Herbie Rides Again (1974)

Director:

Robert Stevenson

Writers:

Bill Walsh (screenplay)
Gordon Buford (story)

Release Date:

6 June 1974 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Family | Fantasy | Romance

Tagline:

A little SQUIRT makes a big SPLASH!

Plot:

The living Volkswagen Beetle helps a old lady protect her home from a corrupt developer.

Plot Keywords:

Volkswagen Beetle | Wedding | Window Washer | Glass Shattered Vocally | Nightmare

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe.

Cast

Helen Hayes	...	Mrs. Steinmetz
Ken Berry	...	Willoughby Whitfield
Stefanie Powers	...	Nicole
John McIntire	...	Mr. Judson
Keenan Wynn	...	Alonzo Hawk
Huntz Hall	...	Judge
Richard X. Slattery	...	Traffic Commissioner
Raymond Bailey	...	Lawyer
Dan Tobin	...	Lawyer
Elaine Devry	...	Secretary
Liam Dunn	...	Doctor
Vito Scotti	...	Taxi Driver
Don Pedro Colley	...	Waiter with Cake
Chuck McCann	...	Loostgarten
Larry J. Blake	...	Police Officer

Also Known As:

La pandilla de cupido motorizado (Argentina) (Mexico) [es]
A kicsi kocsi újra száguld (Hungary) [hu]
As Novas Aventuras do Fusca (Brazil) [pt]
Full speed igen Herbie (Sweden) [sv]
Herbie groß in Fahrt (West Germany) [de]
Herbie i højeste gear (Denmark) [da]
Herbie il maggiolino sempre più matto (Italy) [it]
Herbie, Um Carocha dos Diabos (Portugal) [pt]
Herbie, un volante loco (Spain) [es]
Katsaridaki... latreia mou (Greece) [el]
Riemukupla rullaa taas (Finland) [fi]
Un nouvel amour de coccinelle (France) [fr]

Runtime:

88 min | Argentina:90 min | Spain:84 min (DVD edition)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.75 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Photophone Sound Recording)

Certification:

Australia:G | Iceland:L | Canada:G (video rating) | Argentina:Atp | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl | USA:G | Spain:T | UK:U

Filming Locations:

Paramount Ranch - 2813 Cornell Road, Agoura, California, USA

Company:

Walt Disney Productions

Trivia:

The GAF Viewmaster reel set shows a picture from a deleted sequence where one of Alonzo Hawk's nightmares has him being treated by VW Beetle doctors. The "doctors" have a red cross on the hood and the headlights have "pupils." The "doctors" have mechanical arms that hold welding torches and other mechanical tools. The scene was probably deleted because it would have been too scary for kids.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Herbie starts calling up other Volkswagens to defend the firehouse, the first one is another Herbie with the "53" logo painted over. The front seat of that car is also removed and a driver's head is visible (covered in a cap that's the same color as the rest of the car seats). He is almost out of sight, but not quite.

Quotes:

Willoughby Whitfield: We understand your position Mrs. Steinmetz. That's why Mr. Hawk has authorized...
Grandma Steinmetz: Don't tell me you're from Alonzo Hawk?
Willoughby Whitfield: Yes.
Grandma Steinmetz: Oh, and you have such a nice face.

Movie Connections:

References Son of Flubber (1963)

Soundtrack:

Carnival of the Animals - The Swan

tired and uninspired sequel

In the first movie, Herbie was a real personality and he could be jealous, angry, depressed or suicidal and even intoxicated. The viewer saw that there was a special bond between car and owner. But in this sequel, again set in San Francisco, the bond is with Helen Hayes and Herbie instead of the man. Stephanie Powers as the love interest is too violent and aggressive, and her character played against the wimpy Ken Berry comes across as downright harsh--there is no chemistry between them (unlike Dean Jones and Michelle Lee in the original film). In various scenes, she is seen assaulting Berry.In one scene they are having lunch at Fisherman's Wharf and she stands up and smacks him in the face with a lobster ("He's YOUR uncle?!") Is this really supposed to be funny?

But in this uninspired sequel, the real star is Helen Hayes--not the car and certainly not with Ken Berry, who merely becomes a supporting character in this. Helen Hayes, as an old lady battling a developer, is seen in various life-threatening situations in the movie. In various surreal scenes, Haye's character is knitting while riding Herbie,impervious to the danger around her as Herbie scales a skyscraper or rides atop the Golden Gate Bridge. She is sickeningly sacharrin sweet but she plays her scenes well.

The climax of this movie is weak, and it is really a collection of surreal scenes involving Herbie and Helen Hayes. There is no romance and no racing, both of which were key elements which made the original such a success. This movie was made in the transitional period, between the really great Disney classics like "Mary Poppins" and the excellent productions that Disney puts out today. The movie and plot are very predictable as is the inevitable outcome. Naturally, there's no way that the outcome is realistic as city zoning laws forbid houses in a district of skyscrapers.