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.
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.