Walt Disney’s Son of Flubber Movie Review

“George! George! Did you see that?!”

55 years ago Walt Disney’s classic “Son Of Flubber” was released to theaters. This, the first movie sequel to a previous Disney film (“The Three Caballeros” being more a follow-up to “Saludos Amigos”), is a joyous, inspired return of many wonderful people to their roles of the 1961 classic “The Absent-Minded Professor”.

Professor Ned Brainard (Fred MacMurray) has gone to Washington DC to get money from his anti-gravity formula Flubber with Biff Hawk (Tommy Kirk), son of crooked financier Alonzo P. Hawk (Keenan Wynn), to help the debt of Medfield College, still struggling financially. The Washington Defense Secretary (Edward Andrews) tells him his invention (from the first film) is under wraps as Washington tries to get everybody together as to what they are going to be doing with it, and its finances (should be getting a hearing in Washington any day now). Accordingly college President Daggett (Leon Ames) has to continue to pander to Alonzo Hawk.

Ned is having problems of his own, with people trying to take money from him that he has yet to collect. Mr. Hurley (Ken Murray) and his assistant (Jack Albertson) want to sell him on making different products through Flubber for home consumption, like “Flubberoleum” floors, while Mr. Harker (Bob Sweeney) is a tax collector that wants dough that the Brainards can’t pay since they have yet to receive anything. This is all having a strain on Ned and Betsy’s (Nancy Olson) marriage, since their debt is also climbing. Ned has a new invention he works on, Flubbergas, which can make it rain at will, but has inadvertently broken all the glass within the radius of the ray-gun that Ned projected it from. Biff and Humphrey Hacker (Leon Tyler) are trying to work on a Flubbergassed suit, while Humph wants a Flubberized football.

Ex rival for Betsy’s affections Shelby Ashton (Elliott Reid) tries to get an old flame of Ned, Desiree de la Roche (Joanna Moore), to create trouble between Ned and Betsy so he can get her back (he’s definitely trying to break a commandment). With Betsy leaving to stay with the Daggets’ out of jealousy for Desiree, Ned has to take matters into his own hands, using his Flubbergas gun to make it rain in Shelby’s car, and with Alonzo Hawk trying to extort money from him for breaking the glass, Ned will help in the big football game between Rutland and Medfield, before going to trial against Hawk. The results will be out of this world.

“Son Of Flubber” is a wonderful sequel, with many inventive ideas taking a leap forward from the earlier film. It starts off a little silly, but those same early scenes have some hilarious moments. The scene with the Defense Secretary (Edward Andrews) has some nice jabbing at Washington (just as “Moon Pilot” had done earlier in 1962), with the big activity that all these officious men are going to is a golf outing. The commercial for “Flubberoleum” is hilarious and inventive, with Wally Boag making a rare appearance in a Disney film, the Pecos Bill of Disneyland. The bouncing baby in the commercial is played by Walt’s grandson Walter Elias Disney (Wed) Miller, son of Ron Miller and Diane Disney Miller. The scene with Bob Sweeney as the tax collector has some wonderful sarcasm of his unscrupulous ways, making you wonder what does happen to the little kid who delivers the newspapers, and if his mother is in jail for not paying her taxes (don’t put it past him).

The creation of Flubbergas is nicely handled, with some nice special effects, and the scenes of breaking glass are hilarious. Special note to Leon Ames for his breaking spectacles, bartender Hal Smith with his breaking wine bottles, and poor milkman William Demarest trying to start his stalling van before all the glass breakage occurs, not making it in time, but attracting every single cat in town. Of course the best is Keenan Wynn as Alonzo Hawk seeing every glass in his office magically breaking, while frantically taking phone calls from insurance customers claiming that their glass has broken, in a truly inspired scene.

The cast is as good as it gets, with one of the greatest gatherings of great comedy players ever put together for one film:

Fred MacMurray reprises his role as Ned Brainard, and brings his wonderful sincerity to this great character. He is loyal, ambitious, principled, while at times unable to see simple things and, yes, absent-minded. He is an incredibly loveable character, and he comes off just as well here as in the first film.

This would be Fred MacMurray’s fourth film for the studio, following “The Shaggy Dog”, “The Absent-Minded Professor” and “Bon Voyage”, with “Follow Me Boys”, “The Happiest Millionaire” and “Charley And The Angel” to follow. The association with Disney was wonderful for the studio and for Fred, who’s career had stunted in the 1950s, after being one of the top stars of the 1930s and 40s. Working at Disney, along with his family series “My Three Sons” starting in 1960, Fred was back on top. Fred MacMurray matched with the Disney studio was the perfect pairing. Fred MacMurray passed away on 11/5/91 at the age of 83.

Nancy Olson is wonderful as Betsy, getting a bit agitated by her husband’s constant wanting to help others, while forgetting to tend to their own financial needs. Her getting the telephone while going away and staying at the Daggetts, pretending to be a Swedish maid, is a nice piece showing how Betsy just wants Ned to realize that he needs her, and has to get a little more focused on tending to their problems. For a character who is ticked off for much of the film Nancy Olson balances Betsy with a grace and wisdom that makes one still think she’s the best medicine for Ned, with their best intentions in mind.

This was Nancy Olson’s third Disney film, following “Pollyanna”, and “The Absent-Minded Professor”. She’d return to the studio for “Smith” and “Snowball Express”. Nancy started with the Billy Wilder classic “Sunset Boulevard”, looking absolutely radiant and unforgettable as the girl who loves William Holden, but who can’t possibly win against the lunatic that is the Gloria Swanson character Nora Desmond. She’d appear in many films in the 1950s, but I think her Disney films are the ones that really shine, always a strong character, but still always very loving of her beau in each film. She has a dynamic nature that makes her always a force to be reckoned with, while still exuding great decency. She did a cameo in the Robin Williams “Flubber” film, the only redeeming moment in that film.

Keenan Wynn is as diabolical as in the first film, and shows his verve for playing villains. His sneakiness, his greed, his calculating to get the most out of every situation make him a very enjoyable villain, and no one could beat Keenan Wynn in making a villain be as much fun as he does. He is a skunk through and through. Even at the trial he tells his son, “Why if you weren’t deductible, I’d disown you!” His being consoled by Biff to not cry at the end of the trial allows one of the film’s best lines: “I’m not crying you blasted dimwit, IT’S THESE ONIONS!”, referring to the gigantic onions that have been placed on the prosecutor’s table.

