The Love Bug (DVD)

...lot of gloop written about the bond between a man and his automobile on how he hates it sometimes but mostly how he loves it. He showers gifts on it in the way of accessories and all that. He gets hysterical if someone scratches the paint or makes it lose face on the freeway. Maybe some of those feelings got into the machinery, I don't know. There is something real about that little car, something that doesn't even have a name. What I don't understand ...
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THE STORY ABOUT A CAR WITH A MIND OF ITS OWN
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I'm telling you all right now, for a potentially silly Disney comedy filled with hilarious moments, these words that Jim Douglas (played by Dean Jones) says near the end of the film have a lot of poignancy to them; this is ... more

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TITLE: Love Bug, The

RATING: *****

CAST: Dean Jones, Michele Lee, David Tomlinson, Buddy Hackett, Joe Flynn, Benson Fong, Anthony Granatelli, Joe. E. Ross, Iris Adrian, Ned Glass, Robert Foulk, Gil Lamb, Barry Kelley, Nicole Jaffe, Wally Boag, Herbie.

DIRECTOR: Robert Stevenson

SCREENWRITERS: Bill Walsh & Don DaGradi; Gordon Buford (story)

STUDIO: Walt Disney Studios

RUNNING TIME: 107 min.

RATED: G (US); U (UK); no objectionable material.

DVD AVAILABILITY: 6 GPB at Amazon; ASIN#B0000TZ7HM

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INTRODUCTION
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"There's been a lot of gloop written about the bond between a man and his automobile on how he hates it sometimes but mostly how he loves it. He showers gifts on it in the way of accessories and all that. He gets hysterical if someone scratches the paint or makes it lose face on the freeway. Maybe some of those feelings got into the machinery, I don't know. There is something real about that little car, something that doesn't even have a name. What I don't understand is, out of the millions of people in the world, why it picked a dog-eared second-rater like me!" --- Jim Douglas

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THE STORY ABOUT A CAR WITH A MIND OF ITS OWN
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I'm telling you all right now, for a potentially silly Disney comedy filled with hilarious moments, these words that Jim Douglas (played by Dean Jones) says near the end of the film have a lot of poignancy to them; this is mainly because they are very true. Those who truly love their cars take care of them properly and give it gifts; in turn, the car does what its owner wants it to do. It takes Jim Douglas, a second-rate racecar driver, a long time to truly realize that in the irresistible Disney comedy known only as THE LOVE BUG. Released shortly after Walt's death in late 1968, the film would become the box office sensation of that year, making more money than any other film that came out. And it's easy to see why, even after almost 40 years.

The film stars Disney favorite Dean Jones as Jim Douglas who is introduced after being flipped over in a demolition derby. Although he has had minor success in auto racing, he now becomes an over-the-hill failure who is hanging onto a profession he loves to no avail; in other words, he has run out of gas and is told by his mechanic (and best friend) Tennessee Steinmetz (Buddy Hackett), that he should quit racing and find a new profession. Still, he decides to go downtown and find a new car, one that give him another shot at fame on the racetrack; instead, he meets the sexy Carole Burnett (Michele Lee), who works as a secretary to high-price car salesman Peter Thorndyke (David Tomlinson). When Thorndyke is offended at being asked by Douglas what he has in the way of "cheap honest transportation," he asks him to leave immediately. That is when a cute little Volkswagon appears.

Apparently, its previous owner returned the car and it outrages Thorndyke so much he kicks it, which upsets Douglas who leaves, not wishing to get into an argument. The next morning, he realizes that the VW had followed him home and Thorndyke accuses him of stealing the car! As a settlement, Douglas agrees to take the car despite the fact he thinks he was setup by Thorndyke; I think it's clear at this point that who the protagonist and antagonist will be. Anyway, Douglas takes the car…but soon realizes that this is not your average car, to say the least. This VW doesn't like driving on crowded highways, and seems to only go where it wants to go. Douglas is convinced the car was rigged in some way, and demands to get rid of the car, but a drive with Miss Burnett changes everything, and Douglas soon realizes that the car (with its superior speed) could just make him a racing star.

That is pretty much the gist of the story, though it has so many other layers, which I will not delve into too much for first-time viewers. This is one of my three favorite Disney comedies (after MARY POPPINS and PETE'S DRAGON) of all time, and even to this day surprisingly remains as fresh and funny as it did as when it first came out. Not only was it the biggest box-office smash of the year, but it also literally saved the Disney studios, which was heading towards bankruptcy slowly after Walt's death. In addition, say what you want, but this is my favorite auto racing film of all time; in my opinion, DAYS OF THUNDER doesn't hold a cylinder to this film.

