(Today’s retrospective
is dedicated to Disney Legend Tommy Kirk (1941-2021), who starred in numerous
hit projects for Disney including 1957’s Old Yeller, where he directly
participated in one of cinema’s most devastating sequences, and 1959’s The
Shaggy Dog, in which he played the young inventor who transformed into the
titular character. He also appeared in two of the films that we’ll be covering
today, where he played the son of one of Disney’s most notable recurring
antagonists of the ’60s. Rest in Peace, Mr. Kirk.)
Today’s Disney Retrospective is going to be a little
different than most of the ones that I’ve done so far since I’m not necessarily
focusing on a single franchise. Instead, we’ll be looking at a bunch of films
that share one thing in common, their setting. In the ’60s and ’70s, several
live-action Disney films were set at the fictional Medfield College, which was
named after a town in Massachusetts where several friends of Walt Disney lived.
Many historians have noted that Walt visited them frequently and often used to
land one of his planes on their property on a private airstrip that is
partially still around today. So then, what films will we be looking at today
if I’m not doing a single franchise? Well, there are two main series of Disney
films that took place at Medfield College. The first of them follows the exploits
of a well-meaning but forgetful science professor who creates an incredibly
rubbery substance that he calls ‘Flubber’. There were two films made in the
’60s about this character and the original film would end up getting remade in
the ’90s, resulting in a film that I’m sure many folks of my generation are decently
familiar with. The other series of films is a trilogy (plus a 1995 made-for-TV
remake of the first film) that centered around a student at Medfield named
Dexter Riley, notably played by Kurt Russell, who tries to help keep the
college from falling into financial ruin via various inventions that end up
affecting him in unique ways. In fact, every single film that we’re about to
discuss in today’s retrospective consists of a plot where the main characters
try to help the college get out of debt, so I apologize in advance if it seems
like I’m starting to repeat myself at times. Thus, without further ado, it’s
time to head back to school, Disney style, as we look at the seven Disney films
that were set at Medfield College. This is the Medfield College Anthology.
Also, just a quick
disclaimer before we begin. While the following 7 titles were the only Disney
films that were specifically set at Medfield College, another Disney film,
1976’s The Shaggy D.A., is set in the town of Medfield, which means that
it’s technically set in the same location. However, since that film doesn’t
feature the college at any point, I won’t be looking at it today.
ACT 1 – THE FLUBBER SAGA
THE ABSENT-MINDED PROFESSOR (1961)
We begin today’s
retrospective with one of Disney’s earliest live-action hits, The
Absent-Minded Professor, which was based on a 1942 short story titled A
Situation of Gravity by Samuel W. Taylor as well as being partially
inspired by Hubert Alyea, a chemistry professor at Princeton University who was
known for his explosive (figuratively AND literally) science demonstrations. It was one
of many classic live-action Disney films directed by Robert Stevenson, whose
work with the company includes the likes of 1968’s The Love Bug
and, of course, the one and only Mary
Poppins. With a pedigree like that, it shouldn’t come as that big of a
surprise that this film is another well-made family-friendly Disney comedy that
features plenty of entertaining sequences that fully capitalize on the concept
of a miraculous rubber substance that can defy gravity, such as the famous
scene where the main protagonist, Professor Ned Brainard, uses it to help
Medfield’s struggling basketball team. Fred MacMurray headlines the film nicely
as Professor Brainard as does Nancy Olson as Brainard’s fiancé Betsy Carlisle,
who he, unfortunately, keeps forgetting to get married to. This is also notably
the first appearance of a recurring Disney villain, Keenan Wynn’s greedy land
developer Alonzo Hawk, who would go on to appear in this film’s sequel and the
previously reviewed Herbie sequel, Herbie Rides Again. In short,
despite the usual ‘dated politics’ that are often seen in an older film like
this and the fact that it gets a bit meandering near the end despite a modest
97-minute runtime, The Absent-Minded Professor is another indisputable
classic of Disney’s early forays into live-action films.
