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The Absent-Minded Professor

    Comedy
    Family
    Science Fiction
64%tmdb logo
•
Mar 16, 1961
Rated G

Bumbling professor Ned Brainard accidentally invents flying rubber, or "Flubber", an incredible material that gains energy every time it strikes a hard surface. It allows for the invention of shoes that can allow jumps of amazing heights and enables a modified Model-T to fly. Unfortunately, no one is interested in the material except for Alonzo Hawk, a corrupt businessman who wants to steal the material for himself.

Details

  • Directors
  • Budget
    $2,000,000
  • Vote Average
    6.4
  • Vote Count
    175
  • Popularity
    13
  • Language
    English
  • Origin Country
    US

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    • Cast

    Background image 1
    Fred MacMurray
    Ned Brainard
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    Nancy Olson
    Betsy Carlisle
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    Keenan Wynn
    Alonzo P. Hawk
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    Tommy Kirk
    Biff Hawk
    Background image 5
    Leon Ames
    Rufus Daggett
    Background image 6
    Elliott Reid
    Shelby Ashton
    Background image 7
    Edward Andrews
    Defense Secretary
    Background image 8
    David Lewis
    General Singer
    Background image 9
    Jack Mullaney
    Air Force Captain
    Background image 10
    Belle Montrose
    Mrs. Chatsworth
    Background image 11
    Wally Brown
    Coach Elkins
    Background image 12
    Wally Boag
    TV newsman
    Background image 13
    Don Ross
    Lenny
    Background image 14
    Forrest Lewis
    Officer Kelley
    Background image 15
    James Westerfield
    Officer Hanson
    Background image 16
    Alan Carney
    Referee #1
    Background image 17
    Charlie Briggs
    Sig
    Background image 18
    Gage Clarke
    Reverend Bosworth
    Background image 19
    Alan Hewitt
    General Hotchkiss
    Background image 20
    Raymond Bailey
    Admiral Olmstead
    Background image 21
    Wendell Holmes
    General Poynter
    Background image 22
    Ed Wynn
    Fire Chief
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    Bess Flowers
    Wedding Guest (uncredited)
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    Paul Frees
    PA Man / Air Force Dispatcher (voice) (uncredited)
    Background image 25
    Hank Patterson
    Fisherman Spectator (uncredited)
    Background image 26
    Colin Kenny
    Man in Crowd (uncredited)
    Background image 27
    Arthur Tovey
    Basketball Game Spectator (uncredited)
    Background image 28
    Ralph Clanton
    O.J. Turnball (uncredited)
    Background image 29
    Charles Fogel
    Citizen (uncredited)

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    Reviews

    (2)
    John Chard
    70%
    Substance X, we dub thee - Flubber! The Absent-Minded Professor is directed by Robert Stevenson and adapted to screenplay by Bill Walsh from a story by Samuel W. Taylor. It stars Fred MacMurray, Nancy Olsen, Keenan Wynn, Tommy Kirk, Leon Ames and Elliott Reid. Music is by George Bruns and cinematography by Edward Colman. Out of Disney, we get the kind of wacky family friendly comedy that serves a purpose on a miserable real life day. MacMurray's professor has invented flying - gravity defying - rubber, which he christens Flubber. It can make you bounce up to incredible heights, make the prof's car fly and naturally it draws the attention of evil business man Alonzo Hawk (Wynn). A bunch of nutty scenarios ensue (the basketball match is a pure joy) and the prof has to win back the girl he keeps forgetting to marry (a radiant Olson). It's a creative piece of writing and it saw Disney take note for continued success in live action pictures. 7/10
    r96sk
    70%
    An amusing film regarding Professor Brainard, a character I've always associated with Robin Williams having seen the 1997 remake first back when I was younger. Fred MacMurray plays the aforementioned in this, the original. He is pleasing here, giving a more than satisfying performance - even if it is pretty similar to the one he gives in <em>'The Shaggy Dog'</em> back in 1959. Elsewhere, Keenan Wynn plays Alonzo Hawk - he is perfect for that role. Nancy Olson (Betsy) and Tommy Kirk (Biff) are also recognisable Disney faces, though it's MacMurray and Wynn who are the standouts by quite some distance. The special effects haven't aged well at all but I can forgive that. However, the editing is very choppy when the Flubber is in use. I get why, of course, but I feel they could've sharpened the edits up a tad. The main part that I'll remember from this is the humour, which is nicely crafted. There's a lot of set pieces with the Flubber and basically all of them give laughs to some degree. If it wasn't for the fun, I'd be rating this lower - especially after the somewhat out of place ending. I prefer the remake with Williams, though that one leaves a similar impression - with the previously mentioned actor elevating that film up tremendously. This, for a special effect-filled production from 1961, is solid.