Son of Flubber (1962) User Reviews (20)

Flubber Byproduct

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 29 May 2007]

By the time Son of Flubber was released by Walt Disney in 1963, Fred MacMurray was firmly established in the third phase of his career as star of G-rated Disney films and television situation comedies. MacMurray was able to do this because of a unique clause he had written into his contract with CBS which produced the My Three Sons show that he starred in for a dozen or so years. All of MacMurray's scenes in all episodes were filmed at the beginning of the cycle so as to allow him to do those Disney films as well. It worked out great for him.

Disney took virtually the entire cast of The Absent Minded Professor and added several new faces as well. In the previous film, MacMurray revolutionizes rubber by making a substance that bounces higher with each bounce than lower. That film ends with MacMurray flying to Washington in his Model T (you read it right) to give flubber for the defense of the free world.

But Washington, DC red tape being what it is MacMurray and his new bride Nancy Olson aren't seeing any money any time soon. But not to worry, Fred's found a byproduct of flubber that he calls flubber gas. A lighter than air substance that really makes anything fly.

In the first film, MacMurray used his college's basketball team as a test for flubber. In Son of Flubber, flubber gas is tested during a football game with the same hilarious results. In fact more so because in this film Paul Lynde is the stressed and harried play by play announcer of the college football game. For me he's the highlight of the film.

In Son of Flubber, Disney gives us an entertaining and worthy successor to the Absent Minded Professor that after almost fifty years will still appeal to anyone not made of stone.

Light-hearted fun if you don't take it too serious

[PudgyPandaMan · 6/10 · 9 August 2008]

There is no disguising that this is an obvious attempt on Disney to cash in on the success of "The Absent Minded Professor" made 2 years earlier. No one can fault them for that - however, there seems to be little originality in this version. You would think they would have made a greater attempt at new gags and originality. Unfortunately, that is not the case.

There is the same sports scene set-up. In AMP it was a basketball game. In SOF it is a football game. There is the same romantic rivalry between Brainard (Fred McMurray) and Professor Shelby Ashton (Elliott Reid), over Brainard's wife, Betsy (Nancy Olsen). They do throw in a 4th party in this film for good measure -Desiree de la Roche (Joanna Cook Moore) - as Brainard's old flame who has her sights set on him again. There is another prank on Professor Shelby while he is driving in his car (this time its filling with water from a Brainard created rain cloud inside the car). You still have Alonzo Hawks (Kennan Wynn) trying to destroy Medfield College by calling in their overdue loan. You have the same cops from the prior moving getting their new squad car destroyed again. So as you see, not a lot of originality here.

The worst scene in my opinion is the ending of the court room scene. The giant fruit and the marching band were way over the top. I did like the stunts on the football field, however. Some of the jumping and flying ball players looked very realistic. I also liked the closing shot of the satellites, the flying football, and earth in the background. Pretty good special effects.

It is interesting that McMurray was an accomplished saxophone player, so look for him playing the actual music during the Halloween party. Also, Paul Lynde makes his film debut in this movie. I liked seeing William Demarest (later to be Uncle Charley on "My Three Sons") in a small role that matches him up with McMurray. He doesn't begin "MTS" until 1965 which is 2 years after this film. Also, you may remember Joanna Cook Moore as the actress that played Andy's girlfriend Peg on "The Andy Griffith Show" for 4 episodes in 1962. Perhaps it helped her land this role. She has another claim to fame - she married Ryan O'Neal in 1963 and is the mother of Tatum O'Neal.

Overall, this sequel doesn't play quite as well as the first. It is still entertaining in places and has a host of noteworthy supporting players.

Maybe slightly inferior to "The AbsentMinded Professor", but still not exactly a bad family film

[Beta_Gallinger · 6/10 · 20 July 2010]

I first saw 1997's "Flubber", starring Robin Williams, not long after it was released on video, and never knew it was a remake at the time, but found that out around the time I watched the movie again many years later. That was how I later got around to watching the original 1961 film, "The AbsentMinded Professor", starring Fred MacMurray. It's been nearly a year and a half since I watched that film, but I still remember thinking it was better than the lacklustre remake. "Son of Flubber" is the 1963 sequel to the 1961 live action Disney movie, so I was bound to end up watching it eventually. As with most sequels, I was expecting this one to be downhill from the original, and I think it is (just slightly), but it's definitely still better than the 1997 movie.