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THE PRODUCTION TEAM BEHIND MARY POPPINS RETURNS
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The idea for this zany, delightful comedy sprang into the mind of writer Gordon Buford, who wrote a story treatment known as CAR-BOY-GIRL, which was later adapted into a screenplay by Bill Walsh and Don DaGradi. Walsh was a veteran writer for Disney who wrote (among other things), THE SHAGGY DOG, THE ABSENT MINDED PROFESSOR, and MARY POPPINS; DaGradi had written LADY AND THE TRAMP and co-wrote MARY POPPINS, but was mainly a visual artist…and considered by many at Disney as a creative genius. Their screenplay for THE LOVE BUG was the last one to be approved by Walt Disney himself. After Walt's death, however, it took awhile for production to begin, while at the same time the studio was losing money.

Also coming from MARY POPPINS was director Robert Stevenson and many other production members who had worked on POPPINS. Now it was time for the studio to choose the right car…and they actually had casting call! How did the Volkswagen get chosen? Well, when all the employees walked by the other cars they kicked the tires or played with the steering wheel and other things like that; when they got to the VW, however, they petted it. That's right, they petted it as if it were a pussycat. Like Tennessee Steinmetz said when he first laid his eyes on Herbie, "Hey, he's a cute little fella." It's not hard to believe that shortly after THE LOVE BUG premiered, VWs sold like crazy all around the country.

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THE SUPERB COMIC CAST THAT JOINS HERBIE
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Like Michele Lee says in the documentary, "That Loveable Bug," which is included among the special features, "What is amazing about Dean Jones is that he is incredible dramatic actor, but at the time he was known as a terrific comic actor." Jones has a likeability and charisma that is perfect for Jim Douglas, but as you can see in the film his dramatic moments are just as powerful as his funny ones; the sequence where he starts bashing Herbie for destroying his Lamborghini and the other when he saves Herbie from committing suicide are genuine acting moments for Jones. To be honest, it's hard to say whether Jones' performance is more dramatic or comedic, but it doesn't really matter because he is perfect as Jim Douglas, which is arguably the role in which he will always be remembered for.

Scoring as secretary Carole Bennett is Michele Lee, who was only 24 years old at the time THE LOVE BUG came out. Like Jim Douglas, Lee's character develops extremely well in the film, which makes her more than just the simple love interest. She is witty and attractive, and like Douglas, she takes quite awhile to accept the fact that Herbie has a genuine heart---and that didn't want to be taken for granted. The late comedian Buddy Hackett is wonderful as Tennessee Steinmetz, who treats Herbie like a human being from the very beginning; he has many hilarious moments as well, particularly the famous one where he screams because he is afraid of falling off a cliff while Herbie is driving.

However, my favorite performance (aside from Herbie's of course) is David Tomlinson as the ruthless Peter Thorndyke. Tomlinson was a brilliant British actor who had great roles in MARY POPPINS (as the father) and TOM JONES (as a dirty old man); this would mark the first and only time he would play a villain and he is simply magnificent. He wisely didn't take the role of Thorndyke too seriously, resulting in a performance that isn't campy but actually quite believable. There is a memorable sequence in which he is driving with a bear which always has me laughing; and who could forget his diabolical plan when he pumps Herbie full of Tennesee's Irish coffee. Maybe I love Tomlinson because he physically resembled my father in so many ways, but his acting was so impeccable that I'm still shocked he never won a single award for his work.

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DISNEY'S SPECIAL EDITION DVD WINS FIRST PLACE
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On Disc One of THE LOVE BUG Special Edition, we get a digitally THX mastered version of the film, along with an audio commentary with Dean Jones, Buddy Hackett, and Michele Lee. While I love listening to the commentary, I was also disappointed that Lee's track was recorded on a different day, while Jones and Hackett talk together. It was also clear that Hackett's comments showed that his health was deteriorating (sadly, he passed away several weeks after the recording). Still, all three provide many memories on the making of the film and how it impacted their lives. This disc also has a cartoon called "Susie: The Little Blue Coupe," which, while enjoyable, seemed very unnecessary, because it has nothing to do with the film.

