HERBIE RIDES AGAIN

US, 1974, 88 minutes, Colour.
Helen Hayes, Ken Berry, Stefanie Powers, John Mc Intyre, Keenan Wynn.
Directed by Robert Stevenson.

The Love Bug, Herbie Rides Again and Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo were three great Disney successes. Disney Studios took a Volkswagen and made it magical. It was almost a person with the popular name of Herbie and could do all kinds of tricks including flying through the air. The Love bug was very popular and its sequel, Herble Rides Again took the same formula but added some light social comment involving Helen Hayes and Keenan Wynn as an unscrupulous developer. Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo has Dean Jones once again as Herbie's driver and is a playful satire on the Monte Carlo Rally. Light popular entertainment.

1.How enjoyable a film? Most attractive features? Well done? How obvious was the mark of the Disney Studios in style and content?

2.The film capitalising on the popularity of cars, fantasy, human relationships, the social atmosphere of the 70s?

3.For what age group? The magic and fantasy for young audiences? Human relationships and social satire for older audiences? The ingredients well blended?

4.The attitude of the film to modern business, the environment and progress, individual rights against corporations?

5.How interesting a villain was Alonzo Hawk? Keenan Wynn’s style? Exaggerated or did his exaggeration fit in the mood? Humorous, cruel? His methods, his use of lawyers, his nephew, his way of life, the haunting in his dreams, the rebound of his plots? The impact of his being chased by the VWs? How modern a villain was he with the social implications of his building and progress, destruction?

6.Could audiences identify with Mrs Steinmetz? Helen Hayes as attractive? Her individualism, her house, memories of her husband, shrewdness? Her making love matches? Her attraction for the elderly gentleman and his helping defend the house?

7.An attractive young couple? The change in Willoughby? As affected by Nicole?

8.The fantasy sequences, Herbie as a person, the magical effects in the house, Herbie taking Willoughby for a drive, driving Mrs Steinmetz over to San Francisco, the rounding up of the other VWs?

9.The film’s parody of other film genres: big business films, the western chase at the end?

10.What values did the film stand for and reinforce?