Keenan Wynn had begun as a supporting character actor at MGM, growing in his roles, and becoming one of the most popular character actors of all time. The son of Ed Wynn, he gets to act again with his father, having also done so in the first film, Ed playing a different character this time. Keenan would return to Disney in “Smith” (playing a truly despicable character), “Snowball Express”, “Herbie Rides Again” and “The Shaggy D.A.”. He also narrated the animated educational film “VD Attack Plan”. Keenan Wynn would pass away on 10/14/86 at the age of 70, having just done the series “Call To Glory” with Craig T. Nelson and Elizabeth Shue.

Tommy Kirk plays Biff Hawk, and unlike the first film Biff is now totally on the side of Ned, not his father, his father putting him down at every turn (again: “Why if you weren’t deductible I’d disown you!”). Tommy Kirk is very likeable as Biff, and has a lot of fun with the character.

Tommy Kirk had started as a child actor, and would start at Disney on the “Spin And Marty” and “Hardy Boys” serials of “The Mickey Mouse Club”. He would be put under contract, and, along with Kevin Corcoran, would become among the most prolific contract players the studio ever had. Tommy Kirk gave a masterful performance in the classic “Old Yeller”, and it’s a pity that he didn’t get to do more substantive roles, along with the delightful comedies that began with “The Shaggy Dog”. He’d appear in many TV and theatrical films for the studio, including “Old Yeller”‘s sequel “Savage Sam”, but he had some problems that ended up hurting his career. His last Disney project would be “The Monkey’s Uncle”, and he’d act occasionally afterward, regrettably in usually very low-budget productions below his talent. Meeting him around the year 2000, he thought that director Robert Stevenson was a great director, and said the reason his films are so successful is because of his eye for detail and being so good with getting wonderful performances from his actors. He said Mr. Stevenson was quiet and kind, as well as a great talent.

Leon Ames returns as President Daggett, and his inability to deal with Hawk is fun, in an uncomfortable way. The poor man has to placate the man who could put the college under, while hoping Ned Brainard will somehow come through. Considering how Dean Higgins would deal with it later, he has a much more level head. Leon Ames had a dry way of delivering humor that made him irresistible, and he has fun in the role. One of the best lines in the film is delivered by him. When Betsy’s over at the Daggett’s house, and the phone keeps on ringing, Daggett comes by and says, “Why doesn’t anybody answer the phone, or is it contaminated.”, which delivered by him brings out nice quiet humor. It isn’t a hilarious line, but it has great charm.

Leon Ames had a long career, appearing early on in the Universal horror film “Murders In The Rue Morgue” with Bela Lugosi, under his real name, Leon Waycoff. He’d become a contract player at MGM, appearing in many films like “Meet Me In St. Louis” with Judy Garland, and “Lady In The Lake” with Robert Montgomery. He’d return to Disney to be in “The Misadventures Of Merlin Jones” and “The Monkey’s Uncle”. Leon Ames would become a regular on “Mr. Ed” in its last two seasons, after the passing of Larry Keating. He’d continue acting till his death, appearing in “Just You And Me Kid” with George Burns in 1979, and “Peggy Sue Got Married” with Kathleen Turner in 1986, his last film, a wonderful exit. Leon Ames passed away on 10/12/93 at the age of 91.

Elliott Reid returns as despicable, dastardly Shelby Ashton. Shelby wants to get Betsy away from the blunder of marrying Ned, and tries to get a friend to make Betsy jealous so she’ll leave Ned, hypothetically returning to Shelby. He is a total snake, but he is a fun one. He has the best scene in the film, but more on that later.

Elliott Reid was a supporting actor since the 1940s, appearing early on in Cecil B. DeMille’s “The Story Of Dr. Wassell”, and in many films throughout the 40s and 50s. He would return to Disney in “Follow Me, Boys!” and “Blackbeard’s Ghost”, doing three films with Fred MacMurray and three with director Robert Stevenson. Elliott Reid would continue to act into the early 1990s. I was over at a friend’s house who happened to have on ABC on 9/15/95 which had a new Marie Osmand show called “Maybe This Time”, and all of a sudden I realize an actor on the show was Mr. Reid, which ironically would be his last role. Looking him up for this I found out he passed away in 2013, not seeing anything mentioned at the time of his passing. It’s a pity he went relatively unnoticed. Elliott Reid passed away on 6/21/13 at the age of 93. It’s a compliment to say he was the perfect skunk.

Joanna Moore plays Desiree de la Roche, the conniving ex girlfriend of Ned, and the current friend of Shelby. She is over the top, flirty, and a lot of fun. Her flapper dancing at the Halloween party, while Ned plays the saxophone, is a delight, and she had an incredible smile.

Joanna Moore was a supporting actress, as well as a leading actress in B films, along with appearing on television, since the 1950s, her beauty and charm always adding to any project. She was Andy Griffith’s girlfriend on the third season of “The Andy Griffith Show”. She is really likeable in Universal’s horror classic “Monster On The Campus”. The scene where she tries to talk to a dog really stands out as her being a really sweet and decent person. Unfortunately in real life alcohol and drugs were bitter companions, her troubled marriage to Ryan O’Neal would end in divorce, and her daughter Tatum O’Neal suffered from that. Joanna Moore would die very tragically from health problems brought on by her addictions, passing away on 11/22/97 at the age of 63. I’d like to think of Joanna Moore as that girl who talks to the dog in “Monster On The Campus”. She deserved so much better. Joanna Moore would return to Disney for the classic “Never A Dull Moment” in a wonderful part, a very gifted performer.

Ed Wynn appears as AJ Allen, who is in charge of the agriculture in Medfield. He takes great pride in his job, and even keeps rutabagas on his person to show how woefully small they are (“The rutabaga! Where’s the rutabaga!”). Ed Wynn is delightful, as always, and adds great spark to his scene, a scene that ends up being the climax of the courtroom scene, with some wonderful oversized props adding to the fun. The rutabaga reference is an in-joke, it being part of his comedy routines over the decades, so he could pop his eyes in total confusion at not finding it in his pockets, which was very possibly an ad lib.

Ed Wynn had been a very successful stage and radio comedian, occasionally appearing in film, and on early television. His Disney debut would be as the voice of the Mad Hatter in 1951’s “Alice In Wonderland”, and he’d return to the studio with “The Absent-Minded Professor”, becoming a regular at the studio until the end of his life. It was the Rod Serling masterpiece “Requiem For A Heavyweight” on “Playhouse 90” on 10/11/56 that majorly revived his career, giving a beautifully sensitive performance, allowing him a wonderful final decade to his career. Ed Wynn would pass away on 6/19/66 at the age of 79, his last film being “The Gnome-Mobile”. Nobody played “The Perfect Fool” better, or more joyously, than Ed Wynn.

