The Incredible Mr. Limpet (1964)

Director:

Arthur Lubin

Writers:

Jameson Brewer (screenplay) &
John C. Rose (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

28 March 1964 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Comedy | Family | War | Fantasy

Tagline:

GLUB! The Face That Launched A Thousand Torpedoes!

Plot:

Milquetoast Henry Limpet experiences his fondest wish and is transformed into a fish. As a talking fish...

Plot Keywords:

Fish | Submarine | Shark | Period In Title | Shapeshifting

US TV Schedule:

Sun. Nov. 29

2:00 PM

TCM

Cast

Don Knotts	...	Henry Limpet
Carole Cook	...	Bessie Limpet
Jack Weston	...	George Stickel
Andrew Duggan	...	Harlock
Larry Keating	...	Adm. P.P. Spewter
Oscar Beregi Jr.	...	Nazi admiral (as Oscar Beregi)
Charles Meredith	...	Fleet Admiral
Elizabeth MacRae	...	Ladyfish (voice)
Paul Frees	...	Crusty (voice)

Also Known As:

Be Careful How You Wish (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

99 min (DVD)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

USA:G (DVD rating) | Canada:PG (Canadian Home Video rating) | USA:Approved (Certificate No. 20319)

Filming Locations:

Weeki Wachee, Florida, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

The ship launch shown at the start of the movie is stock footage of the SS Fred Morris going down the slipway on 2 November 1940 (in New Jesey, not Brooklyn); the ship was later acquired by the US Navy to become USS Otus and received one battle star for service in World War II.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: When Henry's wife and friend are trying to save him, several people have gathered to watch the action. A young woman in this small crowd has a 1960s "flip" hairdo, yet it had been established earlier that the story takes place during World War II.

Quotes:

Bessie Limpet: Henry, am I the widow of a man or the wife of a fish?
Henry Limpet: Well, let's be logical, Bessie. You can't very well keep me in the bathtub, can you?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in In the Soup (1992)

Soundtrack:

Deep Rapture

Limpet and his sidekick, Crusty the crabby old bachelor

I loved this movie when I was a child so I bought the video for my children. They got so caught up in the movie that they found themselves cheering for Henry and Crusty while they dodged the "torpedees" (as Crusty called them).

However, they weren't impressed with Mrs Limpet (the human). They thought she was too mean spirited for poor Henry. Early in the movie my daughter said she didn't blame Henry for wishing to be a fish. Anyone would with a wife like that!

As most good films have a good versus evil slant in the plot, this film also does in a sense. I don't mean the obvious Democracy vs Nazi fight, but the good, kind Henry vs the sneering, lecherous Stickle. As children's movies should be, it is toned down, but you still get an immediate sense of sympathy for Henry while secretly wishing Stickle would get his head stuck in a "torpedee" tube! All in all, a terrific film and one of my favourites!