Review: The Love Bug (1969) (DMC #45)
Start your engines! Last night we watched Disney’s The Love Bug, the original 1969 film that first introduced the world to the loveable Herbie. It also marks the 45th film in the Disnerd Movie Challenge! In case it’s been a while, you can read our recap below, otherwise skip ahead to our review!
Synopsis
Veteran race car driver Jim Douglas laments over no longer being able to compete professionally, and instead only racing in demolition derbies with young racers. After losing another race and crashing his car, Jim returns home to his firehouse home in Chinatown, San Francisco, and meets up with his friend Tennessee Steinmetz. Tennessee is a skilled mechanic who has found spiritual enlightenment in Tibet and now creates “art” out of car parts—including the parts of Jim’s car. Jim goes into town to find a new car to race with, and is lured into a luxury European car showroom after seeing the attractive sales agent and mechanic, Carole Bennett. Carole spots the race injuries on Jim’s face and attempts to take care of him until Jim is distracted by the sight of a brand new luxury car, the Thorndyke Special. The showroom’s owner, Peter Thorndyke, arrives to entice Jim into buying it, but instantly loses his cheerful demeanor upon learning Jim is looking for a cheap car. As Jim is about to leave, a Volkswagen Beetle rolls up to him, seemingly on its own. Thorndyke is annoyed at the sight of the used car and demands it be taken away, kicking it in frustration. Jim calls Thorndyke out for being abusive, but Thorndyke dismisses Jim from his shop. The car follows Jim back home without him knowing, and the next morning he finds the car parked outside his home, much to his shock. A police officer takes Jim in for allegations of grand theft on behalf of Thorndyke. After a heated argument, Thorndyke agrees to sell the car to Jim on a system of monthly payments. Jim takes the car out driving and soon discovers that it is completely out of control, moving and turning wherever it wants. He thinks Thorndyke has scammed him and demands his money back. Carole takes control of the wheel to prove to him that the car is fine, but the car goes haywire once Jim is back behind the wheel. The car “drives” the two around until nightfall, and as Carole tries to drive them back home, the car once again goes out of control and proves Jim’s story. Jim tells Tennessee about the car, and Tennessee believes the car has a mind of its own. He decides to name the car Herbie. Discovering that Herbie has the speed and handling of a race car, Jim decides to use it in his races. After winning their first race together, Thorndyke, himself a prominent racer, offers to buy the car back. When Jim refuses, Thorndyke changes his offer to canceling the remaining payments if Jim can win an upcoming race in Riverside, otherwise Thorndyke wins back the car. During the race, Thorndyke and his team utilize several dirty tactics, but Jim and Herbie still manage to win.
The two win several more races over the next few months, while Thorndyke is humiliatingly defeated each time. Thorndyke persuades Carole to take Jim out on a date on the pretense of convincing Jim to join his team, but uses the opportunity to instead sneak into Jim and Tennessee’s home. Thorndyke convinces Tennessee he is there on friendly terms. Tennessee, who has ben having misgivings about Jim’s lack of friendliness towards Herbie, feels he may have misjudged Thorndyke and offers him Irish coffee. Carole allows Jim to drive the Thorndyke Special car that Carole picked him up in, and Jim admits that this type of car is just what he needs for a real race. Carole is disappointed in Jim’s lack of love for Herbie. Back at the firehouse, Tennessee gets drunk off his coffee, and Thorndyke manages to slip the rest of the alcoholic beverage into Herbie’s gas tank. At the following day’s race, a hungover Herbie is unable to compete and slows to a stop, backfiring, while Thorndyke takes the victory. That evening, Carole arrives at the firehouse to help Tennessee repair Herbie. Tennessee shares with Carole that Herbie has a mind of his own. Jim arrives home with a brand new “big and strong” Lamborghini racing car and agrees to sell Herbie back to Thorndyke to help pay it off. While Jim argues he needs a better car to win the upcoming El Dorado race, Tennessee and Carole admonish him for not caring about Herbie and not realizing the car was the real reason Jim was winning. Herbie, realizing how little Jim cares, attacks the Lamborghini. In anger, Jim strikes Herbie with a shovel. He claims Herbie is jealous of Jim getting the credit for winning the races. Thorndyke arrives to collect the car, and another heated argument ensues when Jim demands to know why Thorndyke wants the car so badly, thinking the salesman also believes Herbie to be the reason behind the race victories. Herbie no longer believes in Jim and drives away, but he’s seized by Thorndyke’s men who take him to be dismantled and studied. Herbie manages to escape through Chinatown, leaving destruction in his wake. The car arrives at the Golden Gate Bridge and is about to drive off the bridge when Jim catches up to him. Jim attempts to stop Herbie but nearly falls into the water himself. Herbie saves Jim and realizes Jim does care. However, Herbie is impounded by the police department. Jim attempts to get Herbie out, but Tang Wu, a Chinese businessman whose store was damaged during Herbie’s rampage, demands more money than Jim can afford. Tennessee attempts to negotiate with Wu by speaking Chinese he learned in Tibet, and realizes that Wu is a fan of Jim and Herbie. Wu offers to drop the charges in exchange for being Herbie’s owner, to which Jim agrees under the condition that if he wins the El Dorado race Wu will sell Herbie back to Jim for one dollar while Wu keeps the prize money. Wu agrees.
