El sabio en apuros

Fred MacMurray is back as the wacky science professor. Due to the absurdities of government, such as taxing him for Flubber profits before he's made a dime from it while waiting for "appropriations", he goes in search of other applications for his discovery, leading to comic complications such as creating an indoor thunderstorm, breaking windows, and growing enormous vegetables. The most hilarious application is "Flubber gas", used in a football game that's even funnier than the basketball game from the first film. Every time I saw this film, I laughed so hard at the sight of the Flubberized football player that my sides hurt. The great supporting cast from the first film is back, with the addition of Paul Lynde as the sportscaster doing the incredulous play by play of Flubber football.

By the time Son of Flubber was released by Walt Disney in 1963, Fred MacMurray was firmly established in the third phase of his career as star of G-rated Disney films and television situation comedies. MacMurray was able to do this because of a unique clause he had written into his contract with CBS which produced the My Three Sons show that he starred in for a dozen or so years. All of MacMurray's scenes in all episodes were filmed at the beginning of the cycle so as to allow him to do those Disney films as well. It worked out great for him.

Disney took virtually the entire cast of The Absent Minded Professor and added several new faces as well. In the previous film, MacMurray revolutionizes rubber by making a substance that bounces higher with each bounce than lower. That film ends with MacMurray flying to Washington in his Model T (you read it right) to give flubber for the defense of the free world.

But Washington, DC red tape being what it is MacMurray and his new bride Nancy Olson aren't seeing any money any time soon. But not to worry, Fred's found a byproduct of flubber that he calls flubber gas. A lighter than air substance that really makes anything fly.

In the first film, MacMurray used his college's basketball team as a test for flubber. In Son of Flubber, flubber gas is tested during a football game with the same hilarious results. In fact more so because in this film Paul Lynde is the stressed and harried play by play announcer of the college football game. For me he's the highlight of the film.

In Son of Flubber, Disney gives us an entertaining and worthy successor to the Absent Minded Professor that after almost fifty years will still appeal to anyone not made of stone.

"Son of Flubber" is a comedy sci-fi sequel to Walt Disney's highly popular "The Absent-Minded Professor" of 1961. And, this film picks up where the latter left off. Fred MacMurray's Prof. Ned Brainard and young college protégé Biff Hawk (played by Tommy Kirk) are drive-flying his old Model T (or Model A?) to the Pentagon to meet with the brass on the future of flubber. But, the government wants to keep it under wraps, and unfortunately, Ned can't talk about it and he won't even get a small cash advance. As the Defense Secretary, played by Edward Andrews, explains, they have to go to Congress to get the appropriations to develop flubber (for whatever national interests), and then they will have the money to pay Prof. Brainard.

But, he needed an advance of at least $350,000 to save Medfield College. That would pay off the loan with Alonzo P. Hawk, who otherwise is going to bulldoze the college for a development project. There's only one thing to do. He's got to market his newest invention. Where the first film had the professor trying out flubber in a basketball game, this film takes to the gridiron where the prof's gas will be used to win a big football game.

There are all sorts of complications here, with the professor's wife, Betsy, played by Nancy Olson, and the college president, played by Leon Adams, and the community. It's a fun and funny film in the tradition of Disney movies of this sort. This one has a big cast of well-known actors and Disney standouts, including others who would become known as the early Disney Legends before that became an official list. Besides MacMurray and Kirk, Keenan Wynn and Paul Lynde were among this group. Other top actors of the day in the film are Ed Wynn, William Demarest, Charles Ruggles, and Stuart Erwin.

Here are a couple favorite lines from this very good family film.

Defense Secretary (Andrews), "Remember - you're in Washington. Stop trying to be reasonable about money or you're going to bollix the whole thing."

Desiree de la Roche (played by Joanna Moore), at her costume Halloween party, "There's a tank of martinis in here and everybody'd bobbing for olives."

This is the sequel to "The Absent Minded Professor" [1961]. Slower, and more uneven. The "Absent Minded Professor" was mainly a one-joke affair; Fred MacMurray's fantastic invention "flubber", and by the time "Son of Flubber" came out, it had worn a bit thin. For instance, the SoF copied the AMP with a sports contest. In AMP it was the basketball game half-way through, but in SOF it was a football game as the grand finale [which shows you the tired plot line]. It does have its moments, though...watch for Paul Lynde as the sportscaster, as well as the father/son team of Ed and Keenan Wynn.

Perhaps it's just the vivid memories from my childhood, but this is a far underrated Disney film from the 60s. Is it moving? Not really. Is it groundbreaking? Not really. Is it the best Disney film ever made? Not even close. But something about this film entertains me even as an adult.

There are a few sequences in this film that are comedy gold. I laughed hysterically as a kid. But even now that I'm a grown man, I can't help but find these sequences still hilarious.

It's a really whacky film with whacky characters and whacky scenes. But you know what? It's also a unique film. It's a snapshot of 1960s Americana that's very, very special, in my opinion, and even better than the first installment The Absent Minded Professor.