The Love Bug is one of my favorite Disney movies. A movie about a car with a mind of it's own, a vw beetle with a heart, how could you not love a movie like that. Among all the great characters are the evil Peter Thorndyke, the beautiful Carole, the down on his luck driver Jim Douglas and the best one of the bunch Buddy Hackett as the wonderfully eccentric Tennessee Steinmetz, Tennessee has a Buddhist soul and does not discount the car as being alive. Love Bug is funny, sad and has scenes that will leave you to tears, you will laugh and shake your head. RIP Buddy wahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
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bkoganbing28 December 2008Many a film has put out the notion that animal pets, dogs and cats etc, have to find the people they are suited for. But until Disney Studios put out The Love Bug, cars definitely did not seek out their owners.
Yet that's what happens when one day racing driver Dean Jones comes into the auto show room of David Tomlinson who usually deals in the most pricey of cars. This little Volkswagen offends his dignity somewhat and Tomlinson abuses it. Jones defends it however.
But what neither of them know, but Jones soon finds out is that this unprepossessing beetle has a mind all its own. And when it wants to the beetle has speed like nothing else.
When Tomlinson finds out what he's lost, he'll stop at nothing to get Herbie back. He's been given a name now, by Buddy Hackett who plays Jones's mechanic. He's the first to really realize how special Herbie is.
I'm willing to bet that those who succeeded Uncle Walt at the Magic Kingdom never realized just what a franchise The Love Bug would prove to be. This and all the succeeding films made lots of money for the studio and Herbie still has plenty of life left in him as his most recent outing a year or so ago with Lindsay Lohan ought to prove.
Herbie's quite the romantic too. He even helps win the heart of Michele Lee for Jones. But this is a Disney film so that's kind of a given.
This first Love Bug movie had a good cast of supporting players who were finding the Disney Studio their employer of last resort. Where else can you see someone like Iris Adrian in a brief, but very funny role as a carhop or Joe E. Ross as a policeman? It's one of the reasons I like the Disney films in general.
The Love Bug set a good standard for the future films. It's got laughs and also plenty of heart and soul. -
SMK-41 May 2000The phrase "they don't make 'em like this any more" has become a bit of a cliche, but in this case it certainly applies.
This minor classic proves that there really was a time in which family entertainment movies were made for the whole family. The performances are excellent, especially David Tomlinson makes a gorgeous comedy villain. However, Dean Jones' play is equally recommendable, as the heroic lead is a much less rewarding role in pictures like this - while Tomlinson can just go for full throttle lovable nastiness, Jones needs to provide just the right dosages of heroism, arrogant charm, etc. to keep his character believable and flawed and likeable. -
kbyerly13 May 2000What if things really do have an inner life? What if the machines we take for granted as being under our control have an essence, a life force, a soul that needs only to be cultivated to be brought out into the open?
Mystic-minded hippie-type Tennessee Steinmetz (Buddy Hackett) argues that this is the case when his roommate, down-on-his-luck race driver Jim Douglas (Dean Jones) acquires a Volkswagen Beetle that frequently refuses to comply with its driver's demands. Tennessee claims that the car is alive, and names it Herbie. Jim doesn't believe this for a second, but that doesn't stop him from using the car's unusual speed to bring success to his previously undistinguished racing career. Meanwhile, Peter Thorndyke (David Tomlinson), the snobbish and hot-tempered owner of the dealership where Douglas bought the car, is having fits over Douglas' inexplicable winning streak. A race driver himself, Thorndyke becomes Jim's (and Herbie's) primary rival, resorting to increasingly sneaky tactics to prevail on the racetrack. Jim believes his own driving skill deserves the credit for his newfound success, but finally comes to believe the truth about Herbie in time for the final climactic race.