Before the start of the El Dorado race, Thorndyke persuades Wu to make a wager on the outcome. Jim shows up to the race with Herbie, which has been restored to efficient driving condition thanks to Carole and Tennessee’s work. Jim, Tennessee, and Carole all pile into Herbie to join in the race. During the first leg of the race, Thorndyke and his assistant Havershaw discuss how Havershaw and his team have sabotaged Herbie. The race begins and Thorndyke, driving his “Thorndyke Special,” takes an early lead. As with previous races, he uses several cheap tricks and tactics to keep Jim and Herbie from winning, although Thorndyke and Havershaw have a few mishaps of their own, including a bear sneaking its way into Thorndyke’s car while Havershaw is outside pushing it. When Thorndyke stops for gas, the assistant works slowly to fill their tank. Meanwhile, several of Wu’s family members help lift a broken down Herbie to the same gas station, where Jim and Herbie are given optimal service and are on their way before Thorndyke’s tank is filled. Still, Thorndyke manages to reclaim a far enough lead that he and Havershaw switch the directions on a road sign. This results in leading Jim and the other racers to an old mine instead of the next town over. In spite of the diversion, Jim, Carole, Tennessee, and Herbie manage to escape the mine and take the lead while Thorndyke and Havershaw pause to prematurely celebrate. Further along the route, Thorndyke nudges Herbie and causes a couple wheels to disengage thanks to the sabotage. As a result, Thorndyke leads the end of the first leg while Herbie comes in last place. That night, Tennessee is unable to repair Herbie well enough to participate in the second leg back to Virginia City. Thorndyke arrives to claim Herbie as a result of his wager with Wu. Wu regretfully informs Jim of this, and Thorndyke gleefully mocks Jim, resulting in a fight. Herbie comes to life and chases Thorndyke away. Jim is renewed by Herbie’s fighting spirit, and he, Tennessee, and Carole use some mechanical shortcuts to repair Herbie just enough to finish the race. The next day, Thorndyke continues his dirty tactics, but Jim is able to make up the lost time and stay neck and neck with Thorndyke towards the finish line. However, Herbie begins to break in half due to the stress of the race. Tennessee attempts to fix the cracks but they appear faster than he can fix them. Herbie splits in two pieces, with the back half carrying Tennessee across the finish line just before Thorndyke crosses. The front half with Jim and Carole crosses the finish line behind Thorndyke, making Herbie come in both first and third place. With Herbie having won the race, Wu’s wager with Thorndyke is fulfilled, allowing Wu to take over Thorndyke’s car dealership with Tennessee as assistant. Thorndyke and Havershaw work as Wu’s mechanics, while Herbie is fully repaired. The love bug chauffeurs Jim and Carole, who have just married, and drives them away.
Thoughts Before Watching
Megan: I definitely remember watching one of the original movies about Herbie the love bug, but I’m not quite sure if it was this one or one of the sequels. I do remember loving it, whichever one it was, and enjoying the various antics of Herbie throwing people out of the car or otherwise getting into trouble. I also saw the 2005 remake, Herbie: Fully Loaded, starring Lindsay Lohan, though I can’t say I remember very much about the plot of that movie. In any case, I’m looking forward to watching (or re-watching) The Love Bug!