Charlie Ruggles is a delight as Judge Murdock, with the twinkle in his eye that always suggested an incredible decency and humanity making him so loveable. He had an uniquely different sense of humor, and he could add humor to any scene with a simple stare or grumble.

Charlie Ruggles had become a popular comic actor in the 1930s, headlining many comedies, like the series of films he did with Mary Boland, and as a supporting player in many classics, like Ernest Lubitsch’s “One Hour With You” and Universal’s “The Invisible Woman”. On TV he had his own family sitcom, “The Ruggles”, an early live show. He’d come to the Disney studio as the grandfather of two Hayley Mills-es in the classic “The Parent Trap”, and appear in several films at the studio, the last being “Follow Me, Boys!”, his last film. He’d pass away on 12/23/70 at the age of 84.

Ken Murray plays the very ambitious, pushy, and delightful Mr. Hurley, who wants to make many profits by creating products from Flubber. The Flubber products include “Flubberoleum Floors”, Flexoheat to warm the house, and Flubberdent toothpaste (“You’ll wonder where the yellow went, when you brush your teeth with Flubberdent!”). Considering how pushy he is, he’s still quite likeable.

Ken Murray was a distinct entertainment personality: someone who didn’t specialize in anything, and did a lot of everything, always with great charm and showmanship. He wasn’t really a traditional actor, but he appeared in a number of films over the decades. He wasn’t really a stage actor, but he headlined his own show, “Ken Murray’s Blackouts”, on Broadway for 7 years. He wasn’t a producer, but he made his own film “Bill And Coo”, with dozens of little birds as the leading characters, a film that doesn’t totally work, but is a mammoth undertaking, and with a certain unique charm. He had his own TV show in the early 50s, and occasionally appeared on television shows. In many ways what Ken Murray was was the ultimate fan. He LOVED Hollywood and celebrities, and he came to Hollywood as much a fan as having ambitions of fame for himself. He took home movies of the stars right from the day he got there, and would do it throughout his life. In the mid 60s he did two network specials “Hollywood My Hometown” and “Hollywood Without Makeup”, made up of the hundreds of hours of home movies he had of the family of Hollywood. In “Hollywood My Hometown” he even has Fred MacMurray behind the scenes in “Son Of Flubber”, with Fred taking Ken’s two little girls around in the Model T (with them asking to make it fly). He even has Walt around the studio with the girls, showing off the “Zorro” set (having just finished the last of the four hour-long shows). Ken Murray would return in “Follow Me, Boys!”, also with Fred. Ken Murray passed away on 10/12/88 at the age of 85. He left some priceless glimpses into a bygone era.

Edward Andrews plays the Washington Defense Secretary, returning from his appearance in the first film, and, as usual, is a total delight. He has only the one scene at the opening of the film, but it is nicely enjoyable, if a bit silly, with some fun jabs at Washington.

Edward Andrews is one of the greatest character actors of all time, able to do strong drama and light comedy with equal ease. He appeared in the classic “Twilight Zone” episode “Drive”, three delightful episodes of Boris Karloff’s “Thriller”, as well as appearing in many classic films, like Billy Wilder’s “Avanti”, and Joe Dante’s “Gremlins”, his last film. He usually played slightly shifty characters, but he could play a wonderful person just as equally, as he did in the Disney TV movie “The Young Loner”. His first Disney film was “The Absent-Minded Professor”, and he’d do several films for the studio, including the scum governor in “A Tiger Walks”, and his last being the banker in “Charley And The Angel”, again being a total good guy. Edward Andrews passed away on 3/8/85 at the age of 70, “Gremlins” being released the previous summer (talk about exiting on a high note).

Paul Lynde appears as the sportscaster of the football game, having a ball with the fun occurrences that happen in that wild game. His disbelief at each situation is met with his wonderful sarcasm, with double takes that are a delight. This would be the first time a Disney comedy would have a sportscaster, something that would become a tradition for a number of Disney comedies, and he is hilarious. His radio sidekick George, played by Clegg Hoyt, is the perfect bouncing off point, since he’s totally quiet, with only physical reactions and grunts to the shenanigans on the field, and unable to respond to Paul’s questions about having seen the last impossible feat. The constant verbal banter from Lynde is offset beautifully by the unable to respond silence of Hoyt, who responds with priceless dumbfounded looks, while Lynde has progressively more maniacal expressions.

Paul Lynde had started to make a name for himself with the Broadway musical “Bye Bye Birdie”, singing the song “Kids”, and was starting to become popular on TV shows. He could be too over the top at times, but he was always likeable. He’d appear most notably on “Bewitched” as Uncle Arthur, forever making trouble for poor Darren, and as the middle square of the game show “Hollywood Squares”, doing great snide witticisms to the questions for the contestants. He appeared in many films like “Under The Yum Yum Tree” with Jack Lemmon and Dean Jones, and “How Sweet It Is” with Jackie Gleason. He did the voice of Pumpkinhead in Filmation’s “Journey Back To Oz” and he’d replace Tony Randall as the voice of Templeton in Hanna-Barbara’s masterpiece “Charlotte’s Web”, making one of the most timeless characters in all of animation. Paul Lynde would sadly pass away on 1/10/82 at the rather young age of 55. No one did sarcasm quite like Paul Lynde. This was his only Disney film.

Clegg Hoyt was a supporting character actor who appeared in many film and TV shows. With his looks he usually appeared in westerns and police crime dramas, such as “Gunsmoke” and “Peter Gunn”. He was great at comedy, and he is simply hilarious off of Lynde in “Son Of Flubber”, without ever actually saying a single complete word. At Disney he’d appeared in an episode of “Elfego Baca”. Clegg Hoyt would pass away rather young on 10/6/67 at the age of 56. He was a close friend of Jack Nicholson, and when Nicholson played the Joker in 1989’s “Batman” he did a little dance as the Joker which was very intentional: it was a tribute to his friend Clegg Hoyt, who apparently would do that dance when having fun. Considering the stature of Jack Nicholson, and that Clegg Hoyt had passed away 22 years earlier, it’s a considerable compliment to give to his friend.