By far the funniest and best of Disney's Herbie series, The Love Bug is silly fun that's still smartly written enough to be fun for all ages. The special effects are somewhat dated and primitive, but they suffice. It's not easy to make a car show emotion, but here it's done with surprising effectiveness. It also doesn't hurt that as a car, the VW Bug has a lot of personality to start with. The human actors do well too; Dean Jones makes for a likeable hero, and Michele Lee the love interest. However, the real comic gold comes from Buddy Hackett as the offbeat Tennessee, who in Jim's words is `just in off a flying saucer,' and David Tomlinson as British rival Thorndyke, whose angry outbursts are deliciously over-the-top without crossing the fine line into obnoxious overacting. -
SnoopyStyle1 June 2016Jim Douglas (Dean Jones) is a struggling race car driver. He and his mechanic friend Tennessee Steinmetz (Buddy Hackett) work out of a former fire house in San Francisco. Carole (Michele Lee) works for car dealer Thorndyke. The strange little Volkswagon Beetle takes a liking to Jim and follows him home. He's forced to buy it when Thorndyke threatens to have him arrested. The car has a mind of its own and Jim starts winning with it. Thorndyke wants the car back.
Jim could be nicer especially to Carole and Tennessee in the first half. Once he finally recognizes Herbie, the team is pulled together. It becomes more fun like the big car race. It's a classic Disney live-action joyride. -
ma-cortes3 March 2012Amusing and funny first installment with the ¨Wolkswagen Love Bug¨ racing the tracks . Love Bug's outing in which Herbie is racing in competitions , it is full of pranks and car stunts that are great fun to see . Agreeable Disney's love bug Wolkswagen plenty of action , slapdash , laughs and entertainment . This hilarious Herbie story concerns about The Love Bug falls 'hood-over-wheels' for a classy chassis! . It deals with a down-on-his-luck race car pilot named Jim Douglas (Dean Jones who also plays the role of the hippy in the drive-in scene), who lives in an old run-down fire mansion in San Francisco with his partner , an occasional alcoholic mechanic called Tennessee Steinmetz (Buddy Hackett) . One day, Jim goes to a car seller and surprisingly sees a rare Volkswagon Beetle with a unusual problem, it tends to drive on its own will . Then, Jim and Tennessee who dubbed the car "Herbie" fixed it and now is under control . After that , Jim used Herbie for notorious international races and he was rising to fame and fortune , turning more successful in racing . Later on , Thorndyke (David Tomlinson) wants Herbie back, but Jim refuses and Thorndyke wishes to compete against Jim in the races, then he sabotaged Herbie before a car race so , he can vanquish . As the backdrop in the race scenes is of the Riverside International Raceway . Then, a big race was coming up and Herbie, the Volkswagen Beetle with a mind of its own undergoes the famous international car race called EL Dorado but encountering all sorts of comical obstacles along the way . Jim and Tennessee along with Thorndyke's previous assistant named Carrol Bennet (Michelle Lee) , repaired Herbie before the race . The trio are determined to win Thorndyke in the El Dorado, but he will swindle and trap to make sure that they do not win . Fortunately, the couple of pilots have a sleeve in the form of Herbie , the fantastic car , as they take the magical Wolkswagen Bug with a mind of its own as both of them compete in the notorious race and attempt to beat . So the two rogue pilots (Joe Flynn , David Tomlinson) resort to all manner of cheats , legal or otherwise, to get it and are now attempting to get them back . There is one obstacle however : Herbie . Miraculous Herbie take them for a ride and stumbles into evil hoodlums who pursue through roads and race tracks . As always, Herbie the love bug , is helping the young couple (Dean Jones , Michelle Lee) find romance but encountering all sorts of hilarious problems along the way . Herbie with the number 53 intervenes in the biggest car race and win the Grand Prize , a challenge among top competitors circle the world's most famous racing circuits and quickly slipping in the ranking.
