The Absent Minded Proffessor

History and Review Written By Michael J. Ruhland












Michael's Movie Grade:A-
Year Released: 1961
                                                        History
After the huge success of The Shaggy Dog, it seemed obvious to the Disney studio that it would be a good idea to put Fred MacMurray into more live action Disney comedies. First after The Shaggy Dog would come The Absent Minded Professor.

Like The Shaggy Dog, it was decided early on to make the film in black and white to make the effects more believable.

This film was directed by Robert Stevenson, who had earlier become one of Disney's most reliable live action directors. He had already directed questionably the studios biggest live action hit at this point, Old Yeller. He had also directed Johnny Tremain, Darby O Gill and the Little People, and Kidnapped for the studio. He would go on to direct such hits as Mary Poppins and The Love Bug.

On top of Fred MacMurray returning for this film, James Westfield would also return. Interestingly Westfield would play Officer Hanson, the same character he played in The Shaggy Dog. Also returning was Tommy Kirk, who had been in three Disney films before this (Old Yeller, The Shaggy Dog and Swiss Family Robinson).

This is also the first Disney film to feature a song written by the Sherman Brothers (Richard M. and Robert B.). The Sherman Brothers would write songs for many Disney films. Most famously they would write the songs for The Jungle Book and Mary Poppins. The would also write the song for the It's a Small World Ride at Disneyland.

The Absent Minded Professor was well liked by critics and adored by audiences. It was a huge box office success. So much so that it would be one of the very few Disney movies to have a sequel made while Walt was alive. That sequel would be Son of Flubber and be released in 1963.  The Absent-Minded Professor was nominated for three Oscars, for best cinematography, best art direction and best special effects. Cinematography and art direction went to the film The Hustler, while the best special effects went to The Guns of Nararone. The Disney studio would later remake this film as a made for TV movie in 1988 and then as a theatrical movie, called Flubber, in 1997.
       

                                                                Review

Fantastic slapstick comedy.

The cast in this film is amazing. Fred MacMurray was absolutely prefect for the title role. Keenan Wynn made a great villain. Elliot Reid was very funny as a pretentious English professor. In fact the whole cast was just great.

This film still looks fantastic. The special effects have not dated at all, and Edward Coleman's cinematography is wonderful.

Most of all though this film is quite funny. The satire of government is brilliant. It is smart and remains true today. However this satire is never mean spirited or cynical. It is simply just funny and clever. The slapstick at the dance, the basketball game, and at the Hawk house remains laugh out loud funny.  It is not only well written but wonderfully executed. For pure laughs this is one of Disney's best live action comedies.

Overall this is a great film.

Film Credits
Director: Robert Stevenson
Written by Bill Walsh and Samuel W. Taylor
Cast: Fred MacMurray (Prof. Ned Brainard), Nancy Olson (Betsy Carlisle), Keenan Wynn (Alonzo P. Hawk), Tommy Kirk (Biff Hawk), Leon Ames (President Rufus Daggett), Edward Andrews (Defense Secretary), Ed Wynn (Fire Chief), Elliot Reid (Prof. Shelby Ashton), David Lewis (Gen. Singer), Jack Mullaney (Air Force Captain),Belle Montrose (Mrs. Chatsworth), Wally Brown (Coach Elkins), Wall Boag (Newsman), Forest Lewis (Officer Kelley), James Westerfield (Officer Hanson), Alan Carney (Referee), Charlie Brigs (Sig), Gage Clarke (Reverend Bosworth), Alan Hewitt (General Hotchkiss), Raymond Bailey (Admiral Olmstead), Wendell Holmes (General Poynter), Leon Tyler (Basketball Player), Carroll Adams (Basketball Player), Mike Fryer (Basketball Player), Gordon Martin (Basketball Player), Leon Alton (Wedding Guest), Don Anderson (Cameraman), Bill Baldwin (Reporter), Charlie (Himself), Paul Bradly (Military Person), Paul E. Burns (Taxi Driver), Robert Burton (Sam Wheeler), Ralph Clanton (O.J. Turnbull), Gary Clarke (Boy), Don Dilaway (Secretary), Sam Edwards (Radio Dispatcher), Bess Flowers (Wedding Guest), Paul Frees (Loudspeaker Voice, Air Force Dispatcher), Gordon Jones (Basketball Coach), Harriet E. Gibbon (Wedding Guest), Colin Kennedy (Man), Marlin McKeever (Football Player), Mike McKeever (Football Player), Henry Norell (Assistant Fire Chief), Greg Palmer (Communications Man), Hank Patterson (Fisherman), Maude Prickett (Woman), Tony Regan (Reporter), Jeffrey Sayre (Man), Ray Teal (Man), Arthur Tovey (Man), Carole Wells (Girl), Tom Wilson (Fisherman), Ned Wynn (Boy)

Producer: Walt Disney Associate Producer: Bill Walsh Cinematographer: Edward Colman Music: George Burns Art Director: Carroll Clark Set Decorator: Hal Gausman, Emile Kuri Editor: Cotton Warburton Special Effects: Peter Ellenshaw, Eustace Lycett, Robert A. Mattey, Joshua Meador   Assistant Director: Robert G. Shannon Second Unit Director: Arthur J. Vitarelli Songwriters: Richard and Robert Sherman Resources Used The Disney Films by Leonard Maltin http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0054594/?ref_=rvi_tt http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/66717/The-Absent-Minded-Professor/articles.html http://www.thedisneyfilms.com/search/label/Absent-Minded%20Professor%20%28The%29 -Michael J. Ruhland