William Demarest appears as Mr. Hummel, the milkman who happens to also live next door to the Brainards. The short fuse that William Demarest would often display on screen is put to delicious use when he thinks someone is trying to steal his chickens, and when some phenomena is about to break his milk bottles on his milk van, desperately trying to start the vehicle before they all break.

William Demarest is one of the most wonderful character actors of all time, appearing in more classics than several actors combined. He was around since the silent era, but came into prominence in the 1930s screwball comedies, in perfect sync with the energy and witty banter of the many classics that came out at that time. He’d become a regular member of the Preston Sturges stock company, appearing in the classic “The Lady Eve”, and in one of the most hilarious performances of all time in “The Miracle Of Morgan’s Creek”, doing some unbelievable acrobatics (I wish I could do such acrobatics!). William Demarest could also pull at your heartstrings, as he does in “Miracle”, and he always exuded a decency that was palpable, grumpy on the outside, a darling man inside. He’d join the cast of “My Three Sons” when the studio couldn’t get insurance for the ailing William Frawley, something that Frawley deeply resented, and would play Uncle Charley for the rest of the series’ run. He’d return to Disney in the classic “That Darn Cat”, and appear in the classic John Newland TV horror film “Don’t Be Afraid Of The Dark”, one of the scariest movies ever made for television. In the 1977 reunion special “A Thanksgiving Reunion With The Partridge Family And My Three Sons”, William Demarest speaks to the screen, talking about the show, and ends by saying how much he cares for Fred MacMurray for all the years of friendship they have had (Fred and William appeared together in several films in the 30s and 40s). It is one of the most touching things I’ve ever heard an actor say, and the eloquence that he says it with is deeply moving. I met Kim Darby about 10 years ago, and she said that William Demarest was a wonderful person. William Demarest would pass away on 12/28/83 at the age of 91, one of the all-time greats.

Bob Sweeney is hilarious as the tax collector who sees his job as that of a fierce bulldog who won’t quit. He’s pompous, difficult, but always with a smile on his face and laid back approach that deceives at how much a snake he can be.

Bob Sweeney was a wonderful character actor, able to be quite noble, as he was in playing Bob Cratchit in the musical version of “A Christmas Carol” in 1955 with Fredric March, and as a fellow teacher of Eve Arden in the last season of “Our Miss Brooks”. At Disney he played villains, especially memorable in “Toby Tyler” as Mr. Harry Tupper, also appearing as a befuddled government man in “Moon Pilot”. Bob Sweeney would begin to direct in the 1960s, and he would do hundreds of TV shows in the next 20 years, doing many episodes of “The Andy Griffith Show” and “Mayberry RFD”. It is a real tribute to how wonderful Bob Sweeney was that many have stated how much they loved that man. Bruce Bilson, a wonderful TV comedy director himself, who did many episodes of “Get Smart” (as well as directing the theatrical Disney comedy “The North Avenue Irregulars”), stated how much he appreciated everything that Bob Sweeney did for him, helping him get established. At Disney Sweeney would direct the TV film “Bristle Face” with Brian Keith and Phillip Alford. Bob Sweeney would pass away on 6/7/92 at the age of 73.

Leon Tyler is a goofy delight as Humphrey Hacker, the puny member of Medfield’s football team who’s teaming up with Biff to be able to hopefully beat Rutland in the big game. Humph wants to inject the ball with Flubbergas, but Biff insists they have to control the ball. Both will end up having a good point. Humph was the main basketball player in the first film, who did the main wild plays, perfect with his slim frame to come off comical, and to theoretically be able to drop through a basketball hoop for a final point to win the game. Here his puny figure is perfect for puffing up with a suit that holds in Flubbergas for buoyancy.

Leon Tyler began as a child actor, doing small roles in many films of the 1940s, like “The Sullivans” and “Son Of Lassie”. He became a supporting actor in the 50s, appearing in films like “People Will Talk” and shows like “Burns And Allen” and “I Married Joan”. He’d return to Disney in “The Misadventures Of Merlin Jones” and its sequel “The Monkey’s Uncle”, learning to learn in his sleep and to fly (though not as successfully!), teamed with fellow student goofball Norman Grabowski. Leon Tyler seemed to leave the business in 1966, a pity since he was a delight.

Stuart Erwin appears as the coach who is going through hell since his team is being pulverized by the hulking Midland team. His suffering is a lot of fun, and with Erwin there is great charm and timing to make each moment more humorous. In the first film Wally Brown played the coach who’s sweating the misery, but he’d unfortunately passed away by the time the sequel came around.

Stuart Erwin was a wonderful light comic actor since the 1930s, one of his early films being “Make Me A Star” in 1932, a charming story of someone coming to Hollywood to make it, and the humorous obstacles, as well as heartaches, that that dream can have. Stu Erwin always balanced humor with pathos, and he was a very personable actor. He’d have his own family comedy in the 1950s, “Trouble With Father”, co-starring with his wife, actress June Collyer (who had been a leading actress in the late 20s and 1930s). He’d come to Disney in the Kevin Corcoran sports comedy, “Moochie Of The Little League”, later appearing as a detective in “The Misadventures Of Merlin Jones”. Stuart Erwin would pass away on 12/21/67 at the age of 64. He was married to June Collyer for 36 years, and she’d pass away just three months after his passing on 3/16/68 at the age of 63.

Alan Carney returns as the eternally befuddled referee of the other worldly football game. His delightful expressions and confusion are hilarious, creating even more fun than the on the field game. No one played dumbfounded better than Alan Carney.

Alan Carney had begun in film as part of the comedy team of Wally Brown and Alan Carney, a little like Abbott And Costello, with Alan as the Lou type. They did several films at RKO including the classic “Zombies On Broadway” with Bela Lugosi, an early horror comedy . Alan Carney would come to the Disney studio in “The Absent-Minded Professor”, in the same basketball scene as Wally Brown, though they technically never interact or meet on screen (though the film’s posters stated “With the comedy team of Wally Brown and Alan Carney”). Alan Carney would become a regular at Disney, especially in Robert Stevenson films, having wonderful smaller roles in films like “The Adventures Of Bullwhip Griffin” and “Blackbeard’s Ghost”, his last being “Herbie Rides Again”, released posthumously. Alan Carney would pass away on 5/2/73 at the age of 63. Considering that “Herbie Rides Again” would premiere in February of 1974, it gives you an idea of how long it took to finish and release films at the studio.