Rating: 4/5
SON OF FLUBBER (1963)
Thanks to the
success of the original Absent-Minded Professor, a sequel was announced
not long after its release, thus making it one of the first major Disney films
to get a sequel. Really, though, the fact that this occurred at all is quite
fascinating given that this was back when Walt Disney was still alive. As
anyone well-versed in Disney history will surely point out, Walt wasn’t
too keen on the idea of sequels, famously quoting that “you can’t top pigs with
pigs” in response to the idea of doing follow-ups to the studio’s iconic Three
Little Pigs short. And to be fair to Walt’s stance on the matter, Son of
Flubber does often come off as one of those sequels that, for the most
part, simply rehashes a lot of the same beats as its predecessor. You’ve got
Professor Brainard’s various experiments and the wacky antics that ensue, a
scene where he pranks his romantic rival with said experiments and a major
sporting event where Medfield’s group of underdogs use them to beat their physically
superior rivals from Rutland (only here it’s during a football game instead of
a basketball game). There are also a few plotlines that are very much in line
with what some sequels end up falling victim to by undoing elements of the
previous film’s happy ending, such as a love triangle subplot involving an old
flame of Professor Brainard’s that ultimately goes nowhere. But for what it’s
worth, Son of Flubber still manages to be another enjoyable comedic romp
thanks in large part to the return of all the major cast and crew members from
the first film, from director Robert Stevenson to stars Fred MacMurray, Nancy
Olson, Keenan Wynn, and Tommy Kirk. Thus, while it’s very much a sequel that’s
not as good as its predecessor, there’s still just enough of all the things
that made The Absent-Minded Professor an enduring staple of Disney’s
live-action catalog to make this a worthwhile watch.
Rating: 3/5
(Now, before we continue, I just want to note
that there are technically two other Absent-Minded Professor films that
served as pseudo-sequels to the original. These two made-for-TV films starred
Harry Anderson of Night Court fame as Professor Henry Crawford,
the late Professor Brainard’s successor as Medfield College’s chemistry
professor who rediscovers Brainard’s lost formula for flubber. However, due to issues
regarding the availability of these films, I won’t be covering either of them
today. While the 1988 Absent-Minded Professor film can currently be
found on YouTube, the same can’t be said for its 1989 follow-up, The
Absent-Minded Professor: Trading Places. At the time of this
retrospective’s publication, I cannot find it anywhere online, and to be
perfectly blunt, I personally feel that attempting to find it would be too
daunting of a process for the sole purpose of covering it here.)
FLUBBER (1997)
Just one year after
he wrote and produced the live-action remake of 101 Dalmatians, John
Hughes tackled a different Disney remake with the remake of The
Absent-Minded Professor, Flubber. It was also notably the second time
that he had collaborated with director Les Mayfield, who had previously helmed
a different Hughes-penned remake, 1994’s Miracle on 34th Street.
Overall, Flubber is a lot like the 101 Dalmatians remake in that
it generally maintains all the main story beats from the original; missed
weddings, flying cars, a big basketball game, etc. Likewise, any changes that
are made to Bill Walsh’s original script, outside of making this film’s version
of Flubber a sentient substance, mostly come in the form of aesthetic
differences that are in line with the remake’s more modern setting. For
example, instead of a loyal canine companion, this film’s Professor Brainard is
accompanied by a flying robot assistant named Weebo (notably voiced by The
Little Mermaid herself, Jodi Benson). However, despite doing quite well at
the box office, where it earned over $178 million worldwide ($93 million of
that domestically), Flubber didn’t exactly do well with critics. And for
the most part, this stems from something that I mentioned a few months ago when
I reviewed the 101 Dalmatians remake in that this was during a time when
John Hughes’ work underwent a considerably noticeable tonal shift. In other
words, whereas Hughes had made his mark on the industry with his sharply
written (and often edgy) comedies, his 90’s films were known more for their
juvenile slapstick humor, and Flubber is undoubtedly a prime example of
that with pratfalls and head smacks galore.
And yet, even with
that in mind, I still find this to be an enjoyable watch. Now, full disclosure,
I will fully admit that what I just said is largely stemming from the fact that
this is an incredibly nostalgic film for me as I watched it repeatedly growing
up (and before you ask, I also watched the original a couple times on VHS when
I was younger). That said, though, I also recognize WHY this one didn’t
fly well with everyone (no pun intended), such as the argument that Robin
Williams may not have been the best choice for the lead role since Professor
Brainard isn’t exactly the most likable protagonist. And yet, Williams still manages
to find some opportunities to display his comedic talents and all-around
earnest persona (even in a role like this that, to be fair, wasn’t that much
different from its 1961 counterpart) because… well, he was just that good.
