Herbie Rides Again (1974)

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

Director:

Robert Stevenson

Writers:

Bill Walsh (screenplay), Gordon Buford (story)

Stars:

Helen Hayes, Ken Berry, Stefanie Powers

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Helen Hayes	...	Mrs. Steinmetz
Ken Berry	...	Willoughby Whitfield
Stefanie Powers	...	Nicole
John McIntire	...	Mr. Judson
Keenan Wynn	...	Alonzo Hawk
Huntz Hall	...	Judge
Ivor Barry	...	Chauffeur
Dan Tobin	...	Lawyer
Vito Scotti	...	Taxi Driver
Raymond Bailey	...	Lawyer
Liam Dunn	...	Doctor
Elaine Devry	...	Secretary
Chuck McCann	...	Loostgarten
Richard X. Slattery	...	Traffic Commissioner
Hank Jones	...	Sir Lancelot

Storyline

Alonzo Hawk is a mean-spirited property developer who has bought several blocks of land in the downtown district in order to build a gigantic shopping mall. There is one problem however; an elderly widow named Steinmetz won't sell the one remaining lot that Hawk needs to proceed with his scheme. So he resorts to all manner of chicanery, legal or otherwise, to get it. Fortunately, the widow Steinmetz has an ace up her sleeve in the form of Herbie, the miraculous Volkswagen.

---

Plot Keywords:

vehicle driving by itself | fisherman's wharf | reference to rudolph valentino | reference to sessue hayakawa | uncle nephew relationship | 

---

Taglines:

The Loveable Bug is Back in High Gear!

---

Genres:

Comedy | Family | Fantasy | Romance

---

Certificate:

G

Details

Official Sites:

official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 June 1974 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Love Bug Rides Again

Filming Locations:

Castagnola's Restaurant - 286 Jefferson Street, San Francisco, California, USA

Box Office

Gross USA:

$38,229,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Walt Disney Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min 84 min (DVD)

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Photophone Sound Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.75 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

First of three cinema movies that actress Helen Hayes made for the Walt Disney Pictures studios during the 1970s. The subsequent films were Candleshoe (1977) and One of Our Dinosaurs Is Missing (1975).

---

Goofs

When Herbie is taking Nicole and Willougby to the beach, Nicole is driving, however, in the shot used when Herbie turns towards the Golden Gate Bridge, you can clearly see Stephanie Powers (in a powder blue top) in the passenger seat; clearly a recycled shot from earlier in the movie when Herbie drives to the chicken tournament.

---

Quotes

[a window washer appears behind Alonzo Hawk to wash the window. The noise of the machine disturbs Hawk, who angrily orders the washer to stop and quickly leave]
Alonzo Hawk: [flinging the window open] You idiot! What do you think you're doing?
Window washer: Washing the windows. Every Wednesday. Mr. Hawk's orders.
Alonzo Hawk: I'm Mr. Hawk! Get outta here!
Window washer: Okay. Cancel the windows.
[He moves his platform away, but not before calling out to Hawk to remind him of the window, that was left opened, before he left]
Window washer: And you better shut the ...
[...]

---

Connections

References The Absent Minded Professor (1961)

---

Soundtracks

Carnival of the Animals - The Swan
(uncredited)
Written by Camille Saint-Saëns

User Reviews

Little charm

The looong opening sequence of buildings being demolished, followed by a looong sequence of a corporate meeting, should have clued me in that this entry would have little charm that was in the original. (Phantom Menace, anyone? Trade disputes are always so exciting.) I hadn't seen it since it first came out, and only recalled a few things from it. Whereas The Love Bug kicks things into gear from the get-go, this thing drags on interminably. Herbie shows little personality in this one, and is merely a vehicle for bad process-shot special effects. (Most of the ones in the original were done practically, i.e. live.)

The original characters Jim and Tennessee are disposed of with throw-away lines. I find it hard to believe that Jim would "go off to Europe to race foreign cars" (and leave Herbie?) when it was practically the entire premise of The Love Bug that Herbie was just as good, and better, than any of them.

It may be "good for kids" but a good movie can get adults to enjoy it just as much.