Dear Readers: A few weeks ago, when I was browsing the special features on the “Love Bug Special DVD Edition,” I came across a two-minute feature that showed clips and production stills of 1965 live action Disney movies. And I was surprised to see how many live action Disney films I had not even heard or. Some aren’t even on DVD. It was then that I got the idea to see as many classic live action Disney movies I could find. I am deeply aware of the countless films that people haven’t heard of which is why for the next couple weeks -with a helping hand from Netflix, Amazon, B&B, as well as my local library- I will be reviewing mainly Disney classics from yesteryear.
The first of these is “The Absent-Minded Professor,” a black-and-white 1961 special effects romp based on the short story "A Situation of Gravity" by Samuel W. Taylor. A lively star-studded cast including Fred Mac Murray, Nancy Olsen, Keenan Wynn and his father Ed Wynn, Tommy Kirk, Leon Ames, Elliot Reid, and Edward Andrews. Fred Mac Murray portrays a work-a-holic professor who invented a rubbery anti-gravity substance he names Flubber.
One thing I would like to get straight is the common misconception that this film and others like it are "kiddie" films and therefore many grown-ups and older children are careful to stay away from such films. To set the record straight, these films have everything that good "non-kiddie" film has: wit, spark, good acting, clever plots, and so on. They are just cleaner. “Flubber” is a film anybody can see: family, friends, toddlers, adults, and it isn't a film that everyone can see better than a film that is restricted to a limited audience.
With clever puns and marvelous directing, this comedy sparkles with wit and ingenuity and side-splitting hilarity. A film that includes sneaky government officials, flying Model-Ts, and, more so, is a timeless and original, it is a real classic!
Copyright 2011 by Robert Steven Mack (all rights reserved!)
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