Kevin: My only real experience with this story is through the 2005 remake, but even then I don’t remember that film very well. Still, I understand that Herbie, both as a car and as a movie, seems to be a beloved classic, so I’m optimistic about this one.
Thoughts After Watching
So many familiar faces!
Megan: It was so much fun seeing so many familiar actors in this film! I was especially excited to see Buddy Hackett. I know him from his role in the film production of The Music Man, but he’s probably better known by Disney fans as the voice of Scuttle in The Little Mermaid. He’s great in comedic roles, and he does a fantastic job playing Tennessee in this film! We also see Dean Jones yet again playing the lead male role as Jim Douglas, and David Tomlinson playing the role of the antagonistic Peter Thorndyke (though I must admit, it’s hard for me to see him as anyone but George Banks from Mary Poppins when he first appears on screen in a suit very reminiscent of the suit he wears as George Banks. Must this man always wear a red carnation on his lapel?).
Kevin: I actually didn’t have a hard time imagining David Tomlinson in this role. He played the villain so well that I could thoroughly separate Thorndyke and Mr. Banks! I completely agree that it was so fun to see all of these people again. I actually didn’t make the connection between Buddy Hackett and Scuttle, but of course it makes total sense now! One of the interesting things about movie contracts is how lots of actors used to sign on for multiple films, and Disney is no exception. We’ve seen many of the same faces appear across the decades just in this challenge alone, and I like watching how the actors do their best to make each character seem different. Although Hayley Mills played characters with similar personalities, she was able to make each role unique. Dean Jones has a recurring role as the straight man type, yet each portrayal isn’t a rehash. Tomlinson does the same thing here. It makes me curious for the next movie we will see him in, Bedknobs and Broomsticks.
A female mechanic?! Yes!
Megan: I was absolutely thrilled to see Carole Bennett’s character! This is now two films in a row that feature a woman in a STEM field! Not only is Carole a mechanic who enjoys working on cars, her authority on cars is NEVER QUESTIONED! Too often nowadays when we see a woman on screen in a STEM field, another character will question what the woman is doing working in that field—thus insinuating that a woman doesn’t belong in that field. It was incredibly refreshing to see Carole confidently working as a mechanic in a film otherwise dominated by men and not once having her authority on cars brought into question. In fact, in this film we see the male characters seeking Carole’s expertise to fix Herbie. What’s more, though her work as a mechanic can be messy at times, the film does not portray her as any less feminine because of her chosen occupation. (In fact, there is a an unfortunately sexist gag when Jim first meets Carole with only her legs visible behind a sign saying “May we direct your attention to these.” Clearly she is no less sexually appealing for being a mechanic.) Carole can still be as feminine (or as non-feminine) as she likes AND do the work she enjoys. It is not the either/or situation that we tend to see in modern media where a woman in a traditionally “male” occupation must be more masculine in her appearance in order for it to be deemed “acceptable.” It may seem like such a subtle thing to show Carole’s unquestioned authority as a mechanic and her freedom to express her femininity, but it makes a world of difference! I wouldn’t be surprised if this film inspired some young girls to become mechanics.
Kevin: To what Megan said about contemporary films and how they portray women in STEM fields, there’s an interesting reversal to be noted here. Films made today are generally more progressive than older films, but as we can see with this film that is not always the case. I have wondered before what the reason is for contemporary film characters questioning women in their positions. On the one hand, said movies occasionally try to show that questioning a woman’s role in a STEM field is ridiculous. In itself, it’s a good thing to teach young people that careers should not be determined by gender. The question is, why do this at all? Wouldn’t it be better to show people working alongside each other without questioning whether one “belongs” or not? Isn’t it best to have a dedicated team of experts in any field that you can rely on without making judgments? What The Love Bug gets right is to just simply show women and men on equal footing without questioning each other’s credentials over something that is irrelevant to the work.
Bechdel test failure
Megan: As much as I love Carole’s role as a mechanic, the film still doesn’t do great on the Bechdel test. We get one brief, one-sided conversation between Carole and the unnamed carhop waitress:
CARHOP: Hey! Knock it off will ya, sis? I ain’t sayin’ this is the classiest joint in town, but we gotta draw the line somewhere. Come on! Back in your seat!
CAROLE: [trying to form words but can’t]
CARHOP: Why don’t you go up to Seabreeze Point? Fuzz don’t bother you much up there.