This delightful Disney comedy displays great loads of amusement , fantastic race cars , slapstick , fun , giggles , chases are great fun to watch and being pretty entertaining . It's an enjoyable movie for kids and for those who enjoy cars racing round and round and bounds and leaps carried out by Herbie . Herbie The Love Bug was a 1963 Volkswagen Beetle deluxe ragtop sedan painted in Volkswagen L87 pearl white. Under normal circumstances, the interior would be a matching white. However, Herbie's interior was painted a special non-reflective grey color so the camera and studio lights would not reflect . The actors seem to enjoy immensely , as Dean Jones and Buddy Hackett play of sympathetic manner and the mean-spirited villains performed by David Tomlinson Joe Flynn are top notch. Colorful cinematography by Edward Colman and jolly soundtrack by George Bruns including the lively leitmotif , usual in the Herbie's series. This is a delightful film , this original entry is followed by ¨ Herbie rides again (1974)¨ also by Robert Stevenson and starred by Ken Berry , Stefanie Powers and Helen Hayes ; it's followed by ¨Herbie goes to Montecarlo¨ with Dean Jones , Don Knotts and Julie Sommers ; followed by ¨Herbie goes bananas¨ (1980 , or Herbie Torero) by Vincent McEveety starred by Charles Martin Smith and Cloris Leachman , among others and a 1997-for-television-movie with Bruce Campbell and John Hanna and a TV series , the most part filmed by Stevenson and Vincent McEveety and usually starred by Dean Jones . Furthermore recent version starred by Linsay Lohan , Justin Long and Matt Dillon , being directed by Angela Robinson. This first version " Love Bug ¨ results to be the best version , it is amusing story with lots of laughs but is a familiar film . The motion picture is correctly directed by Robert Stevenson . He's an usual craftsman from Disney productions who achieved for the famous company its greatest successes such as ¨Mary Poppins¨ , ¨Bednobs and broomsticks , ¨Gnome-mobile¨, ¨Herbie rides again¨ , ¨Absent-minded professor¨, ¨Son of Flubber¨, ¨Shaggy DA¨ , ¨That darn cat¨ , ¨One of our dinosaurs is missing¨ and many others . Rating : Acceptable , 6,5 , worthwhile watching . Amusing and engaging film with effective combination of primitive special effects , live action , adventure , fantasy and humor . The children will get a kick out of this typical Disney film ,it's a great fun to watch and there are loads of entertainment in this one . It' one of the best and funniest of ¨Herbie¨ series -
burkhart-31 November 2000OK, this movie isn't high art. It's a silly comedy for kids or families. But if that's what you're looking for then this is a good one. Some of the performances are goofy, some of the images are goofy, but hey, there's nothing wrong with enjoying this movie. Just don't take it too seriously (because you can't) and let yourself be a kid for a while.
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Red-Barracuda3 September 2016This little charmer from Disney is in effect a live action cartoon. It was the first film to feature the character Herbie, who of course is none other than the lovable Volkswagen Beetle car who has a mind of its own. The story boils down to Herbie finding himself between two race drivers, one who is a mediocre driver but with a heart of gold, while the other is far more talented but is an utter cad. Unsurprisingly Herbie chooses to be with the former, creating all manner of tensions when the latter tries all manner of underhand tactics to either get the car back or to sabotage it. The film climaxes in a memorable race scene.
Set in and around picturesque San Francisco locations and boasting a nice lush soundtrack, The Love Bug is a fun, good natured romp. It has an amusing performance from David Tomlinson as the baddie, in a role where he chews the scenery at every given opportunity, by the final race he is very much like a live action Dick Dastardly! The other human performer whom I liked was Michele Lee, who plays a character caught between both drivers; she is really lovely here and a radiant presence throughout. But at the end of the day, The Love Bug ultimately belongs to Herbie. He may be a pile of metal but it's easy to go along with the film and believe in him. The final race is a fitting end to things where Herbie and the gang give it that little bit extra and get us over the line with a smile. On the whole, very likable stuff. -
tvnutt22 December 2004This is a true Disney Classic, in fact Walt Disney had a hand in developing the story but, sad to say, never lived to see it hit the big screen. In the film, we learn rather quickly that race car driver Jim Douglas(Dean Jones) has hit rock bottom after being a prominent race car driver(what caused his demise? it's not explained but it appears that he got into quite a few bang ups). He lives with a Buddhist named Tennessee Steinmetz(Buddy Hackett)who finds a soul in everything.
Jim soon looks for a new car and comes across a fancy dealership, only to be embarrassed by the owner Peter Thorndyke(David Tomlinson) who refuses Jim's $80 offer for a gorgeous race car. While in the showroom, a VW rolls in that was supposed to be scrapped. As Thorndyke berates the little car, Jim sticks up for it and soon the car thinks it has a friend and follows Jim home. To avoid being blamed for stealing the car, Jim agrees to buy it from Thorndyke but the car acts up. Jim is about to return it when he's caught in a drag race because someone makes fun of the VW. Herbie blows the competition away and Jim falls in love with the car's speed, but Tennessee knows it has heart and names it Herbie.