Professor Ned Brainard has introduced his invention of Flubber to the U.S. military, but when he goes to get paid for his amazing invention, he learns that the Pentagon has decided that the substance must be kept top secret, and they can't give the professor his payment for it yet. This doesn't help the fact that the future of Medfield College is once again in jeopardy due to financial problems, and that Ned and his wife, Betsy are broke and get a huge tax bill. However, the absent-minded physical chemistry professor has a new discovery which he hasn't unleashed upon the world yet. It's called Flubber gas, and it can change the weather! He believes this new gas can end his current troubles, and Biff Hawk plans to use it to help the college football team win a game. However, as Ned experiments with this Flubber gas, he ends up causing trouble which he is unaware of, and he also finds that his marriage is in trouble.

This sequel didn't seem that interesting to me at first when I got around to watching it, but that soon changed. As a comedy, "Son of Flubber" certainly isn't hilarious, but the gags are often funny, even if there are no huge laughs. Memorable ones include the scenes with a certain Medfield College football player's uniform filled with Flubber gas, Ned making it rain inside with his new invisible substance and the way the dog reacts to it, and the professor not realizing that the Flubber gas is making glass shatter all over town, with people not knowing how it's happening! However, there also may be times when it gets a little too silly, and I wouldn't say most of the film is really that funny. Still, at least I can say I laughed at times, definitely more often than I did when I last watched "Flubber", the 1997 film. Aside from the humour, the story isn't exactly great, but it was enough to hold my interest, at least somewhat, though it did seem a tad overlong to me. I also think the cast is mostly good here, including Fred MacMurray.

Since I waited quite a while to watch this sequel after watching "The AbsentMinded Professor" early last year, they're not as easy for me to compare as they would be if I had watched one just after the other. However, I clearly remember that I wasn't amazed by the 1961 Disney film, but still thought it was pretty good family fare, and unsurprisingly a case where the original is superior to the remake. This 1963 sequel isn't as popular as its predecessor, and even though I watched it a while after the original, I guess I can understand that, but it does come close in quality. Neither is an absolute classic (many animated Disney films that Walt Disney was around to produce are superior to these two live action ones made only several years before his death), but they still have their charm decades after they were originally released in the early 60's, even if this one was more of a cash-in and didn't have much new to offer after the original.

much more entertaining than the Prequel,The Abesnt MInded Professor (6.5/10)

[disdressed12 · 7/10 · 23 November 2008]

this sequel to The Absent Minded Professor is actually a better movie.i found it funnier,more entertaining and it had a better story.the character were expanded a bit more,which makes sense,since it is a sequel.unlike Professor,this one doesn't have any slow or boring moments.it's much better paced.i like the fact that the wife had more to do in this one.the movie is just as silly,but it's meant to be,and if you keep that in mind going in,you'll probably enjoy it more.it's not high art or anything,but it will keep you entertained for 102 minutes or so.and it's fun for the whole family.my vote for The Son of Flubber:6.5/10

A decent film, but quite recycled...

[MovieAddict2016 · 13 February 2004]

Son of Flubber

Fred MacMurray returns to his famous role of a wacky, absent-minded professor who invents a strange substance that he calls "flubber." In this sequel (the strangely named "Son of"), he does little but jump through the same hoops.

Entertaining, but not fresh.

2.5/5 stars.

• John Ulmer

Disney's professor gets bounced in D.C., so he turns up the gas

[SimonJack · 7/10 · 24 January 2022]

"Son of Flubber" is a comedy sci-fi sequel to Walt Disney's highly popular "The Absent-Minded Professor" of 1961. And, this film picks up where the latter left off. Fred MacMurray's Prof. Ned Brainard and young college protégé Biff Hawk (played by Tommy Kirk) are drive-flying his old Model T (or Model A?) to the Pentagon to meet with the brass on the future of flubber. But, the government wants to keep it under wraps, and unfortunately, Ned can't talk about it and he won't even get a small cash advance. As the Defense Secretary, played by Edward Andrews, explains, they have to go to Congress to get the appropriations to develop flubber (for whatever national interests), and then they will have the money to pay Prof. Brainard.