Gordon Jones returns, this time the coach of Rutland’s football team (he was the coach of Rutland’s basketball team in the first film). His getting irked at the bizarre plays on the field, and his getting combative with referee Alan Carney, are the source of a lot of fun. His temper tantrums are hilarious, and one can feel a little sorry for him since it’s a million to one shot that his team could be defeated by the puny Medfield team.

Gordon Jones was a very likeable comedy actor, appearing in many films since the 1930s. He had appeared in the Abbott and Costello film “The Wistful Widow Of Wagon Gap”, and he’d become a regular of their TV show as the local cop Mike, always ready to kill Lou for something. An ex football player, there was always something very likeable about him. He also appeared as Captain Scanlon in Disney’s “The Shaggy Dog”. Unfortunately Gordon Jones would pass away at the way too young age of 52 on 6/20/63, only a few months after “Son Of Flubber” was released.

Alan Hewitt appears as the prosecutor at the trial, and he is as stuffy and difficult as always. He has a way of doing inflections that make him such a snot but somehow not a real jerk; that is great performing. His trying to confuse the Ed Wynn character, and make light of him is especially inspired (“Is it something like a dry canoe ride?”). His reaction when bailiff Burt Mustin tells him that his wife called to tell him a giant squash rolled off the vine next door and smashed his sports car is priceless.

Alan Hewitt was a wonderful character actor, usually appearing as a stuffy character in comedies. He appeared in the television series “My Favorite Martian”. His first film at Disney was “The Absent-Minded Professor”, and he’d appear in many comedies at the studio up to 1972’s “Now You See Him, Now You Don’t”. Alan Hewitt would pass away on 11/7/86 at the age of 71.

Norman Grabowski appears as the main Rutland football player and is fantastic with his reactions to the impossible occurrences, as well as great at delivering wonderfully sarcastic bits. Another football player asks him what happened to him on the last play, and he responds, “What happened to me?! What happened to YOU!!” He is wonderfully expressive, and one can actually feel sorry for this burly brute who’s in over his head.

Norman Grabowski had begun as a supporting actor in the 1950s, and “Son Of Flubber” is his first Disney film. He would appear in several classic Disney films, almost all directed by Robert Stevenson, and he was a total joy to watch. He could play a burly goofball like no one else, and his talent for comedy was great. He appeared in other films, like the “Beach Party” films, and on television, but his best roles were at Disney, like the very inflicted on mental ward helper who has to drive Richard Deacon after the “loony” Walter Brennan in “The Gnome-Mobile” (“Mr. Yarby, would you care to drive?!!!”), or as one of Joby Baker’s goons trying to avoid getting punched by invisible guns shot by Dean Jones (“He’s around here somewhere!”). His last film for Disney would be a small role in 1974’s “Herbie Rides Again”, appearing in Irwin Allen’s “The Towering Inferno” the same year as a fire chief. Norman Grabowski was also a world renowned custom car designer, his first passion, his creations being highly sought after throughout the world. Norman Grabowski passed away on 10/12/12 at the age of 79. Any time I see Norman Grabowski I smile.

James Westerfield appears as Police Officer Hanson, the much put upon, incredibly unlucky cop who has to deal with something ruining his police car at every turn, along with his partner Forrest Lewis as Officer Kelly. Their awful luck spanned three films, from “The Shaggy Dog” into these two films, even though “Shaggy” is not technically related to the Flubber films. It’s an inspired casting, with Westerfield unbelievably loveable as the poor sucker who gets bad problems at every turn. The cracking of all the glass of the police car, going into a lake, is a delight (police boss on the radio, “HANSON! I hear water!”; Hanson: “It’s OK sarge. We’re just getting the car washed.”). Their best scene is also the climax to the best scene in the film, when Shelby loses control of his water-logged car.

James Westerfield was a wonderful character actor, usually playing villainous roles. He could be a very imposing figure, being a big burly man, but he could also play very sweet characters, doing drama and comedy with equal ease. He would appear in several Disney films, starting with “The Shaggy Dog”, and unforgettable as the sheriff who has to deal with his hostile deputy Keenan Wynn in the classic “Smith” opposite Glenn Ford. James Westerfield would pass away on 9/20/71 at the age of 58.

Forrest Lewis was a character actor, usually in smaller roles. He was usually more low key, which was perfect for going off of blustery James Westerfield, especially sympathetic in “The Shaggy Dog” when he tells the boys not to bother Hanson. Forrest Lewis passed away on 6/2/77 at the age of 77.

Jack Albertson plays the assistant of Ken Murray who’s trying to convince Ned to sign with them on selling Flubber products. Jack is delightfully pushy, jovial, and a little opportunistic. When everything goes south, it is really fun to see his change of tone, and goes a little too far in removing the gifts (bribery) that were bestowed on Betsy to try to lure them, trying to remove her dress (“Now wait just a minute! This is my dress!”, with him responding embarrassed, “Oh, I beg your pardon!”).

Jack Albertson had begun as a character actor in the 1950s, and his appearance in Disney’s “The Shaggy Dog” is fairly early in his career. He’d appear as an irritating brother-in-law on “Mr. Ed”, and would return to Disney playing a smarmy politician in “A Tiger Walks”. He won an Academy Award for his performance in the drama “The Subject Was Roses” with Patricia Neal. He’d appear in the classic “Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory”, a film that didn’t become popular until it began to appear on television, the classic “The Poseidon Adventure” opposite Shelley Winters, and on the popular sitcom “Chico And The Man”. He’d return to Disney to do the voice of farmer Amos Slade in 1981’s “The Fox And The Hound”. Jack Albertson would pass away on 11/25/81 at the age of 74.

Harriet MacGibbon plays Mrs. Edna Daggett, the wife of President Daggett (Leon Ames), very enjoyable in trying to help Betsy through her marriage difficulties. She was a regular on “The Beverly Hillbillies”, playing Mrs. Drysdale, Raymond Bailey’s wife. At Disney she also appeared in “The Wacky Zoo Of Morgan City” in 1970. Harriett MacGibbon passed away on 2/8/87 at the age of 81.

Joe Flynn appears as the commercial host telling the audience about Flubber, a nice way to have a small recap of what occurred in the first film (though having shots in the commercial that would be physically impossible for these people to actually put together, since they have shots of private things that no TV or film camera would have recorded, like when Ned irons on Flubber onto the soles of the basketball shoes). Joe is officious, serious, and yet totally comedic in his delivery, wonderfully inspired in tone.