Soon Jim, Herbie and Tennessee are winning races and Jim's ego inflates while Thorndyke's temper grows since he too races and loses every time to Herbie. Thorndyke decides to sabotage the little car and when he succeeds, Jim turns his back on Herbie. Once Jim realizes HE hasn't being winning the races he tries to find Herbie who has since run off. Herbie gets impounded after an accident and Jim must sell him to a Chinese man who agrees to let Jim drive Herbie in a big race. If Jim wins, he gets to buy Herbie back for a buck. Needless to say, Thorndyke once again sabotages Herbie,but hey, this is Disney. Who do YOU think wins out at the end?
I had to give this movie a 10 because it has so much going for it. Comedy, some drama, romance. We know very little about Jim Douglas except when Tennessee describes him as down on his luck, angry, and one who was prone to getting into trouble. Jones did an excellent job as the cocky, angry, egotistical driver who is knocked down a few pegs by his friends and a little car. The character mirrored Jones back then, who admits in his biography that he was a dirt bike racing nut prone to losing his temper quite a bit and having an affinity for women other than his wife. Michelle Lee is grand but we don't see much of her and Hackett plays the sincere bit amazingly well especially when he tells Jim that he was nothing without Herbie. For comedic relief David Tomlinson was terrific as was his assistant Havershaw(Joe Flynn of McHale's Navy fame).
Yes there are some over the top, goofy and somewhat embarrassing sight gags and a few interesting moments(i.e. Carol thinking Jim has ulterior motives when Herbie brings them to a make-out point, i.e. when Herbie tries to kill itself, and when Jim finally admits to Carol that he's just a bum), but the film has heart, like Herbie. The film had three more sequels, a five part TV miniseries, a re-make in 1998(or so) and there's a new film coming out. Jones only did Love Bug, Monte Carlo(film 3), the miniseries and made a pathetic appearance in the 1998 film. In each one, Jones was still down on his luck but nothing like the sad figure he portrayed in Love Bug. Great classic film, filled with 60's nostalgia. -
wes-connors16 January 2012Disney gives no death or injury count for the opening credits, but San Francisco race-car driver Dean Jones (as Jim Douglas) emerges with only a scratch. Totally wiped-out and looking for a new car, Mr. Jones is attracted to the legs of mini-skirted Michele Lee (as Carole Bennett). She works for car dealer and racing rival David Tomlinson (as Peter Thorndike), who treats a shiny white 1963 Volkswagen Beetle badly. Jones defends the VW and the car literally follows him home. It tries to match him up with Ms. Lee, after the two don't hit it off as expected. Jones' Buddhist mechanic Buddy Hackett (as Tennessee Steinmetz) names the car "Herbie" after his uncle. Jones takes the car on the racing circuit, ending in a big finish. This occasionally idiotic but often amusing film made driving in a VW more fun. "Herbie" and the setting make it hum.
****** The Love Bug (12/24/68) Robert Stevenson ~ Dean Jones, Michele Lee, Buddy Hackett, David Tomlinson -
atleverton30 September 2023This is one of those films that I am sure I watched when I was a child, and I'm sure that I enjoyed it. But upon rewatching it an adult, it is problematic. It's problematic thematically, and it's also problematic in terms of the casual racism and dated humour. There are a couple of scenes that are digs against the counterculture movement, which makes sense because the film was released in 1968, but they don't really hold up today. It would be like somebody complaining about Millennials in a movie and then having that movie be watched 40 years later and people would have no idea what you're talking about. Obviously, we know what hippies are, but the way that they make fun of hippies is very specific to that moment in time. The Casual racism involves Chinese characters speaking with bad English accents, but it is slightly subverted when one of them turns around and speaks perfect English, although that character is portrayed as the wise old Asian man stereotype. And his hair has been dyed a very odd shade of gray, so it is obvious that he is not an old man. That's another problem with this movie is that it's quite obvious that a lot of the background scenery was done by backdrops, so there are a few outdoor shots which were done on location, most notably the racing, but when there are scenes inside of San Francisco you can really tell that the background is painted. That kind of distracts some modern audiences, I would say. But the biggest problem about the film which I mentioned earlier is thematically. It ends up being a film about a guy who is not very talented taking advantage of a sentient being to be successful. And in the end, is willing to give up his dreams to save his friend, and his friend ends up sort of dying anyway, although that death is played for laughs and obviously the character doesn't really die as there are four sequels. When I remembered this film I thought that it was one of the better live action films from the 1960s from the Walt Disney Studios but there are better ones, just the most popular.