But, he needed an advance of at least $350,000 to save Medfield College. That would pay off the loan with Alonzo P. Hawk, who otherwise is going to bulldoze the college for a development project. There's only one thing to do. He's got to market his newest invention. Where the first film had the professor trying out flubber in a basketball game, this film takes to the gridiron where the prof's gas will be used to win a big football game.

There are all sorts of complications here, with the professor's wife, Betsy, played by Nancy Olson, and the college president, played by Leon Adams, and the community. It's a fun and funny film in the tradition of Disney movies of this sort. This one has a big cast of well-known actors and Disney standouts, including others who would become known as the early Disney Legends before that became an official list. Besides MacMurray and Kirk, Keenan Wynn and Paul Lynde were among this group. Other top actors of the day in the film are Ed Wynn, William Demarest, Charles Ruggles, and Stuart Erwin.

Here are a couple favorite lines from this very good family film.

Defense Secretary (Andrews), "Remember - you're in Washington. Stop trying to be reasonable about money or you're going to bollix the whole thing."

Desiree de la Roche (played by Joanna Moore), at her costume Halloween party, "There's a tank of martinis in here and everybody'd bobbing for olives."

Worthy sequel

[robert3750 · 7/10 · 20 August 2023]

Fred MacMurray is back as the wacky science professor. Due to the absurdities of government, such as taxing him for Flubber profits before he's made a dime from it while waiting for "appropriations", he goes in search of other applications for his discovery, leading to comic complications such as creating an indoor thunderstorm, breaking windows, and growing enormous vegetables. The most hilarious application is "Flubber gas", used in a football game that's even funnier than the basketball game from the first film. Every time I saw this film, I laughed so hard at the sight of the Flubberized football player that my sides hurt. The great supporting cast from the first film is back, with the addition of Paul Lynde as the sportscaster doing the incredulous play by play of Flubber football.

Opportunistic cash-in made well before it was fashionable...

[moonspinner55 · 5/10 · 4 June 2006]

Proving that the Disney studios didn't become cash-mongers solely in the Michael Eisner era, this sequel to 1961's "The Absent Minded Professor" is nothing more than repackaged goods. Lamebrained slapstick has Fred MacMurray returning to role of small town inventor who attempts to save the local high school from ruin. There are a few funny digs at the advertising business but, as with the original, MacMurray's romance problems and his run-ins with the law are dull. Terrific supporting cast (Jack Albertson, Joanna Moore, Paul Lynde, William Demarest) looks like a who's-who of suburban comedies, and the movie is fairly easy to sit through if you don't mind completely innocuous fare, but even the special effects are mechanical. ** from ****

It's A Gas

[AaronCapenBanner · 4/10 · 7 December 2013]

Robert Stevenson returned to direct this sequel to "The Absent-Minded Professor" which also sees Fred MacMurray return as Medfield college professor Brainard, who is working on a new invention derived from flubber called flubbergas, which he hopes will make the school a fortune, since the Pentagon put a hold on flubber itself for military use, and he has been sent a big tax bill by the IRS. Keenan Wynn returns as crooked businessman Alonzo Hawk, who also wants flubbergas for his own profit, while Brainard uses it to affect the weather and help the school football team. Equally silly sequel, only more so, and as a result is a slight step-down from the first. For kids mostly.

Better than the first one, IMO

[drhoads-93743 · 8/10 · 18 November 2019]

Perhaps it's just the vivid memories from my childhood, but this is a far underrated Disney film from the 60s. Is it moving? Not really. Is it groundbreaking? Not really. Is it the best Disney film ever made? Not even close. But something about this film entertains me even as an adult.

There are a few sequences in this film that are comedy gold. I laughed hysterically as a kid. But even now that I'm a grown man, I can't help but find these sequences still hilarious.

It's a really whacky film with whacky characters and whacky scenes. But you know what? It's also a unique film. It's a snapshot of 1960s Americana that's very, very special, in my opinion, and even better than the first installment The Absent Minded Professor.

