The Barefoot Executive

I'm not usually turned on by animal comedies, and I read the synopsis for this one and decided to give it a miss. Then I was flicking channels and came across a late film on the Disney channel, started watching it, became engrossed and thought it was nice, just funny enough without going overboard for laughs. Kurt Russell is certainly a long way from "action hero" status; the story works well enough, and it's classic Disney fodder that parents can enjoy with their kids. Rating: 6/10.

One of the funniest comedies I've seen yet. What made this so was the interplay between Wally Cox and Joe Flynn [one of my favorite comics]. The bit on the building ledge was too much and had me rolling. The bellowing company prez was well played by Harry Morgan, a man I well remember from the early 60's sitcom "Pete & Gladys" where he played the put upon hubby, Pete Porter. John Ritter performed the snobbish, suck-up nephew to the hilt who, of course, gets his just payment in the end. 4 stars.

Steven Post (Kurt Russell), an ambitious mail clerk at the fictional struggling UBC (United Broadcasting Corporation) Network, discovers that a chimpanzee named Raffles in the care of his girlfriend Jennifer Scott (Heather North), has the uncanny ability to choose which television programs will succeed or fail with audiences by blowing raspberries at shows he hates and claps his hands at shows he likes. Through a series of shenanigans, Post convinces executives Wilbanks (Joe Flynn) and Crampton (Harry Morgan) that Post actually has the abilities and his usage of the chimp eventually results in UBC becoming the top rated network. Wilbanks and Crampton soon grow suspicious of Post's overnight success and fearing their future in the company is at stake set out to discover Post's secret.

After the success of The Computer Wore Tennis Shoe's Disney reunited star Russell and director Robert Butler as well as a few supporting players for The Barefoot Executive. Like The Computer Wore Tennis Shoe's, the movie follows Kurt Russell as simple everyman but unlike his previous film the movie adds more weight to itself and feels like an actual movie rather than an extended sitcom plot. The movie builds it's premise on the framework of working one's way to the top and incorporates the gimmick premise of a Monkey that can pick successful TV shows. While the satire in The Barefoot Executive isn't the most cutting or acerbic about entertainment or corporate culture (save for the rather obvious satire of a Monkey understanding the public better than highly paid executives do) the movie is a pleasant enough sit thanks to Russell playing a more tangible level than Dexter Riley and Butler having honed his skills improving his timing and use of comedic friction. The story is fairly predictable and you'll be able to tell what story beats you're approaching well in advance of when the characters get to them but luckily the movie has enough amusing gags that it's familiar story doesn't make them stumble.

The Barefoot Executive isn't especially memorable and doesn't reach the highest points of Disney Gimmick Comedies like That Darn Cat, Blackbeard's Ghost or The Love Bug, but it is a well made film with good comic work from talented actors that's an amusing albeit not all that memorable sit.

A monkey who fills network slots?

Just another executive meeting at the networks, you might think, but this is the beauty of the plot that is "The Barefoot Executive", a movie made when Disney was in its live action glory.

A still-young Russell is a mail boy at one of the big networks who has ideas but the stuffy boss (Flynn) will have none of it. Then, Russell agress to babysit his girfriends' neighbor's pet chimp (probably a '70s thing) who turns out to be a whiz at picking out all the popular shows. One thing leads to another until Russell, playing all the chimp's hunches, finds himself on top of the TV programming world.

It's not Prokofiev but for pure fun this movie is a keeper. How can you dislike a movie that not only has Russell and a cute chimp but also the comedic timing of both Joe Flynn and Wally Cox? Their moments together are pure hilarity. Even "MASH"'s Col. Potter (aka - Harry Morgan) has plenty of good scenes as a blustering head honcho.

For kids and grown-ups who grew up on these movies, there can be no substitutes. "The Barefoot Executive" is monkeying around at its best.

Nine stars. And we'll get through this if we ALL KEEP COOL HEADS!

Although not part of the Dexter Riley series (in fact made just after the first one), it carries Russell where Dexter might have gone after college. The same type of humor skims the surface of this movie but, it is the biting satire that is it's heart. Playing to the pretentious attitudes of people who cater to each other more than their clients, in this case the TV audience, they are completely stumped when an outsider successfully predicts the new favorite shows. But Russell holds a secret that would completely demoralize everyone in charge. Never mind a young mail clerk seems smarter than seasoned pros, but what about a monkey!

This movie showed a maturity the Riley series never did, although the concept of a bunch of college slackers was ahead of it's time, and stood out from the rest of the Disney fare at that time. Well worth viewing as it shows Russell at the beginning of his adult career. His comedic timing and relaxed, natural acting talent are quite evident here.