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TheLittleSongbird9 December 2010I was surprised at how much I enjoyed The Love Bug. It is such good fun, and I do agree that it is by far and away the best movie of the series. The story is simple but well structured and interesting and the dialogue has its fair share of very funny and somewhat poignant moments. The photography is nice to look at, the direction is on target, the pacing is snappy and the soundtrack is lovely. The entire cast from Buddy Hackett, Dean Jones, Joe Flynn and Michelle Lee is very strong, but at the end of the day Herbie is the one who steals the show, quite cute and endearing for a car Herbie is. All in all, while not the best of the live-action Disney movies being a touch too long, it is thoroughly enjoyable and I can see completely why people love it. 9/10 Bethany Cox
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lisafordeay13 May 2023The Love Bug is a 1968 sportz comedy starring Dean Jones,Michele Lee,David Tomlinson and Buddy Hackett.
The story is about a man named Jim Douglas(Jones) a down-on-his-luck race car driver who lives in an old run-down fire house in San Francisco with his friend Tennessee Steinmetz(Hackett from The Little Mermaid), a mechanic who drinks occasionally.
Things take turn for Jim when he decides to go to a luxury car dealer and sees a mysterious Volkswagen Beetle with just one problem: it tends to drive on its own, as if by magic.
At first Jim believes that the owner of the car dealership, Peter Thorndyke(Tomlinson from Mary Poppins), is playing a trick on him as the car followed Jim home.
Jim decides to try out the car (now dubbed Herbie)and he even tries out the racing tournament again with his girlfriend Carole Bennett(Lee) and Tennessee.
However when Thorndyke wants to get Herbie back, he decides to race against Jim. Will Jim win the race?
Overall I thought it was a good flick(as it ended up getting 3 more movies and a reboot with Lindsay Lohan in 2005 called Herbie Fully Loaded). -
Sorry to sound like Scrooge, but after seeing these films once again in the late '90s, I did not particularly enjoy this late '60s Disney movie favorite, nor its sequels. I watched them when they came out and was mildly amused at that time, but these Herbie flicks did not age well. I can understand why they did a remake recently.
I know it's a fantasy, but it just looks now so stupid it's almost beyond description. In a nutshell, we have a 40-horsepower VW bug that wins auto races because it's "alive," complete with a personality and - get this - a soul! Meanwhile, the driver of the race car (Dean Jones as the annoying "Jim Douglas") thinks he's responsible for the race victories. Well, at least that made sense. The film turns out to be a propaganda piece for Buddhism!! I kid you not!
In fairness, Disney and other studios who have done animation have always made inanimate objects human-like and many times we laugh at that, myself included. So, I'm not really making fun of the premise but it just looks and sounds so dated 40 years later, especially the San Francisco hippie scenes.
"Herbie," by the way, was a likable "guy." It was good to see Benson Fong (Charlie Chan films) again, and Joe E. Ross (Bilko, Car 54, Where Are You?) and even goofy Buddy Hackett as "Tennessee Steinmetz." I always found it a shame, though, that humorous stand-up comics like Hackett and Don Rickles played so many stupid roles in these '60s films. -
vchimpanzee3 February 2003Dean Jones plays a race car driver who meets a pretty young woman (Michelle Lee) he sees working in the window at a fancy car dealership. He pretends to be interested in a car, but the dealer has nothing he can afford. Well, actually, that's not true. There is one little Volkswagen Beetle that was purchased by a woman who also bought a Bentley. She bought it for her maid but brought it back because the car misbehaved. Jones isn't interested in the car, but it follows him home. Cops show up at his place accusing him of stealing the car, which of course he didn't. Jones blames the sleazy car dealer for this, and for the strange behavior the car exhibits when he tries to drive it. The car has a mind of its own, and its special qualities make it good for racing. A romance develops between Jones and Lee when Lee tries to convince Jones the car is normal but soon finds out the truth. Lee can't stand Jones at first, of course.