Joe Flynn had been acting for a few years by this point, doing drama until he saw himself in “The Indestructible Man” with Lon Chaney Jr and noticed the audience laughing at him, deciding that comedy was his best type of role. He’d appear on “The Adventures Of Ozzie And Harriet”, and would begin “McHale’s Navy” with Ernest Borgnine and Tim Conway in 1962, it running for 4 years. The small role in “Son Of Flubber” would be his Disney debut, returning to Disney with “The Love Bug”, playing Thorndike’s much put upon helper Havershaw. He’d become one of the most prolific Disney performers, appearing in 11 films, and two episodes of “The Mouse Factory”. He would record the voice of Mr. Snoops for “The Rescuers”, but tragically die in his swimming pool on 7/19/74 at the age of 49. Joe Flynn was a joy.

Byron Foulger plays the proprietor of the store where Betsy tries to sell a valuable glass piece, only to have it break because of the Flubbergas rays. He is wonderfully deadpan, and it is always fun to watch this veteran performer.

Byron Foulger is one of the most prolific character actors of all time, appearing in hundreds of films and TV shows over the decades. He often played villains, his looks and ability to be really nasty used perfectly in many roles, but could be officious or very sweet and likeable as well, appearing in films like “True Confession” with Fred MacMurray, and “Mr. Smith Goes To Washington” with James Stewart. At Disney he’d appear in an “Elfego Baca” episode with Robert Loggia, “Moochie Of Pop Warner Football” with Kevin Corcoran, as the hotel proprietor in “The Gnome-Mobile” (“OH Mr. Mulrooney!”), one of the put-upon bidders at the auction in “Blackbeard’s Ghost”, and the last Gallegher story “The Mystery Of Edward Simms”. Byron Foulger passed away on 4/4/70 at the age of 70.

Dallas McKennon plays the first juror at the trial, with his long mustache, always standing out because of his unique appearance. He also did voices for animation, including the “Gumby” stop-motion show. At Disney he’d play the voice of Johnny Appleseed’s angel in “Melody Time”, do the voices of several dogs in “Lady And The Tramp”, the voice of the owl in “Sleeping Beauty”, the voices of barking dogs in “101 Dalmatians”, a reporter in “A Tiger Walks”, a Police detective in “The Misadventures Of Merlin Jones”, the voice of bees in “Winnie The Pooh And The Honey Tree”, the voice of the bear who welcomes our heroes to the animated land in “Bedknobs And Broomsticks”, the farmer who first discovers the space ship in “The Cat From Outer Space”, and one of the saloon patrons in “Hot Lead And Cold Feet”. Dallas McKennon passed away on 7/14/09 at the age of 89.

Wally Boag plays the put upon husband in the “Flubberoleum” commercial, getting hurt at every turn when he gets home from work, trying to not get killed while holding his baby. Wally Boag was a stage performer, and Walt Disney saw him do his act, eventually having him play Pecos Bill at the “Golden Horseshoe Revue” at Disneyland, playing that delightful role from 1955 till 1982, the longest anyone has played a single role on stage in history, with his wonderful playing with words and delightful agility. He’d appear in “The Absent-Minded Professor” as the TV newsman who’s trying to get comments from the onlookers when poor Alonzo Hawk is bouncing increasingly higher. He’d also appear in “The Love Bug” as a ticked off motorist. Wally Boag passed away on 6/3/11 at the age of 90.

Beverly Wills plays the wife in the “Flubberoleum” commercial (“Stop clowning George, you’ll frighten the BAAABY”). She’s hilarious as the woman who’s house is an endless parade of traps and pitfalls until Flubberoleum floors are installed, bouncing eggs off the floor, while husband Wally Boag bounces junior off the floor. It is one of the most wonderful moments in all the Disney comedies, or film period.

Beverly Wills was the daughter of comic actress Joan Davis, so comic skills were probably in her genes. She appeared in films and television shows, like Billy Wilder’s “Some Like It Hot”, delightfully playing the sister of Joan Davis in the comedy series “I Married Joan”(a daughter playing a sister), and an episode of “Mr. Ed” would be her last role. “Son Of Flubber” would unfortunately be her last film, tragically dying in a fire that took her grandmother and two sons, on 10/24/63, only two years after her mother passed away in the very same house, essentially a whole family extinguished. Beverly Wills was only 30 years old. It gives that last shot in that delightful commercial of Wally Boag, the baby, and Beverly Wills a lot more meaning. I’m sure in heaven there’s plenty of Flubberoleum floors for her to bounce on with Joan.

Don Edmonds plays the assistant to football coach Stuart Erwin, trying to console him in his hour of misery, before it all turns out for the better. Don Edmunds was a supporting actor through the 1960s, appearing in shows like “The Munsters” and “Green Acres” and films like “The Interns”. At Disney he appeared in “The Misadventures Of Merlin Jones” and “The Monkey’s Uncle” playing Henry, one of the college students. He isn’t given screen credit in any of his three Disney films. He started producing and directing exploitation pictures in the 1970s. Don Edmunds passed away on 5/30/09 at the age of 71.

Burt Mustin plays the bailiff, with his wonderful frightened expressions, as well as delivering the great line to prosecutor Alan Hewitt, “Your wife called to tell you a giant squash rolled off the vine next door and smashed your sports car!”. Burt Mustin had begun his acting career late in life, at the age of 67, appearing as the old man who is befriended by the Beaver in “Leave It To Beaver”, and appearing in endless film and television shows. At Disney he appeared in “The Misadventures Of Merlin Jones”, “The Further Adventures Of Gallegher”, “The Adventures Of Bullwhip Griffin”, “My Dog The Thief”, a very unlucky golpher in “Now You See Him, Now You Don’t”, “Herbie Rides Again” and “The Strongest Man In The World”. His last appearance would be on the “Phillis” episode where his character married the character of Judith Lowery, both passing away shortly afterward. He would pass away on 1/28/77 at the age of 92.

J Pat O’Malley is the man who’s painting the identification on the glass of Alonzo Hawk’s office when all the glass in the building starts to shatter. After all has finally settled, he continues to finish off the letters on the now totally broken glass door, making sure all the lettering is perfect. J Pat O’Malley was a prolific character actor, doing parts in countless films and TV shows. He was the despicable skunk who was so cruel to the family of Lassie in the classic “Lassie Come Home”, “Cabinet Of Caligari” with Glynis Johns, and “Gunn” with Craig Stevens. At Disney he’d first supply the voice of Cyril Proudbottom, the nutty horse in the “Wind In The Willows” segment of “The Adventures Of Ichabod And Mr. Toad”. He’d play Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum in “Alice In Wonderland”, the mayor in “The Saga Of Windwagon Smith”, the father elephants in “Goliath II” and “The Jungle Book”, the Colonel and Jasper in “101 Dalmatians”, and the animated musician who says his wife is lovely in the “Supercalifragilistic” segment of “Mary Poppins”. He also appeared in “The Swamp Fox” series with Leslie Neilson. J Pat O’Malley passed away on 2/27/85 at the age of 80.

