Un amour de Coccinelle

Dean Jones plays a race car driver who meets a pretty young woman (Michelle Lee) he sees working in the window at a fancy car dealership. He pretends to be interested in a car, but the dealer has nothing he can afford. Well, actually, that's not true. There is one little Volkswagen Beetle that was purchased by a woman who also bought a Bentley. She bought it for her maid but brought it back because the car misbehaved. Jones isn't interested in the car, but it follows him home. Cops show up at his place accusing him of stealing the car, which of course he didn't. Jones blames the sleazy car dealer for this, and for the strange behavior the car exhibits when he tries to drive it. The car has a mind of its own, and its special qualities make it good for racing. A romance develops between Jones and Lee when Lee tries to convince Jones the car is normal but soon finds out the truth. Lee can't stand Jones at first, of course.

Eventually Jones decides to keep the car and race it, but the car dealer wants in on the action, offering to buy this special car. Jones won't sell to him, but he eventually sells to a Mr. Wu (some people may be offended by stereotypical portrayals of Chinese people, and Wu starts out as a stereotype but later seems quite sophisticated). The car dealer tries his best to keep Herbie from being a success.

Jones and Lee did well in their parts but they seemed like they were acting. Buddy Hackett was quite good as an artist who creates works out of car parts and later served as Jones' crew. Hackett named the car Herbie because it reminded him of his uncle. And the actor playing the car dealer was delightfully evil. The special effects were amazing for the era in which the movie was made. It really looked like the car could do some amazing things. And of course the car seemed to have a personality, one that made us like it. The racing scenes were quite well done, and it's hard to believe there were not more wrecks. Maybe the cars were filmed at slower speeds than what we saw. While quite funny, the movie also had its tender moments and could even be sad: Herbie tried to jump off the Golden Gate Bridge, for example. I didn't really see anything to concern parents, though maybe it was a little violent for the littlest ones.

Amusing and funny first installment with the ¨Wolkswagen Love Bug¨ racing the tracks . Love Bug's outing in which Herbie is racing in competitions , it is full of pranks and car stunts that are great fun to see . Agreeable Disney's love bug Wolkswagen plenty of action , slapdash , laughs and entertainment . This hilarious Herbie story concerns about The Love Bug falls 'hood-over-wheels' for a classy chassis! . It deals with a down-on-his-luck race car pilot named Jim Douglas (Dean Jones who also plays the role of the hippy in the drive-in scene), who lives in an old run-down fire mansion in San Francisco with his partner , an occasional alcoholic mechanic called Tennessee Steinmetz (Buddy Hackett) . One day, Jim goes to a car seller and surprisingly sees a rare Volkswagon Beetle with a unusual problem, it tends to drive on its own will . Then, Jim and Tennessee who dubbed the car "Herbie" fixed it and now is under control . After that , Jim used Herbie for notorious international races and he was rising to fame and fortune , turning more successful in racing . Later on , Thorndyke (David Tomlinson) wants Herbie back, but Jim refuses and Thorndyke wishes to compete against Jim in the races, then he sabotaged Herbie before a car race so , he can vanquish . As the backdrop in the race scenes is of the Riverside International Raceway . Then, a big race was coming up and Herbie, the Volkswagen Beetle with a mind of its own undergoes the famous international car race called EL Dorado but encountering all sorts of comical obstacles along the way . Jim and Tennessee along with Thorndyke's previous assistant named Carrol Bennet (Michelle Lee) , repaired Herbie before the race . The trio are determined to win Thorndyke in the El Dorado, but he will swindle and trap to make sure that they do not win . Fortunately, the couple of pilots have a sleeve in the form of Herbie , the fantastic car , as they take the magical Wolkswagen Bug with a mind of its own as both of them compete in the notorious race and attempt to beat . So the two rogue pilots (Joe Flynn , David Tomlinson) resort to all manner of cheats , legal or otherwise, to get it and are now attempting to get them back . There is one obstacle however : Herbie . Miraculous Herbie take them for a ride and stumbles into evil hoodlums who pursue through roads and race tracks . As always, Herbie the love bug , is helping the young couple (Dean Jones , Michelle Lee) find romance but encountering all sorts of hilarious problems along the way . Herbie with the number 53 intervenes in the biggest car race and win the Grand Prize , a challenge among top competitors circle the world's most famous racing circuits and quickly slipping in the ranking.