Eventually Jones decides to keep the car and race it, but the car dealer wants in on the action, offering to buy this special car. Jones won't sell to him, but he eventually sells to a Mr. Wu (some people may be offended by stereotypical portrayals of Chinese people, and Wu starts out as a stereotype but later seems quite sophisticated). The car dealer tries his best to keep Herbie from being a success.
Jones and Lee did well in their parts but they seemed like they were acting. Buddy Hackett was quite good as an artist who creates works out of car parts and later served as Jones' crew. Hackett named the car Herbie because it reminded him of his uncle. And the actor playing the car dealer was delightfully evil. The special effects were amazing for the era in which the movie was made. It really looked like the car could do some amazing things. And of course the car seemed to have a personality, one that made us like it. The racing scenes were quite well done, and it's hard to believe there were not more wrecks. Maybe the cars were filmed at slower speeds than what we saw. While quite funny, the movie also had its tender moments and could even be sad: Herbie tried to jump off the Golden Gate Bridge, for example. I didn't really see anything to concern parents, though maybe it was a little violent for the littlest ones. -
jhhalcomb07181 January 2020My final movie of 2019.. needed something funny and light... everything this year has not been. Hopefully, 2020 can fall in our favor!
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cricketbat28 December 2018The Love Bug is cute, but it should have been about 20 minutes shorter. There is a lot of unnecessary filler in this movie, and it makes the whole thing drag. And while it does have a fun concept and cool special effects (for the time), how did this film spawn a franchise?
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maddiebuggie27 April 2020I didn't know anything about this story going into to it. It was one of the movies that I father asked if I had seen and I told him no that I haven't. So me and my dad sat down together and watch the movie together. I liked all the race that was happening. The storyline and plot was average at best. The part I liked the best was that herbit was like alive in a sense. That made the story differnce then other stories I have watched. The character development in this story was pretty good. I liked that his friend was a mechanic and a car lover. This movies wasn't the boring. I was entertained while watching the whole movie. I recommend this movie to everyone. It good for all ages.
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jboothmillard17 December 2010I had seen the modern Lindsay Lohan/Michael Keaton remake of the classic collection of films about the living car, Herbie: Fully Loaded, and it was right I should see the first of the old ones, from director Robert Stevenson (Mary Poppins, Bedknobs and Broomsticks). Basically down on his luck racing car driver Jim Douglas (Dean Jones) and his friend, occasionally drunk mechanic Tennessee Steinmetz (The Little Mermaid's Buddy Hackett), live together in an old run down fire house. One day Jim goes to a luxury car dealership and wants something in a rather low price range, but mean dealer Peter Thorndyke (Mary Poppins' David Tomlinson) has no interest in helping him. Then Jim spots a strange car, an old Vauxwagen Beetle, and after managing to take it away with him, it proves to be an unusual car, it has a mind of its own driving where it wants to. He believes Thorndyke planted the car on purpose, but dealer assistant Carole Bennett (Michele Lee) proves the car is a good purchase, only to discover the car is living as well, and Jim has found a love interest. After being fixed up Jim, and given the name "Herbie" by Tennessee, the car is more controlled by its driver, and with a high speed they start racing to be champions, against Thorndyke, who wants the car back. After Thorndyke sabotages one race to win, the big race called the "El Dorado" is on the way, and there is a point when you wonder if Herbie will go to it, but after the apologies, he does. So the two lap gets started, with Thorndyke seeming to cheat his way to the lead, but Jim, Carole and Tennessee in Herbie manage to catch up and eventually win the race. Also starring Joe Flynn as Havershaw, Benson Fong as Mr. Wu, Andy Granatelli as Association President and Joe E. Ross as Detective. The car doesn't have as much personality as perhaps the remake version does, Tomlinson makes a reasonably mean villain, like a live version Dick Dastardly, and the jokes are alright, it is something the family will enjoy, an alright comedy. It was number 94 on The 100 Greatest Family Films. Good!
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LuisaGallo2 July 2005After you've watched The Love Bug, you will notice 2 things:
1) You will not be able to get that infectious calypso tune out of your head for at least a week and will be whistling it everywhere you go!
