Herbie Goes Bananas! ** (1980, Charles Martin Smith, Stephen W Burns, Cloris Leachman, John Vernon, Elyssa Davalos, Harvey Korman, Richard Jaeckel, Alex Rocco, Fritz Feld) – Classic Movie Review 7870

Director Vincent McEveety’s 1980 Herbie Goes Bananas! is the fourth and final part of Walt Disney Productions’ original Volkswagen Beetle Herbie saga that began in 1968 with The Love Bug.

Cloris Leachman star as Aunt Louise, who sponsors Volkswagen Beetle Herbie in the Brazilian Grand Prix. But, on the boat to South America, wicked Captain Blythe (Harvey Korman) chucks the love bug into the sea. Didn’t he know that they are air tight and will float?

Disney have dumped series star Dean Jones as Jim Douglas and now cast Stephen W Burns as Pete Stancheck, who has inherited the living VW Herbie from his Uncle Jim, with Charles Martin Smith also starring as his friend Davy Johns (DJ).

Don Tait’s script may not be air tight, but Herbie Goes Bananas! is an amiable enough comedy, and the comedy stars seem to be thoroughly enjoying themselves.

The main cast are Charles Martin Smith, Stephen W Burns, Cloris Leachman, John Vernon, Elyssa Davalos, Harvey Korman, Richard Jaeckel, Alex Rocco, Fritz Feld, Joaquin Garay III, Vito Scotti, Iris Adrian, Alma Beltran, Steve Boyum, Buddy Joe Hooker, Jorge Moreno, Ruben Moreno, Ray Victor, Patricia Van Patten, Hector Morales, Alex Tinne, Antonio Trevino and Allan Hunt.

Herbie Goes Bananas! is directed by Vincent McEveety, runs 100 minutes, is made by Walt Disney Productions, is released by Buena Vista, is written by Don Tait, based on characters created by Gordon Buford, is shot in Technicolor by Frank V Phillips, is produced by Ron Miller, is scored by Frank De Vol and is designed by John B Mansbridge.

Cloris Leachman as Aunt Louise  says: ‘I think it’s trying to tell us something!’ Captain Blythe replies: ‘It’s a car, woman, not Lassie!’ Leachman played Ruth Martin in 28 episodes of the TV series Lassie (1954–1974).

Herbie was the first car to press its tyre-tracks in the concrete at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles.

It follows The Love Bug (1968), Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo (1977) and Herbie Rides Again (1974).

The rebooted Herbie Fully Loaded followed in 2005 with Lindsay Lohan.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7870

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