws the attention of evil business man Alonzo Hawk (Wynn). A bunch of nutty scenarios ensue (the basketball match is a pure joy) and the prof has to win back the girl he keeps forgetting to marry (a radiant Olson). It's a creative piece of writing and it saw Disney take note for continued success in live action pictures. 7/10

An amusing film regarding Professor Brainard, a character I've always associated with Robin Williams having seen the 1997 remake first back when I was younger.

Fred MacMurray plays the aforementioned in this, the original. He is pleasing here, giving a more than satisfying performance - even if it is pretty similar to the one he gives in <em>'The Shaggy Dog'</em> back in 1959. Elsewhere, Keenan Wynn plays Alonzo Hawk - he is perfect for that role. Nancy Olson (Betsy) and Tommy Kirk (Biff) are also recognisable Disney faces, though it's MacMurray and Wynn who are the standouts by quite some distance.

The special effects haven't aged well at all but I can forgive that. However, the editing is very choppy when the Flubber is in use. I get why, of course, but I feel they could've sharpened the edits up a tad.

The main part that I'll remember from this is the humour, which is nicely crafted. There's a lot of set pieces with the Flubber and basically all of them give laughs to some degree. If it wasn't for the fun, I'd be rating this lower - especially after the somewhat out of place ending.

I prefer the remake with Williams, though that one leaves a similar impression - with the previously mentioned actor elevating that film up tremendously. This, for a special effect-filled production from 1961, is solid.

The Absent Minded Professor Promo (BYUtv)

The Absent-Minded Professor( 1961)

The most amazing discovery since laughter!

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A review by John Chard

Written by John Chard on Sun Apr 12 2020

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