Dexter Riley

Last updated
Dexter Riley
Dexter Riley - collection boxset artwork.jpg
Official home video release box set collection artwork.
Based onCharacters created by
Joseph L. McEveety
Starring
Release date
1969–1975
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$16,710,000
(total of three films)

The Dexter Riley film series consists of American science fiction-comedy films, centered around an eponymous college student (Kurt Russell). [1] [2] The films, produced by The Walt Disney Company and taking place at the fictional Medfield College, follow the science class led by Professor Quigley, and their experiments, projects, and adventures. The college, under the direction of Dean Eugene Higgins (Joe Flynn) becomes involved in the nefarious plans of billionaire-turned-criminal, A. J. Arno (Cesar Romero). [3]

Contents

The film trilogy received mixed reviews, while its television film remake was poorly received. [4] The original trilogy has acquired a cult classic status. [5] In 1999 the Dexter Riley trilogy, along with a number of other Disney film series, were expanded as a franchise into the Walt Disney Parks attraction with elements included from each film. [6]

Films

TitleU.S. release dateDirectorScreenwriter(s)Story byProducer
The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes December 31, 1969 Robert Butler Joseph L. McEveetyBill Anderson
Now You See Him, Now You Don't July 12, 1972Joseph L. McEveetyRobert L. King Ron Miller
The Strongest Man in the World February 6, 1975 Vincent McEveety Joseph L. McEveety and Herman GrovesBill Anderson

The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes (1969)

At Medfield College, a non-intellectual named Dexter Riley becomes brilliant overnight. Following an electrical accident that transfers a donated computer memory into his brain, he gains the ability to learn any knowledge instantly and perfectly. After Riley gains fame and attention via television appearances, the dean of a competing university decides to ruin his reputation. At the same time, A. J. Arno, a secret technological crime boss with an upstanding public persona, pursues the student and his school because the computer he donated-that is now integrated into Riley's DNA-holds the records of his nefarious acts. [7] [2]

Now You See Him, Now You Don't (1972)

Dexter Riley is a science student at Medfield College who accidentally invents a liquid capable of rendering objects and people invisible. As Dexter and his friends Debbie and Richard begin exploring their recent discovery, the product gains the unwanted attention of corrupt businessman A. J. Arno. Recently released from prison, Arno seeks the formula for criminal means before the students can even announce their discovery. Arno and his henchman plan to use the invisibility spray to rob a bank. [8] [2]

The Strongest Man in the World (1975)

Dexter Riley, who is studying science at Medfield College, decides to create a formula that will make humans stronger. After several unsuccessful attempts, a lab mishap combines his formula with a vitamin-rich breakfast cereal. He and his classmates discover that eating it briefly provides superhuman levels of strength and endurance. The greedy college dean attempts to take advantage of the discovery, marketing the product to a cereal corporation. Competing cereal companies hire thugs, including A. J. Arno, to eliminate the new miracle product. [9] [10] [2]

Television

TitleU.S. release dateDirectorScreenwritersStory byProducer
Disney's The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes February 18, 1995 Peyton Reed Joseph L. McEveety and Ryan RoweJoseph L. McEveetyJoseph B. Wallenstein

During the late 1980s and early 1990s, a number of made-for-television remake films of classic Walt Disney Productions were produced and released as a part of The Magical World of Disney series. Among them was The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes.

After a laboratory accident, the contents of a computer's encyclopedia is transferred biochemically into the brain of Dexter Riley, a less-than-average college student. After his newly acquired genius he appears on a trivia show, competing between various universities. After acing the show's quiz, and acquiring all the points, another university finds out about how he attained his skills and does everything to discredit Dexter. [11]

Principal cast and characters

CharacterFilmsTelevision
The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes Now You See Him, Now You Don't The Strongest Man in the World Disney's The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes
Dexter Riley Kurt Russell Kirk Cameron
Dean
Eugene "E. J. Gene" Higgins
Joe Flynn  
A. J. Arno Cesar Romero  
Professor
Miles Quigley
William Schallert  William Schallert Jason Bernard
Richard Schuyler Michael McGreevey  
Debbie Dawson  Joyce Menges Ann Marshall  
Harriet Crumply  Eve Arden  
Kirkwood Krinkle  Phil Silvers  
Cookie / Chillie Richard Bakalyan  
Dean
Al Valentine
  Larry Miller
Dean
Webster Carlson
  Dean Jones
Norwood Gills Matthew McCurley

