Professor Ned Brainard (Fred MacMurray) needs money for Medfield College. The Pentagon has made flubber top secret. He's running into red tape over the payment. The IRS is after him despite not receiving any actual money. Mr. Hawk is eager to see him fail. The college needs $350k by the first of the month to pay Hawk back. Ned's solution is to invent weather controlling flubbergas. Betsy's not impressed. Despite his objection, Betsy invites Shelby. To Betsy's horror, Shelby invites Ned's old flame Desiree de la Roche/Mary Lee Spooner.
Hawk is a solid villain. The IRS guy is more annoying than funny. Then the money issue gets overused. I have a problem with Betsy. She's made out to be a flighty jealous money-grubber. The movie still has the wacky invention and the socially tone-deaf professor but his dismissal of her isn't that nice either. Their relationship is problematic and seems to be built on rickety scaffolding. It's meant to be funny like a sitcom. The movie really needs to start the couple with love before it injects all the obstacles. That really turns me off.
Hawk is a solid villain. The IRS guy is more annoying than funny. Then the money issue gets overused. I have a problem with Betsy. She's made out to be a flighty jealous money-grubber. The movie still has the wacky invention and the socially tone-deaf professor but his dismissal of her isn't that nice either. Their relationship is problematic and seems to be built on rickety scaffolding. It's meant to be funny like a sitcom. The movie really needs to start the couple with love before it injects all the obstacles. That really turns me off.