Childish Drivel, Disney-Style

[strong-122-478885 · 1/10 · 12 March 2018]

For me to say that this "Gosh! Golly! Gee!' Disney picture (from 1963) could've been a whole lot better than it was would truly be an understatement like never before imagined.

With its utterly cheap, laughable, old-school visual effects - "Son of Flubber" was, indeed, a mighty disappointing SyFy/Comedy story concerning Prof. Brainard's brilliant invention of anti-gravity gas.

And, with that as its premiss - This picture's plot-line, literally, had a whole, big world of creative potential sitting right there on its very doorstep waiting to be explored to the max.

But - Unfortunately - This dismal "product-of-its-time" wimped out to the absolute nth degree.

And - As a result - All that "Son of Flubber" amounted to being was just another pathetic pile of forgettable nonsense that had "childish drivel" clearly written all over it.

Fred MacMurray gets gas from flubber....

[Puck-20 · 22 October 2002]

This is the sequel to "The Absent Minded Professor" [1961]. Slower, and more uneven. The "Absent Minded Professor" was mainly a one-joke affair; Fred MacMurray's fantastic invention "flubber", and by the time "Son of Flubber" came out, it had worn a bit thin. For instance, the SoF copied the AMP with a sports contest. In AMP it was the basketball game half-way through, but in SOF it was a football game as the grand finale [which shows you the tired plot line]. It does have its moments, though...watch for Paul Lynde as the sportscaster, as well as the father/son team of Ed and Keenan Wynn.

Betsy Ned relationship problematic

[SnoopyStyle · 5/10 · 19 April 2016]

Professor Ned Brainard (Fred MacMurray) needs money for Medfield College. The Pentagon has made flubber top secret. He's running into red tape over the payment. The IRS is after him despite not receiving any actual money. Mr. Hawk is eager to see him fail. The college needs $350k by the first of the month to pay Hawk back. Ned's solution is to invent weather controlling flubbergas. Betsy's not impressed. Despite his objection, Betsy invites Shelby. To Betsy's horror, Shelby invites Ned's old flame Desiree de la Roche/Mary Lee Spooner.

Hawk is a solid villain. The IRS guy is more annoying than funny. Then the money issue gets overused. I have a problem with Betsy. She's made out to be a flighty jealous money-grubber. The movie still has the wacky invention and the socially tone-deaf professor but his dismissal of her isn't that nice either. Their relationship is problematic and seems to be built on rickety scaffolding. It's meant to be funny like a sitcom. The movie really needs to start the couple with love before it injects all the obstacles. That really turns me off.

Like 3rd and Long in a Football Game

[view_and_review · 2/10 · 28 January 2019]

This movie was an extended sitcom. It reminded me of an episode of Dick Van Dyke except worse.

To be fair, I wasn't a fan of The Absent Minded Professor so there wasn't much of a chance that I'd enjoy a sequel. The movie started with one primary goal, quickly got sidetracked and never revisited it. In fact, I'd say it went into about three different directions without bringing a real conclusion to any of them.

Very corny, very scattered, very sub-par. Like third and long in a football game, this is a pass.

Why is this bad? This is fantastic!!!!!

[sethn172 · 10/10 · 31 July 2006]

Yeah, readers, you'll want to vote 10 after seeing this!!!!!

Disney made a sequel to the "Absent-Minded Professor" movie in 1963 called "Son of Flubber," where our professor is making another experiment! If I remember correctly, it probably had to do with loud sounds; I remember the "Auld Lang Syne Insurance" window breaking, then someone dotted one of the "I"s thereafter even though the glass was broken!!!!!

I've seen this in B&W on an old VHS in 1996, and in a colorized form on the Old Disney Channel in 2000 or so.

Come to think of it, I remember that instead of basketball, football was involved in this movie! Someone kicks the football high out of the stadium ("It looks like it's going into orbit!!!!!") and after the last conversation, we see a satellite, then that football orbiting the earth before we see "The End, A Walt Disney Production" over the Earth.

"Son of Flubber" - now that's nice!!!!!