2) You will want to rush out and hug the nearest VW Beetle! And when you see one, you will no longer just see a car - you will see Herbie! You will see Herbie's personality spring to life right in front of you! You will see the headlamps as eyes and the wing mirrors as ears...
This lovely film is a timeless classic, packed with cute moments, great music, and fantastically funny lines !! Script-wise, it is definitely the best of all the Herbie movies. One criticism I have of the later movies is that I would like to have seen Herbie stay with his original owner Jim Douglas, and follow his adventures with that family rather than see him owned by lots of different people - partly because Jim, Tennessee and Carol are great owners for Herbie, but also because how does the poor little car feel being passed from owner to owner?! If Herbie was mine I would keep him and never sell him!! -
thehappychuckler26 February 2020Dean Jones plays race driver Jim Douglas who just wants to race. Jones visits a car agency run by the super snooty Peter Thorndyke (David Tomlinson) and first meets Carole Bennett (Michele Lee), but soon after meets a Volkswagen Beetle. He ends up owning it, but quickly finds its got a mind of its own. Buddy Hackett plays his total goofball buddy Tennessee Steinmetz who ends up naming the car Herbie. Jones and Thorndyke become racing rivals until the final showdown at a race called the El Dorado. The final race is funny and cartoon-like, which is perfect for Disney (or what they were back in the late 60s anyways).
I remember as a kid I LOVED the Herbie movies and after revisiting the original I think the kids should really enjoy it. There are also are enough adult things going on that the parents might enjoy it, too. One thing though is at times the film is very 1969 and that may work well or hamper the film depending on how you view the film. There are also some very nice locations shots putting you in San Francisco in the late 60s, but there is a lot of green screening at work though which may take you out of the action of the scene.
In the end you have a family film that is really just plain ol' fun. Was a box office smash and lead to five sequels and a short lived TV series. -
"The Love Bug" is a strange little film...and one that seems odd to have spurred on several sequels as well as a 2000s reboot. After all, it's just a 1960s Disney live action picture--and an unassuming one at that.
Dean Jones stars as Jim Douglas---a race car driver who is down on his luck. Little does he know that the tiny VW he's bought has a mind of its own...and loves to race. His nemesis throughout the film is the jerk who sold him the car (David Tomlinson)...and he seems willing to do anything to beat Douglas and his car, Herbie. Michelle Lee and Buddy Hackett are there to lend support.
So is this worth seeing? Perhaps...though it's far from a must-see. My reason for seeing it was that I saw the movie in the theaters when it was released...and I was so young that I barely remember it. So, you could say I saw it for nostalgic reasons. As for the film, it's a one joke concept for a film....which makes all the sequels seem hard to believe. As such, my reaction as an adult was very different from when I was a kid. As a kid, I enjoyed it...as an adult I found it very hard to finish. A genuinely strange film....passable entertainment and nothing more. -
This movie was probably greenlighted by Mr. Walt himself before he passed in 1966, but even if I'm wrong, this is such a great classic, one that I'm sure he would have been proud to have his name on.
I love ANY film that takes place in San Francisco simply because it, like the little car in this movie, has a ton of personality to it. Simply because it takes place on it, the wacky "suicide attempt" scene on the Golden Gate bridge is one of my personal favorites in the picture.
Storywise, Dean Jones stars as Jim Douglas, a depressed and washed-up racing driver. In a posh automobile shop owned by Peter Thorndyke (David Tomlinson is wickedly funny!!!) Douglas meets "Herbie", a white Volkswagen that was returned that day by a lady who was having "problems" with it. Thorndyke kicks the little car viciously, and when Douglas stands up for the VW, the little car decides that it wants Douglas for its owner.
It's true, you don't get a concrete explanation why Herbie is "alive" with "a mind of his own". The closest thing you get is Eastern philosophy from Douglas's friend and racing assistant, Tennessee Steinmetz (the lovable Buddy Hackett) a Jewish man who learned, while on a trip to Tibet that life is everywhere, even in mechanical objects like traffic lights and cars.
When Douglas discovers that Herbie not only has a few "problems" that a little adjusting can fix, but that the car is capable of amazing speeds, he re-enters auto racing and is soon collecting trophies and prizes.