This delightful Disney comedy displays great loads of amusement , fantastic race cars , slapstick , fun , giggles , chases are great fun to watch and being pretty entertaining . It's an enjoyable movie for kids and for those who enjoy cars racing round and round and bounds and leaps carried out by Herbie . Herbie The Love Bug was a 1963 Volkswagen Beetle deluxe ragtop sedan painted in Volkswagen L87 pearl white. Under normal circumstances, the interior would be a matching white. However, Herbie's interior was painted a special non-reflective grey color so the camera and studio lights would not reflect . The actors seem to enjoy immensely , as Dean Jones and Buddy Hackett play of sympathetic manner and the mean-spirited villains performed by David Tomlinson Joe Flynn are top notch. Colorful cinematography by Edward Colman and jolly soundtrack by George Bruns including the lively leitmotif , usual in the Herbie's series. This is a delightful film , this original entry is followed by ¨ Herbie rides again (1974)¨ also by Robert Stevenson and starred by Ken Berry , Stefanie Powers and Helen Hayes ; it's followed by ¨Herbie goes to Montecarlo¨ with Dean Jones , Don Knotts and Julie Sommers ; followed by ¨Herbie goes bananas¨ (1980 , or Herbie Torero) by Vincent McEveety starred by Charles Martin Smith and Cloris Leachman , among others and a 1997-for-television-movie with Bruce Campbell and John Hanna and a TV series , the most part filmed by Stevenson and Vincent McEveety and usually starred by Dean Jones . Furthermore recent version starred by Linsay Lohan , Justin Long and Matt Dillon , being directed by Angela Robinson. This first version " Love Bug ¨ results to be the best version , it is amusing story with lots of laughs but is a familiar film . The motion picture is correctly directed by Robert Stevenson . He's an usual craftsman from Disney productions who achieved for the famous company its greatest successes such as ¨Mary Poppins¨ , ¨Bednobs and broomsticks , ¨Gnome-mobile¨, ¨Herbie rides again¨ , ¨Absent-minded professor¨, ¨Son of Flubber¨, ¨Shaggy DA¨ , ¨That darn cat¨ , ¨One of our dinosaurs is missing¨ and many others . Rating : Acceptable , 6,5 , worthwhile watching . Amusing and engaging film with effective combination of primitive special effects , live action , adventure , fantasy and humor . The children will get a kick out of this typical Disney film ,it's a great fun to watch and there are loads of entertainment in this one . It' one of the best and funniest of ¨Herbie¨ series

Jim Douglas (Dean Jones) is a struggling race car driver. He and his mechanic friend Tennessee Steinmetz (Buddy Hackett) work out of a former fire house in San Francisco. Carole (Michele Lee) works for car dealer Thorndyke. The strange little Volkswagon Beetle takes a liking to Jim and follows him home. He's forced to buy it when Thorndyke threatens to have him arrested. The car has a mind of its own and Jim starts winning with it. Thorndyke wants the car back.

Jim could be nicer especially to Carole and Tennessee in the first half. Once he finally recognizes Herbie, the team is pulled together. It becomes more fun like the big car race. It's a classic Disney live-action joyride.

This is a true Disney Classic, in fact Walt Disney had a hand in developing the story but, sad to say, never lived to see it hit the big screen. In the film, we learn rather quickly that race car driver Jim Douglas(Dean Jones) has hit rock bottom after being a prominent race car driver(what caused his demise? it's not explained but it appears that he got into quite a few bang ups). He lives with a Buddhist named Tennessee Steinmetz(Buddy Hackett)who finds a soul in everything.