On the second disc, you will find a fine collection of extras, which includes the documentary "That Loveable Bug," showcasing the story of how the THE LOVE BUG became a beloved hit; it features interviews with not only cast and crew members, but also some big Herbie fans. There is a second documentary called "The Many Lives of Herbie," which talks about the sequels and the many changes in which Herbie goes through. Thankfully, it doesn't mention a word of HERBIE: FULLY LOADED, but instead focuses on HERBIE RIDES AGAIN, HERBIE GOES TO MONTE CARLO, HERBIE GOES BANANAS, the short-lived television series, and the 1997 TV remake which had EVIL DEAD star Bruce Campbell.

But wait, there are even more extras! There is a studio album, a production gallery, a behind-the-scenes promo, and we even get to meet the man that gave a voice to Herbie! There is also a special extra called "Herbie Mania," which interviews many of the VW's biggest fans. There are two deleted scenes which are amusing, but the film is just as good without them. The surviving sound effects team comes onboard in a couple of segments, talking about the sounds employed for some sequences in the film, as well as biographies for the cast and crew. All in all, Disney has done an impressive job with this DVD to a genuine classic, which I think will never be replaced. This is just pure family entertainment, plain and simple.

You can obtain the DVD of the THE LOVE BUG at www.amazon.co.uk for 15 pounds; the ASIN is B0000TZ7HM. Soon, you all will able to purchase the 4-film Herbie collection by Disney as well so keep looking out for that if you want the whole set. Thank you for reading, and as always, I look forward to all of your comments.

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CLASSIC QUOTES
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1) "Well, there is nothing essentially wrong with the car…it's just that it wants to go one way and I like to go the other!" --- Dean Jones

2) "My personal inclination is to have Mr. Douglas thrown into jail and this four-wheel contrivance dropped into the Bay!!!" --- David Tomlinson

3) "Stop clowning around, will ya? Play it straight! Don't give them any trouble, you could have a good home here!" --- Buddy Hackett

4) "It's alright, Tennessee, I know what I'm doing! I think Mr. Thorndyke is a little mixed up as to who or what won that race!" --- Dean Jones "What does that mean?" --- David Tomlinson "Some day I'll teach you not to confuse the car with the driver!" --- Dean Jones

5) "I demand that this thing be impounded and checked!!! I'm telling you that there is more to this thing than meets the eye!!! --- David Tomlinson

6) "Has it occurred to you that it may not be the rotten car, or perhaps it's the way Mr. Douglas drives." --- Michele Lee "Balderdash!!! There isn't a driver in the world who can get a speed out of a car like that; no, he's done something to it, and I've got to find out what!!!" --- Peter Thorndyke

7) "Without a real car, I'm only half a man!" --- Dean Jones

8) "Poor little fella! You have a temperature! I know, nothing worse than an Irish coffee, I know!" --- Buddy Hackett

9) "Look what that thing did to my car!" --- Dean Jones "Ok, ok, maybe he was just a little jealous!" --- Buddy Hackett "Of course it's jealous, it's always been jealous because I get all the credit for winning those races!!!" --- Dean Jones "Go on, realize what your saying……" --- Buddy Hackett

10) "Two thousand dollars for that little beat up car? Why?" --- Dean Jones "Well, I suppose you could say I have a warm place in my heart for the dear little thing!" --- David Tomlinson "You don't have a warm place on your whole body! What do you want the car for? You believe it too, don't you!!!" --- Dean Jones

11) "You stood up for that little car once. I guess it felt that you were worth belonging to! I understand that!" --- Michele Lee

12) "Small car very angry. And very strong too. The strength of 40 horses!" --- Benson Fong "What do you think about that race coming up?" --- Dean Jones "You know, I think now is time to wipe egg foo young off of face!" --- Benson Fong

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TRIVIA AND CRITIC'S CORNER
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1) Dean Jones is the only individual who owns one of the original Herbie's that could do tricks used in this film; this car, which can squirts oil and opening his own doors, Jones keeps it in the garage at his California home.

2) Despite the outstanding visual effects (which still hold up today) and it's amazing success in 1969, THE LOVE BUG didn't win or was nominated for a single Academy Award.

3) Incidentally, that is Dean Jones as the long-haired hippy at the drive in theatre.

CRITIC'S QUOTE #1: "I never thought I would care so much about a crummy little car, but Herbie rules!!!" --- DVD Movie Guide

CRITIC'S QUOTE #2: "This is just one of those classic Disney movies, but the story is so well told that as to make you feel that automobile is actually feeling his way through the film!" --- www.needcoffee.com, DVD review

CRITIC'S QUOTE #3: "Subtle it ain't, but the slapstick and stunts make this great fun to watch!" --- Leonard Maltin, 2005 Video Movie Guide 

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