It’s hardly a conversation since the carhop waitress does all the talking. Not only that, she’s pretty rude to both Carole and Jim in the few lines she has. What’s worse, though, is the carhop waitress seems totally indifferent to Carole’s obvious distress at being trapped in the car. All in all, this film doesn’t do enough to pass the Bechdel test, which is really such a disappointment given how great Carole’s character is.
A better portrayal of Chinese characters
Megan: I’ll admit that I got a bit worried about this film once Herbie drove into San Francisco’s Chinatown. Given how Disney’s films prior to this portrayed non-white characters, I had reason to be wary of racist depictions. On the whole, though, I feel like The Love Bug is respectful and authentic in its portrayal of the Chinese characters. In fact, it seems to subtly call out racist assumptions when Tennessee has a conversation with Mr. Wu in Chinese, only to discover that Mr. Wu speaks perfect English. The audience laughs because we, like Jim and Tennessee, had erroneously assumed Mr. Wu didn’t understand English. Granted, neither I nor Kevin speaks Chinese, so we have no idea if Tennessee’s Chinese is any good, and we have no idea what any of the Chinese-speaking characters say, but I don’t think we need to. This film thankfully avoids the cringe-worthy racist depictions we’ve seen in other films. I will note that I’m white, so I’m definitely not the best authority on this matter, but I feel like this film has a more positive portrayal of Chinese characters than something like Swiss Family Robinson.
Herbie, the original self-driving car
Megan: Watching this film in an age where self-driving cars are a reality (albeit a work-in-progress reality), I was struck by Tennessee’s lines where he speculates about artificial intelligence (AI):
TENNESSEE: Well then, if everything you say about this car is true, it’s already starting to happen!
JIM: What’s starting to happen?
TENNESSEE: Us human beings, we had a chance to make something out of this world. We blew it. Okay. Another kind of a civilization is gonna take a turn.
…
TENNESSEE: Jim, it’s happenin’ right under our noses and we can’t see it. We take machines and we stuff ‘em with information until they’re smarter than we are. Take a car. Most guys spread more love and time and money on a car in a week than they do on their wife and kids in a year. Pretty soon, you know what? The machine starts to think it is somebody.
Granted, Tennessee seems to think Herbie coming to life is more of a magical or spiritual phenomenon rather than a technological one, but it’s interesting seeing a film from 1969 expressing concerns about what will become known as artificial intelligence long before such a thing became a reality. This was the age where human space flight was just beginning (the first American to go into space was Alan Shepard in 1961), and this film was produced just before personal computers would become available and popularized (the first personal computers were available for purchase in 1970, but wouldn’t become popular until 1977 according to this article). It’s easy to see how the technological advancements of the time both inspired the idea of this film (a car that drives itself and has a personality) and brought about questions of how far technology might go—and whether or not we should go there.
Disney is on a roll
Kevin: Whatever Disney Studios was doing during around 1967-1968 seems to have been working for them. I am just so pleased that we’ve been treated to some really fun live action movies back to back. The common thread with this film and the last two at the moment is that they all star Dean Jones, but I don’t think that’s really why they’ve been so successful, or at least not the whole reason. I will say that I think Dean’s ongoing portrayal of the straight man isn’t getting old yet. His character, Jim Douglas, is given strong motivation for his actions, and so we’re given reasons to root for him. Carole is a fantastic, refreshing female character that goes toe to toe with Jim. Tennessee is the source of most of the comedy, and Buddy Hackett is brilliant in the role. Lastly, I don’t think we could ask for a better villain for this type of movie than Peter Thorndyke, easily the best villain of the Dean Jones era so far. There’s one point in the movie where Mr. Wu describes Thorndyke as the man who invented fine print on contracts, and we all know how evil the fine print is. He even gets the evil laugh down. All he’s missing is a longer mustache that he can twirl. Of course, we cannot talk about how fun this movie is without talking about the comedy. I laughed more during Blackbeard’s Ghost than this one, but I was still howling with laughter throughout this movie! From the ongoing gag of splattering Thorndyke’s suit and/or face with oil, to Tennessee riding one half of Herbie across the finish line, there are plenty of moments to enjoy. Disney even adds a few clever twists, too. I know some of these films were among the last to be overseen by Walt before he passed away, but here’s hoping Disney keeps up the streak with these delightful, hilarious films!