Jim soon looks for a new car and comes across a fancy dealership, only to be embarrassed by the owner Peter Thorndyke(David Tomlinson) who refuses Jim's $80 offer for a gorgeous race car. While in the showroom, a VW rolls in that was supposed to be scrapped. As Thorndyke berates the little car, Jim sticks up for it and soon the car thinks it has a friend and follows Jim home. To avoid being blamed for stealing the car, Jim agrees to buy it from Thorndyke but the car acts up. Jim is about to return it when he's caught in a drag race because someone makes fun of the VW. Herbie blows the competition away and Jim falls in love with the car's speed, but Tennessee knows it has heart and names it Herbie.

Soon Jim, Herbie and Tennessee are winning races and Jim's ego inflates while Thorndyke's temper grows since he too races and loses every time to Herbie. Thorndyke decides to sabotage the little car and when he succeeds, Jim turns his back on Herbie. Once Jim realizes HE hasn't being winning the races he tries to find Herbie who has since run off. Herbie gets impounded after an accident and Jim must sell him to a Chinese man who agrees to let Jim drive Herbie in a big race. If Jim wins, he gets to buy Herbie back for a buck. Needless to say, Thorndyke once again sabotages Herbie,but hey, this is Disney. Who do YOU think wins out at the end?

I had to give this movie a 10 because it has so much going for it. Comedy, some drama, romance. We know very little about Jim Douglas except when Tennessee describes him as down on his luck, angry, and one who was prone to getting into trouble. Jones did an excellent job as the cocky, angry, egotistical driver who is knocked down a few pegs by his friends and a little car. The character mirrored Jones back then, who admits in his biography that he was a dirt bike racing nut prone to losing his temper quite a bit and having an affinity for women other than his wife. Michelle Lee is grand but we don't see much of her and Hackett plays the sincere bit amazingly well especially when he tells Jim that he was nothing without Herbie. For comedic relief David Tomlinson was terrific as was his assistant Havershaw(Joe Flynn of McHale's Navy fame).

Yes there are some over the top, goofy and somewhat embarrassing sight gags and a few interesting moments(i.e. Carol thinking Jim has ulterior motives when Herbie brings them to a make-out point, i.e. when Herbie tries to kill itself, and when Jim finally admits to Carol that he's just a bum), but the film has heart, like Herbie. The film had three more sequels, a five part TV miniseries, a re-make in 1998(or so) and there's a new film coming out. Jones only did Love Bug, Monte Carlo(film 3), the miniseries and made a pathetic appearance in the 1998 film. In each one, Jones was still down on his luck but nothing like the sad figure he portrayed in Love Bug. Great classic film, filled with 60's nostalgia.

Many a film has put out the notion that animal pets, dogs and cats etc, have to find the people they are suited for. But until Disney Studios put out The Love Bug, cars definitely did not seek out their owners.

Yet that's what happens when one day racing driver Dean Jones comes into the auto show room of David Tomlinson who usually deals in the most pricey of cars. This little Volkswagen offends his dignity somewhat and Tomlinson abuses it. Jones defends it however.

But what neither of them know, but Jones soon finds out is that this unprepossessing beetle has a mind all its own. And when it wants to the beetle has speed like nothing else.

When Tomlinson finds out what he's lost, he'll stop at nothing to get Herbie back. He's been given a name now, by Buddy Hackett who plays Jones's mechanic. He's the first to really realize how special Herbie is.

I'm willing to bet that those who succeeded Uncle Walt at the Magic Kingdom never realized just what a franchise The Love Bug would prove to be. This and all the succeeding films made lots of money for the studio and Herbie still has plenty of life left in him as his most recent outing a year or so ago with Lindsay Lohan ought to prove.

Herbie's quite the romantic too. He even helps win the heart of Michele Lee for Jones. But this is a Disney film so that's kind of a given.

This first Love Bug movie had a good cast of supporting players who were finding the Disney Studio their employer of last resort. Where else can you see someone like Iris Adrian in a brief, but very funny role as a carhop or Joe E. Ross as a policeman? It's one of the reasons I like the Disney films in general.

The Love Bug set a good standard for the future films. It's got laughs and also plenty of heart and soul.