ComedyFamilyScience Fiction

The Absent-Minded Professor

- The most amazing discovery since laughter!

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.

Release Date : 1961-03-16

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Walt Disney Productions

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Ned Brainard

Original Name : Fred MacMurray

Gender : Male

Character Name : Betsy Carlisle

Original Name : Nancy Olson

Gender : Female

Character Name : Alonzo P. Hawk

Original Name : Keenan Wynn

Gender : Male

Character Name : Biff Hawk

Original Name : Tommy Kirk

Gender : Male

Character Name : Rufus Daggett

Original Name : Leon Ames

Gender : Male

Character Name : Shelby Ashton

Original Name : Elliott Reid

Gender : Male

Character Name : Defense Secretary

Original Name : Edward Andrews

Gender : Male

Character Name : General Singer

Original Name : David Lewis

Gender : Male

Character Name : Air Force Captain

Original Name : Jack Mullaney

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mrs. Chatsworth

Original Name : Belle Montrose

Gender : Male

Character Name : Coach Elkins

Original Name : Wally Brown

Gender : Male

Character Name : TV newsman

Original Name : Wally Boag

Gender : Male

Character Name : Lenny

Original Name : Don Ross

Gender : Male

Character Name : Officer Kelley

Original Name : Forrest Lewis

Gender : Male

Character Name : Officer Hanson

Original Name : James Westerfield

Gender : Male

Character Name : Referee #1

Original Name : Alan Carney

Gender : Male

Character Name : Sig

Original Name : Charlie Briggs

Gender : Male

Character Name : Reverend Bosworth

Original Name : Gage Clarke

Gender : Male

Character Name : General Hotchkiss

Original Name : Alan Hewitt

Gender : Male

Character Name : Admiral Olmstead

Original Name : Raymond Bailey

Gender : Male

Character Name : General Poynter

Original Name : Wendell Holmes

Gender : Male

Character Name : Fire Chief

Original Name : Ed Wynn

Gender : Male

Character Name : Wedding Guest (uncredited)

Original Name : Bess Flowers

Gender : Female

Character Name : PA Man / Air Force Dispatcher (voice) (uncredited)

Original Name : Paul Frees

Gender : Male

Character Name : Fisherman Spectator (uncredited)

Original Name : Hank Patterson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Man in Crowd (uncredited)

Original Name : Colin Kenny

Gender : Male

Character Name : Basketball Game Spectator (uncredited)

Original Name : Arthur Tovey

Gender : Male

Character Name : O.J. Turnball (uncredited)

Original Name : Ralph Clanton

Gender : Male

Character Name : Citizen (uncredited)

Original Name : Charles Fogel

Gender : Male

Reviews

John Chard

@John Chard

2024-05-16

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

@r96sk

2021-06-23

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 'The Shaggy Dog' 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.