The Misadventures of Merlin Jones (1964)

Merlin Jones, a precocious and intelligent high-school boy, experiments with hypnosis and creates a mind-reading machine. However, his experiments land him in deep trouble with the law.

Director:

Robert Stevenson

Writers:

Bill Walsh (screen story), Alfred Lewis Levitt (screenplay),

Stars:

Tommy Kirk, Annette Funicello, Leon Ames

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Tommy Kirk	...	Merlin Jones
Annette Funicello	...	Jennifer (as Annette)
Leon Ames	...	Judge Holmsby / Lex Fortas
Stuart Erwin	...	Police Captain Loomis
Alan Hewitt	...	Professor Shattuck
Connie Gilchrist	...	Mrs. Gossett, Holmby's Housekeeper
Dal McKennon	...	Detective Hutchins
Norman Grabowski	...	Norman, Midvale Football Player

Storyline

Merlin Jones, a precocious and intelligent high-school boy, experiments with hypnosis and creates a mind-reading machine. However, his experiments land him in deep trouble with the law.

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Plot Keywords:

hypnosis | mind reading | teen scientist | medfield college | science | 

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Taglines:

MERLIN... the kid with the electronic brain

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Genres:

Family | Comedy | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 March 1964 (USA)

Also Known As:

As Desventuras de Merlin Jones

Filming Locations:

Walt Disney Studios, 500 South Buena Vista Street, Burbank, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Walt Disney Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

Judge Holmsby obviously has no lenses in his glasses frames.

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Connections

References The Shaggy Dog (1959)

User Reviews

"His way-out brain is on Cloud 9!"

Sleepy, over-the-hill "teen" Tommy Kirk isn't the kind of actor to carry a movie set on a mythical college campus wherein everyone is relentlessly manic and colorful. Kirk is supposed to be wacky and wonderful too, but he's the most normal of the bunch, bland and grounded. Still, there are some chuckles in this Walt Disney production about a nerdy college whiz, and love-interest Annette Funicello is lively doing the same love-means-a-wedding-ring thing she perfected in the concurrent "Beach Party" flicks. Much preferable to its immediate sequel, "The Monkey's Uncle", which--despite an opening featuring Annette on stage with The Beach Boys!--just didn't have the heart or spirit of this one. *** from ****