10/10

"Son Of Flubber" Was One Big Flub!

[StrictlyConfidential · 3/10 · 16 October 2020]

Released back in 1963 - "Son Of Flubber" was a truly dismal production (from Disney Studios) that certainly left a whole lot to be desired.

Featuring some really lousy visual effects (even for its time) - I think that this live-action comedy-fantasy film would've benefited greatly had at least an hour been edited out of its overlong running time of 100 minutes.

Hey! I ain't kidding here. "Son Of Flubber" was (IMO) pure junk on all counts.

Mostly stale

[r96sk · 5/10 · 30 June 2020]

A poor follow-up to 'The Absent-Minded Professor'.

'Son of Flubber' is inferior in every department. I praise the original for its amusing humour, but this film manages to lose it almost entirely. There are a few smirk-worthy moments, but it's mostly stale.

A large reason for that is the lacklustre plot, which isn't ever interesting. The Flubber itself is rarely used, as they instead focus of its "gas". The conclusion is, like with the 1961 film, rather dull and adds little.

Fred MacMurray, to his credit, is again good in the role of Prof. Brainard. Nancy Olson (Betsy) and Keenan Wynn (Alonzo) are both involved again, while Tommy Kirk (Biff) is shoehorned into a bigger part; not sure why.

Speaking of forced characters, James Westerfield and Forrest Lewis again appear in the roles of officers Hanson & Kelly; they were, in my opinion, only funny in 'The Shaggy Dog', which these films evidently share the same universe with.

Surely this sequel needed to be bigger and grander than the earlier film? Instead it practically follows the same path without setting the world alight. Still, I'm intrigued to see where the story goes for the Disney Channel produced sequels - though I'll have to wait to view, given they oddly aren't on the studio's streaming service or anywhere else.

Overall, this isn't worthy of a watch.

Great Fun

[ludi1us · 10/10 · 12 January 2009]

I love This Movie I don't take it too seriously. I just think it is great fun! I think it is just as good as absent minded professor in it's own way. .Flubber becomes a victim of "national security" and our hero Ned Brainerd (MacMurray) returns home empty handed from our nation's capital to find creditors threatening to cancel his newspaper subscription, predators threatening to bulldoze Medfield College, the IRS threatening to ruin his life, and his wife (Nancy Olsen) looking like a million bucks in her new mink coat while holding a check for same for something poor Ned doesn't own anymore and can't sell so that we can all enjoy the wonders of Flubberoleum and can safely drop our children on the floor without the fear of being locked up by Social Services. A very frustrating start to the terrific sequel to Absent Minded Professor, all adding to the friction of MacMurray, who must now invent something entirely new so that he can save Medfield, his home, and his marriage from the slimy advances of Prof. Shelby Ashton (Elliot Reid) and the return of luscious old flame Desiree DE la Roche (Joanna Moore).

All the usual suspects are here from Disney's vast arsenal of character actors to keep us entertained while Ned goes about inventing a weather making glass breaking food growing machine. The Halloween chase scene with Prof. Brainerd terrorizing Shelby Ashton from above with his new rainmaking device is one of the funniest in Disney history. And of course we're treated to another Medfield sports showdown vs. national champs Rutland in a gridiron match up where Flubber becomes the great equalizer. Paul Lynde is absolutely hilarious as the football announcer

The best sequel ever

[theking-51286 · 10/10 · 13 August 2022]

This is a thousand times better than the first film. The age gap between Fred Macmaurray and Nacy Olson no longer matters as they are now married and no longer just dating. Tommy Kirk is fantastic as Biff Hawk, I'm suprised he did not get above the title billing. It does seem strange that the actor playing Humphrey Hacker was a decade older than Kirk. What a shame this was not filmed in colour, I can't imagine watching this film in the original black and white.

Zany DISNEY film

[marquisdeposa · 9/10 · 3 June 2022]

Lots of good performances and cameos. Best is probably Paul Lynde, in his own way stealing the show as the football announcer. And Ed Wynn as the agricultural witness.

Better than The Absent Minded Professor. Supposedly Walt Disney didn't like sequels, but there were so many "left-over" gimmicks froom ABSENT that they made this film.