Hal Smith plays the bartender who’s valuable liquors are bursting all around him when the Flubbergas does its oscillating disturbances, crying uncontrollably at the incredible money bursting everywhere. Most famous for playing Otis the town drunk on “The Andy Griffith Show”, he also played the voice of the Ranger in Tony Benedict’s classic “Santa And The Three Bears. At Disney he’d appear in “The Million Dollar Duck”, “The Whiz Kid And The Mystery At Riverton”, “The Whiz Kid And The Carnival Caper”, and “Small And Frye”. For Disney animation he’d play Owl in the Winnie The Pooh stories, a role he’d play until his passing in 1994. He’d also do voices for “The Small One” and “Mickey’s Christmas Carol”. Hal Smith passed away on 1/28/94 at the age of 77.

Ginny Tyler does the voice of the baby in the commercial, who’s nonsense sounds end up spelling out “Flubberoleum” on the top of the screen. Ginny Tyler was a voice artist, doing voices for many animation projects, as well as live-action shows. She did the female voices in “Davey And Goliath”, and the voice of Wendy in “The New Casper Cartoon Show”. Ginny Tyler played the voice of the squirrel in “The Sword In The Stone”, and the lambs in the “Jolly Holiday” sequence of “Mary Poppins”. Ginny Tyler passed away on 7/13/12 at the age of 86.

Bill Walsh was the co-producer, and he was one of the most important people in developing the Disney comedy. He started at the studio by working on their earliest TV productions, and ascend to the theatrical films. Starting with “The Absent-Minded Professor”, he’d co-produce, and after Walt’s passing produce many of the best comedies and fantasies of the studio, like “Mary Poppins”, “Blackbeard’s Ghost”, “The Love Bug”, “Bedknobs And Broomsticks”, and his final film “One Of Our Dinosaurs Is Missing”. Bill Walsh passed away on 1/27/75 at the age of 61.

This was the third theatrical film that Ron Miller would Associate Produce, starting to ascend in the positions that he was being given at the studio. Being an ex-football player, the big game must have been especially enjoyable for him.

As always director Robert Stevenson knows how to develop scenes to get the most mileage out of each situation, and build it. The staging of the gags, and how the actors are used with the visuals are perfectly made into the world that this film creates, like the breaking glass, Shelby’s aquatic ride, and the football game. Robert Stevenson was one of the finest directors of fantasy films, passing away on 4/30/86 at the age of 81.

The wonderful music score is again by George Bruns, having done the first film, and he would often be the composer they’d use for the films of Robert Stevenson. His building of comical scenes is so crucial to why these films work so well. It’s easy to forget how much of an emotional response music does to a film, but the music that accompanies a film makes a world of difference in how successful the film will be. The effect may be subliminal, with the audience not even thinking about it, but it is crucial. Bruns was always a major contributor in enhancing any film he worked on. He passed away on 5/23/83 at the rather young age of 68.

The highlight of the film is Shelby’s dropping off Betsy after a Halloween costume ball, dressed as King Neptune, and Ned repeating his treatment of Shelby that he did in the first film, this time not pouncing the car unmercifully, but creating a thunder and lightning rain storm INSIDE his car. Right from when Shelby gets in the car and takes off, the lights going on from Ned’s Model T, with the same music used from the first film, makes for an irresistible moment for the audience. We know what’s coming, but that’s half the fun, since Shelby will be at the mercy of Ned, as well as water, and, rather dangerously, lightening.

We see Shelby driving along innocently (or as innocent as he can be), and a small cloud starts to form above his head within the car. All of a sudden one hears thunder, and it starts to rain in the car. The reaction by Elliott Reid is priceless, and it is such a fitting comeuppance to this little scum, making for one of the most fun scenes ever put on film. Elliott Reid’s face was blackened so his eyes would stand out, which really heightens the scene, with the gorgeous black and white photography by Disney veteran Edward Colman making the scene a visual feast, as well as its hilarious consequences to our nemesis. The accumulating rain, as well as the storm getting increasingly more violent, with occasional flashes of lightening going THROUGH Shelby is priceless, and the fantastic music by George Bruns brings out the most of each moment, hitting the tilt button in joy. The Neptune costume also adds to the visuals, it looking like a driving Creature From The Black Lagoon at times. The payoff of him crashing into poor cops James Westerfield and Forrest Lewis is a huge smile getter, repeating the mishaps that they’d had in “The Absent-Minded Professor”. It is one of my favorite scenes in movie history.

The gags are fast and imaginative in the wild football game between the puny Medfield players and the burly Rutland bull dogs. Of course the humor of coach Stuart Erwin crying for the defeat of his team is the source of a lot of fun, but so is poor Alan Carney having to referee wild aerial acrobatics that no one’s ever seen before, with his befuddled looks hilarious. His telling off Rutland coach Gordon Jones when things start turning, telling him, “GET OFF THE PLAYING FIELD! I got myself a football game out there!” is a joy, with Gordon about to kill him, being held back by a student.

The special effects that make Humph fly are seamless and beautifully done. The film was shot in black and white for fear that the special effects might not come off as well. It’s hard to tell how much would change if it were in color, but one is never aware of any trickery in the aerial plays, which is quite impressive, really suggesting that our player is defying gravity.

The presenting of Paul Lynde as the sportscaster, with Clegg Hoyt as his assistant, is one of the most inspired additions to the Disney comedy, which would be brought back in several classics, allowing for the bewilderment of someone not knowing what’s going on to add to the wild gags on the field. With Lynde’s great sarcasm it is a perfect pairing, his disbelief at each of his presumptions being 100% wrong, Medfield catching up quickly. Technically this is something that the Disney studio had been doing for decades by this point, with the Goofy cartoons and narrator John McLeish (a few by Doodles Weaver) telling us what should be, while we’d see something totally different by Goofy on screen. They’d often have commentaries of the action that were humorous for the “athletic” Goofy, and this was a natural progression for the live-action films, probably added onto the script by former animator Don DaGradi. They didn’t have a sportscaster in “Absent”, but from this point on a Disney comedy game would almost always have a commentator do the play-by-play announcing.