Douglas has yet to learn, from Tennessee, his new friend Carole (Michelle Lee) and from Herbie himself, that in the quest for validation in life, some people are capable of selfishness and stepping on others' feelings. The somewhat arrogant Douglas refuses to believe that Herbie is a living thing, that "it" is only a car, and that "it" can be replaced...especially if it fails to perform to standard. Walter Pidgeon's character in BIG RED was similar. Once Red didn't win a dog show, the guy sold him.
When Herbie destroys a gorgeous candy-apple red Lamborghini within minutes of Douglas bringing it home, the human finally understands what is going on, and goes through a huge transformation with Herbie.
Yes, yes, it's a comedy. I know. It's loads of fun and Tomlinson has the best lines of all. Even hearing him scream, "HAVERSHAW!!!" is a joy, as well as seeing Herbie "poop" and "pee" on him in retaliation for his dirty tricks! A true comedy classic. -
mark.waltz5 February 2022This film hits all the right marks during the first three quarters, but then turns very dark and unpleasant thanks due to the actions of the villainous character played by David Tomlinson. He's the former employer of Michelle Lee who is resentful of the fact that the Volkswagen bug that she sold to race car driver Dean Jones appears to have some sort of magical power and can basically operate itself. Jones and Tomlinson don't hit it off from the start when Jones witnesses Tomlinson abusing the future "Herbie" which has been returned by its previous owner. Simply wanting it off the display floor, the pretentious Tomlinson then turns around and accuses Jones of stealing it when it ends up outside Jones' home which he shares with Brent Buddy Hackett.
Tomlinson is not easy to deal with, and becomes worse as the film goes on and as Herbie ends up becoming a successful racing car, given the number of 53, Tomlinson's determination to destroy it increases. He ends up becoming a race car driver himself, but you can't beat Herbie, and even the evil Tomlinson begins to realize that the car is out to destroy him as much as he was out to destroy Herbie. After a while, Tomlinson is even worse than cartoon villains Snidely Whiplash, Boris Badenov and Dick Dastardly, to the point where I just couldn't stand looking at him anymore.
In the films behalf, there are a lot of funny moments involving Herbie's antics, whether constantly spraying oil on him or covering him in whipped cream and Irish coffee (after Tomlinson basically got Herbie drunk) or how it deals with various issues on the road, during races, and basically traveling the Streets of San Francisco. Jones and Lee are a great romantic couple, and Hackett doesn't overdo it in the over-the-top comic department. Lots of familiar faces pop up in little bits, some which are very funny, others not so much. Other than the visual comedy, there's not really much in this to appeal to children, as a lot of the subplots are rather adult in nature, and even the adults will find it bizarre. My favorite of the Herbie franchise is the 1974 entry, "Herbie Rides Again", but for the most part, the initial film in the series just doesn't hold up as it did when it first came out. The later follow-ups, the less said, the better. -
moonspinner5524 January 2016Box-office hit for the Disney Company gets mileage of out its slapstick, but is hampered by a screenplay running on empty. Dean Jones is a faded race car driver now working the stock car circuit who purchases a VW Bug with a mind of its own (when it initially prods Jones' leg at the dealership, one senses it may be flirting with him). Christened "Herbie", Jones and welder-pal Buddy Hackett race their discovery at all the major tracks, infuriating the Bug's original owner, a snippy antique car dealer who also races (and isn't above dirty tricks when he loses). Writers Bill Walsh and Don DaGradi, working from a treatment by Gordon Buford, give us a formula villain (David Tomlinson, acting the nefarious windbag) before turning hero Jones into a heel as well (and, along with Joe Flynn as Tomlinson's flunky, it's too many heels for one picture). When does Jones realize Herbie has the emotions of a human? There's no awe in the magical circumstance, only frustration. Hackett appears to be simpatico with the Bug--but there's no moment there, either, when Hackett realizes what the car is capable of (his character is designed to be 'nutty' for a laugh). Walsh and DaGradi push ahead with their formula without building a strong story; the team also (perhaps shrewdly) exploits the notion that Herbie has personality in order to tug at our heartstrings. Some of the special effects are amusing, but the back-projection and stock footage are sloppy, the sound quality is uneven (typical for Disney movies of this era) and the performances are variable. Followed by a handful of sequels, beginning with "Herbie Rides Again" in 1974. ** from ****