The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes

[DodgerGirl]

Do you remember The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes? I happened to find this movie on Disney+ and it was really cool to see Kurt Russell play a smart character in Dexter Riley and The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes is one funny movie. I understand Disney Channel did a remake of it in the 90's and the intro song to the movie is cool too. Is this one of Kurt Russell's best Disney movies made?

 

[wabbott]

Several live-action Disney movies from the 60s and 70s are classics and are fit to be rewatched over and over. The Shaggy Dog, the two "flubber" movies, The Love Bug series, and perhaps my favorite, Blackbeard's Ghost.

Not too long after we subscribed to Disny+, we watched season one of The Adventures of Spin & Marty. Though made for kids, the shows were well done and reflect a time gone by that we enjoyed seeing. I never watched Disney on Sunday nights in the 50s, as we couldn't pick up that network.

 

[BrianL]

Do you remember The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes? I happened to find this movie on Disney+ and it was really cool to see Kurt Russell play a smart character in Dexter Riley and The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes is one funny movie. I understand Disney Channel did a remake of it in the 90's and the intro song to the movie is cool too. Is this one of Kurt Russell's best Disney movies made?

This is actually part of a series, the "Dexter Riley" trilogy - though the movies aren't heavily related other than having Kurt Russel as Dexter in them. If you liked THe Computer Wore Tennis Shoes, you might check out The Strongest Man in the World, where he gets super strength insteaed of super intelligence. The middle one, Now You See Him, Now You Don't, is sadly not on Disney+ for unknown reasons. In that one, he becomes invisible.

All of these movies take place at Medfield College, which is also featured in other Disney films, creating a little "universe" that includes The Absent Minded Professor series, Teh Shaggy Dog series, and a few others. There are references to Medvale College in the current version of Journey into Imagination - the pair of shoes left outside of the computer room is a direct reference to The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes.

These are fun movies for sure! I love a lot of these live-action Disney films of this era. I recently watched Blackbeard's Ghost as recommended by @wabbott above - I had barely remembeered it, but it's a very cool movie. The matte painting of the inn is absolutely fantastic!

 

[wabbott]

The matte painting of the inn is absolutely fantastic!

Done by Peter Ellenshaw, who was truly indispensable to Disney Studios for many years. Did the matte painting of London for Mary Poppin's flight.

https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/Peter_Ellenshaw

 

[BrianL]

Done by Peter Ellenshaw, who was truly indispensable to Disney Studios for many years. Did the matte painting of London for Mary Poppin's flight.

https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/Peter_Ellenshaw

Oh, of course it was Peter Ellenshaw - the legend! I didn't know that was one of his, but I should have.

Did you see the Prop Culture episode where they go to his son Harrison's house? He has a bunch of his fathers matte paintings on the walls - and some of his own too! Talk about AMAZING.

 

[wabbott]

Oh, of course it was Peter Ellenshaw - the legend! I didn't know that was one of his, but I should have.

Did you see the Prop Culture episode where they go to his son Harrison's house? He has a bunch of his fathers matte paintings on the walls - and some of his own too! Talk about AMAZING.

Have not seen that. Available on Disney+?

 

[BrianL]

Have not seen that. Available on Disney+?

Yeah...it's called Prop Culture and there are several episodes, each focused on a different movie. The host gets to go into the Disney Archives and everything! I think the episode with Harrison is for TRON since he did a matte for it.

 

[fhtpdw20]

If you can find two of Kurt's earliest movies are Follow Me Boys with Fred MacMurry. Kurt is probably around 12ish. He was also in a movie with Buddy Ebson called the One and Only Original Family Band. He was around 14 or so and Goldie Hawn had a bit part as a dancer in that movie as well. Both are wonderful.

 

[wabbott]

All about Medfield

https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/Medfield_College

 

[wabbott]

I'm gonna go off Disney script here and say if you're a real Kurt Russell fan, you simply HAVE to watch Used Cars. A cult classic, and perhaps one of the funniest movies ever made. Directed by Robert Zemeckis (Who Framed Roger Rabbit).

 

[supernova]

I never watched the remake (really... Kirk Cameron???) so I don't know for sure. But from the brief synopsis I just read, it sounds like they wrote Cesar Romero's character out of that version.

This is actually part of a series, the "Dexter Riley" trilogy - though the movies aren't heavily related other than having Kurt Russel as Dexter in them. If you liked THe Computer Wore Tennis Shoes, you might check out The Strongest Man in the World, where he gets super strength insteaed of super intelligence. The middle one, Now You See Him, Now You Don't, is sadly not on Disney+ for unknown reasons. In that one, he becomes invisible.

I have been hoping to see the second film but as you stated, it is not on Disney+. Not even sure if it's on their radar to eventually add one day.

 

[BrianL]

I never watched the remake (really... Kirk Cameron???) so I don't know for sure. But from the brief synopsis I just read, it sounds like they wrote Cesar Romero's character out of that version.

I have been hoping to see the second film but as you stated, it is not on Disney+. Not even sure if it's on their radar to eventually add one day.

Yeah, I've been disappointed with the catalog output lately - they need to add more older stuff. Sometimes they sneak it in, but there are still so many missing.

 

[wabbott]

Yeah, I've been disappointed with the catalog output lately - they need to add more older stuff. Sometimes they sneak it in, but there are still so many missing.

This. The Son of Flubber isn't on Disney +, nor is Savage Sam, the sequel to Old Yeller. Also would like to see In Search of the Castaways (Haley Mills), and The Great Locomotive Chase (Fess Parker).

A trivia note that's fascinating to me as a life-long fanatic of The Andy Griffith Show. In Son of Flubber, you will recall the IRS agent Mr. Harker who shows up to collect back taxes from the Brainards. That actor is Bob Sweeny who directed 80 episodes of the Griffith show, almost all of the first three seasons.

https://mayberry.fandom.com/wiki/Bob_Sweeney

 

[BrianL]

This. The Son of Flubber isn't on Disney +, nor is Savage Sam, the sequel to Old Yeller. Also would like to see In Search of the Castaways (Haley Mills), and The Great Locomotive Chase (Fess Parker).

A trivia note that's fascinating to me as a life-long fanatic of The Andy Griffith Show. In Son of Flubber, you will recall the IRS agent Mr. Harker who shows up to collect back taxes from the Brainards. That actor is Bob Sweeny who directed 80 episodes of the Griffith show, almost all of the first three seasons.

https://mayberry.fandom.com/wiki/Bob_Sweeney

I would love In Search of the Castaways. I have a really lousy DVD transfer that is actually a Pan & Sacan version of the soft-matted widescreen. I got it for liek 3 bucks, but still....