After Biff and Humph arrive with the football suit, the fun really begins, with Humph filled up with Flubbergas, making him a slightly ballooned up player, able to levitate for much of his leaps, propelling him to the opposite side of the field in quick order. The Rutland players are in total shock, and Norman Grabowski as the head player is hilariously mystified by what’s occurring. Eventually the success of the suit hits a snag, getting accidently overfilled with Flubbergas. Making Humph a big ball in one of the classic gags in the history of Disney comedies, bobbing uncontrollably above the other players, and eventually getting ripped, flying around like a popped balloon. Finally, Humph’s idea of juicing up the football pays off, and the greatest football kick in the history of the game occurs, with Lynde’s reaction at the field goal a total joy. “The ball is going up, UP, UP! OUT OF THE STADIUM! Ladies and gentlemen, I think it’s going into orbit! GEORGE! GEORGE! Did you see that?”, with George being thoroughly perplexed; a magical moment.

Ned being captured by the Police, and being carried off the field, while wearing an ill-fitting football uniform to be in disguise, is a great gag, and Shelby’s comeuppance, with Nancy putting a final kibosh on him once and for all is priceless, she realizing that things have gone too far.

The trial is nicely humorous, giving nice lines to several. It is when Ned is on the stand that the movie goes into something that makes the film so much more powerful. Prosecutor Alan Hewitt tries to interrogate him, trying to corner him into suggesting he’s corrupting the youths in his classes, twisting any words that come out of Ned’s mouth. When Ned feels mistakes are part of the process, the prosecutor thinks he has him, and let’s him talk, with Ned stating that he believes in his students, their good will, and in their infinite imagination. That they may do great things, and that fumble footing and bumbling lead them to try other directions, hopefully eventually leading to success. When the prosecutor asks him to respond definitively asking, “Would you do exactly as you did before?”, Ned states without hesitation, “Yes, I would do exactly as I did before.” The students start to clap, as do the rest of the courtroom, with the judge having to get order back in the court.

The beauty of what Ned Brainard says, and the incredible depth of humanity that it describes is one of the finest moments ever put into a film, Disney or otherwise. It chokes me up every time, and I think it is the finest moment that Fred MacMurray had in all his Disney films, possibly in any of his films period. It gives the film an anchor and humanity that makes it something so very special. He believes and loves his students; the prosecutor couldn’t have imagined that (or as Proudbottom in “The Wind In The Willows” says, “I thought you wouldn’t know that gov’nor!”).

The Ed Wynn finale of the trial is inspired, with Ed’s goofy reactions, his searching for the rutabaga (“The rutabaga, where’s the rutabaga?), and finally the oversized fruits and vegetables arriving are an irresistible, visual conclusion. The smashing of the walnut by judge Charlie Ruggles is another delightful gag.

The last scene with Ned and Betsy sailing through the clouds is a nicely romantic moment, and gives a great line for Nancy Olson to deliver.

Ned: Betsy, off hand, can you tell me of one thing that science hasn’t improved upon in one way or another?
Betsy: (slyly) Off hand, I think I can.
Ned: (looking over) All right, what?! (Nancy glances at him knowingly)
Ned: OH!!! I guess I’ll have to go along with that. (and they kiss).

We then see the Earth from outer space, seeing a satellite orbiting, then another kind of satellite, and then a third. Finally we see the football pass by on its continuing journey, being propelled endlessly further in space, for one of the greatest endings the studio ever did for any comedy. It is as inspired as it gets. This is a one special film.

Those kinds of gags in the scripts of “The Absent-Minded Professor”, “That Darn Cat”, “The Love Bug”, and many other Disney comedies of the time were the work of co-screenwriter Don DaGradi. He had been an animator, and eventually started punctuating scripts for the studio, having an animator’s perspective, and helping to bring essentially live-action cartoons to the screen. Most visual gags in the scripts of the films he contributed to are from his wonderfully imaginative mind.

“Son Of Flubber” was released on 1/16/63 to local theaters, but was given a special advance showing on New Year’s Eve 12/31/62, giving the film a special early public showing (technically making the film a 1962 film, though it was a sneak preview). It was the first, and to my knowledge only done one more time for 1970’s “The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes”, given a special showing on 12/31/69 (with the reissue of “101 Dalmatians”). “Son Of Flubber” would be reissued in 1970, and in a more limited reissue in 1974 (the one-sheet poster from this year exists, but I’ve never found any actual other materials for that release like a pressbook, TV spot, or local ads). It came to television in a special 2-hour presentation on 3/16/80, editing only the Bob Sweeney scene, making it one of the last black and white films to premiere on network television. It was on that night that I first saw the film.

This would be the last Disney film shot in black and white of only three films done in that classic visual way, “The Shaggy Dog” and “The Absent-Minded Professor” being the others (“The Reluctant Dragon” having color sequences, and “The Sign Of Zorro” also being in B&W, but, of course, coming from TV origins). Even though color is wonderful, and the studio’s color photography was always gorgeous, there is something of the look to these three films that really is beautiful, and adds a slight horror element to the films that is truly inspired. To me they are three of the most special films ever made.

Would the films be as wonderful in color? Of course, but the black and white adds something to the visual aura of the films that is really special. In “Shaggy” the driving scene comes off a lot more visually exciting by the incredible contrasts, as well as the transformations having an additional horror element to them by being in black and white. In “Absent”, the discovery scene, and especially just before the explosion that results in Flubber is a wonderfully horror oriented scene, Ned close to becoming a joyful mad scientist, while the flying sequences have a more mysterious look to them in black and white. Finally in “Son” Shelby’s aquatic car ride, along with the nighttime football game have a beautiful luster in black and white, as well as the final flight of Ned and Besty with the final football in space gag. Visually, these films have a great look that is all their own in the Disney universe, with Edward Colman, the cinematographer of all three films, bringing out the most in each scene.

“Son Of Flubber” is one of my favorite films, right up there with “Absent”, always thinking of them as essentially one. The verve of the film, the incredible cast (at Disney only “Herbie Rides Again” and “The Strongest Man In The World” have as many veteran comedy actors as “Son Of Flubber” does), the great gags and that wonderful speech by Fred MacMurray make it be one of the most special of Disney comedies. There could easily have been another sequel, but this would be it for Medfield until a new dean, Higgins by name, and a student, Dexter Riley, would continue the history of that special college.

“Son Of Flubber” is a classic of cosmic proportions.

“I guess I’ll have to go along with that.”