Regardless of the quality of the films that he was in, Williams’ talent was
always able to shine through and serves as a keen reminder of why he continues
to be missed to this day. In short, if you’re willing to ignore some of the
weird narrative updates that Hughes makes to this story (e.g. the subplot
involving Weebo’s romantic feelings towards Brainard) and a couple instances of
incredibly dated 90’s CGI, Flubber is a relatively harmless remake of The
Absent-Minded Professor. The original is still the better film at the end
of the day, but to be perfectly frank, I can’t bring myself to be too hard on what
was very much a childhood favorite of mine.
Rating: 3.5/5
ACT 2 – THE DEXTER RILEY TRILOGY
THE COMPUTER WORE TENNIS SHOES (1969)
We now move on from
the antics of Professor Brainard to the adventures of Medfield student Dexter
Riley, originally played by Kurt Russell who, for those who are unaware, mainly
got his start in the business as a prominent male lead for Disney in the ’60s
and ’70s. As for the first installment of what is called the Dexter Riley trilogy,
1969’s The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes, it very much establishes the key
recurring beats that would define these three films. Each installment revolves
around an incident in which Dexter gains incredible powers from the latest
Medfield experiment as he works with Medfield’s bumbling Dean Higgins (Joe
Flynn) to help win money for their financially struggling school while dealing
with the threat of corrupt businessman A.J. Arno (Cesar Romero), who also wants
to capitalize on Dexter’s newfound abilities. In this first film, an electric
shock that Dexter sustains while working on Medfield’s newly acquired computer ends
up turning him into a walking supercomputer, and while this ultimately results in
a largely by-the-numbers plot, this is still a solidly entertaining family
flick that’s fully bolstered by the series’ three main leads. Even in the early
stages of his career, Kurt Russell successfully showcased the strongly
charismatic screen presence that would end up defining him as an actor. Joe
Flynn, meanwhile, provides solid comedic relief as Dean Higgins while Cesar
Romero is enjoyably over the top as main antagonist A.J. Arno. As such, while it’s
admittedly a rather average outing as far as Disney’s live-action filmography is
concerned, The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes does succeed in being a
pleasantly easygoing crowd-pleaser.
Rating: 3.5/5
NOW YOU SEE HIM, NOW YOU DON’T (1972)
The lead trio of
Kurt Russell, Joe Flynn, and Cesar Romero all returned for a follow-up in 1972,
Now You See Him, Now You Don’t. The film also saw the return of the original’s
director, Robert Butler, a veteran director of television who has notably helmed
the pilot episodes of several classic shows such as Batman with Adam West
(and, of course, Cesar Romero) and the original pilot for Star Trek that
featured Jeffrey Hunter’s Christopher Pike rather than William Shatner’s James
T. Kirk. In this film, Dexter and his friends come up with a special formula that
can turn them invisible. This results in what is quite frankly the most
entertaining premise of the entire trilogy, especially since this film does a better
job than its predecessor did when it comes to capitalizing on the potential of
its premise with plenty of fun invisibility-related set pieces such as the one
where Dexter helps Dean Higgins win a game of golf. And while some of the film’s
invisibility effects have obviously dated quite a bit, the whole film, in
general, is better-paced and a lot more consistently humorous than the first
film was. All this helps it to overcome another straightforward plot that,
dare I say, kind of feels like it straight-up ignores the events of the previous
film at times. In other words, there’s not a single mention of everything that
Dexter went through in the first film, including the fact that A.J. Arno tried
to have him killed (which, as you might have guessed, is not brought up at all once
Arno makes his first appearance in the film after being released from prison).
Still, for what is undoubtedly another one of those often forgotten live-action
Disney films from the studio’s ‘darker days’ (especially seeing how it
surprisingly isn’t on Disney+ at the time of this post’s publication unlike the
other two films in the trilogy), Now You See Him, Now You Don’t is,
against all odds, a superior sequel.
Rating: 4.5/5
THE STRONGEST MAN IN THE WORLD (1975)
The final
installment of this trilogy, 1975’s The Strongest Man in the World,
saw a notable change in direction. This time, directorial duties were handled
by the brother of trilogy writer Joseph L. McEveety, Vincent McEveety, whose
work we’ve previously discussed on this site via the Herbie the Love Bug retrospective
that I did a few years ago as he had directed two of that franchise’s films and
a few episodes of its short-lived TV series. Unfortunately, this is easily the
weakest installment of this trilogy as it’s derailed by some questionable narrative
and production decisions. It’s not outright terrible, per se, as there are a decent
number of sequences that properly maintain the kind of wacky scientific antics
that these films are known for. However, the film suffers considerably from
some incredibly weak pacing, with some sequences dragging on for way longer
than they need to be. Not only that, but the film has a surprisingly limited amount
of screentime for Kurt Russell as Dexter, who’s literally absent for at least a
third of the runtime. Instead, more time is spent with Dean Higgins, A.J. Arno
and his right-hand-man Cookie, and new characters like Eve Arden and Phil
Silvers as the owners of rival cereal companies, the former of whom teams up
with Medfield to promote the super-strength formula that Dexter and his friends
come up with. Now, granted, this may have had something to do with Kurt Russell
beginning to transition into non-Disney projects at this point in his career,
but nevertheless, the severe lack of his trademark charisma is quite noticeable.
As such, the Dexter Riley trilogy ends up concluding on a mediocre
note as The Strongest Man in the World is, unfortunately, a major dud
that’s largely undone by a messy plot that, despite having just enough of its
predecessors’ most recognizable elements, almost feels like it’s from another franchise.
Rating: 2/5
THE COMPUTER WORE TENNIS SHOES (1995 REMAKE)
Finally, we conclude
today’s retrospective with the made-for-TV remake of The Computer Wore
Tennis Shoes, which first premiered on February 18th, 1995 on
ABC. This was one of four remakes of classic live-action Disney films that aired
on the network during the 1994-95 season, with the other three being remakes of
The Shaggy Dog, Escape to Witch Mountain, and Freaky Friday.
It also notably served as the directorial debut of Ant-Man trilogy
director Peyton Reed who, just two years later, would helm another made-for-TV old-school
Disney ‘remake’ via The Love Bug with Bruce Campbell. But whereas Reed’s
Love Bug was admittedly more of a sequel than a remake given the role that the
series’ main protagonist Jim Douglas played in it, this new version of The
Computer Wore Tennis Shoes is a more straight-forward remake that, like Flubber,
doesn’t make a lot of noticeable changes to the original’s script. Outside of
the usual modern aesthetic updates, the only major narrative differences include
things like having its main antagonist be the resident genius from Medfield’s rival
Hale University (who happens to be 12 years old, by the way…) instead of a
corrupt businessman and a decently improved role for the film’s female lead and
Dexter’s love interest Sarah Matthews. That latter difference is particularly notable
seeing how, in the original trilogy with Kurt Russell, all three films paired
his Dexter up with a different female lead who barely factored into the main
plot.
In the remake,
Dexter Riley is played by Kirk Cameron, who does a solid job in the role
overall even if his version of Dexter is arguably cockier than Kurt Russell’s
Dexter was in the scenes from the original film where Dexter’s fame started to
go to his head. Still, like with any of Lindsay Lohan’s star-making roles, a project
like this shows that, despite Cameron’s current reputation, he was a genuinely
talented young male lead. Here, he’s joined by 90’s comedy mainstay Larry
Miller in a scene-stealing turn as the remake’s equivalent of Dean Higgins,
Dean Valentine, and Dean Jones (who, of course, would then go on to reprise his
role as Jim Douglas in The Love Bug two years later) as Hale’s Dean Carlson
albeit in a relatively minor role compared to everyone else. As for the film
itself, I’ll fully admit that there’s not much else for me to talk about as it’s
very much your standard made-for-TV film. Despite a few overly campy moments
and some plotlines that don’t really go anywhere such as a pair of government
agents who think that Dexter’s been responsible for a recent string of high-profile
government hacks, it’s an enjoyable little piece of 90’s nostalgia. Granted, I
don’t recall ever watching this when I was younger (although I wouldn’t be
surprised if I had) but I do believe that I would’ve enjoyed this as a kid just
as much as I did with the likes of classic Disney Channel Original Movies from
the ’90s and early 2000s like Halloweentown, The Luck of the Irish,
and Smart House.
Rating: 3.5/5
And that concludes today’s retrospective on
the 7 Disney films that were set at Medfield College. Thanks for following
along and be sure to sound off in the comments below with any childhood
memories that you have of these films.
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