Additional crew and production details

FilmCrew/Detail
ComposerCinematographerEditorProduction
companies
Distributing
companies
Running time
The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes Robert F. BrunnerFrank V. Phillips Cotton Warburton Walt Disney Productions Buena Vista Distribution Company 1hr 31mins
Now You See Him, Now You Don't 1hr 28mins
The Strongest Man in the World Andrew Jackson92 minutes
Disney's
The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes
Philip GiffinRuss T. Alsobrook Jeff Gourson Walt Disney Television,
ZM Productions
American Broadcasting Company,
Buena Vista Television
87 minutes

Reception

Box office and financial performance

FilmBox office grossBox office rankingBudgetWorldwide
Total income
Ref.
North AmericaOther territoriesWorldwideAll time
North America
All time
worldwide
The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes $5,500,000 [12] [13]
Now You See Him, Now You Don't $4,610,000 [14]
The Strongest Man in the World $6,600,000 [15]
Totals $16,710,000 [lower-alpha 1]

Critical response

Film Rotten Tomatoes Metacritic
The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes50% (6 reviews) [16] 54 (4 reviews) [17]
Now You See Him, Now You Don't80% (5 reviews) [18]
The Strongest Man in the World [19] 63 (4 reviews) [20]
Disney's The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes [21]

Theme park attraction

In 1999, the theme of Journey into Imagination was changed and re-titled to include Figment. The ride features Dr. Nigel Channing, from Honey, I Shrunk the Audience!, who "hosts" an area known as the Imagination Institute. The story states that Channing's grandfather established the institute, while the area features references to Dean Higgins from the Dexter Riley films, as well as Wayne Szalinski from the Honey, I Shrunk the Kids franchise, and Dr. Philip Brainard from Flubber . Walt Disney and Thomas Edison also make an appearance. [22] [6]

The Dexter Riley film series takes place at Medfield College. The college is used as a primary location in two other Disney film franchises: The Shaggy Dog and the Flubber film series. Collectively, the three separate film series take place within the same fictional universe. [23] [24] Additionally, the Merlin Jones film series take place at the in-universe sister-school, Midvale College, [25] while The World's Greatest Athlete is set at the related academic school of Merrivale College. [26]

FilmU.S. release dateDirectorScreenwriter(s)Story byProducer(s)
The Shaggy Dog film series
The Shaggy Dog March 19, 1959 Charles Barton Lillie Hayward and Bill WalshWalt Disney and Bill Walsh
The Shaggy D.A. December 17, 1976Robert StevensonDon Tait Bill Anderson
The Return of the Shaggy Dog November 1, 1987 Stuart Gillard Paul Haggis and Diane WilkHarvey Marks
The Shaggy Dog March 10, 2006 Brian Robbins Cormac Wibberley and Marianne Wibberley
and Geoff Rodkey
and Jack Amiel and Michael Begler
David Hoberman and Tim Allen
Flubber film series
The Absent-Minded Professor March 16, 1961 Robert Stevenson Bill Walsh
Son of Flubber January 16, 1963Bill Walsh and Don DaGradi Walt Disney and Bill Walsh
Flubber November 26, 1997 Les Mayfield John Hughes John Hughes and Ricardo Mestres
Merlin Jones film series
The Missadventures of Merlin Jones February 11, 1964Robert Stevenson Tom August & Helen August Bill WalshWalt Disney and Ron Miller
The Monkey's Uncle August 18, 1965Tom August & Helen August
Other films
The World's Greatest Athlete February 1, 1973 Robert Scheerer Dee Caruso
and Gerald Gardner
Bill Walsh

Notes

  1. These numbers is an approximate calculation of the total income The Walt Disney Company made of film rentals. Box office numbers are not available from the company.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kurt Russell</span> American actor (born 1951)

Kurt Vogel Russell is an American actor. He began acting on television at the age of 12 in the western series The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters (1963–1964). In the late 1960s, he signed a ten-year contract with The Walt Disney Company, where he starred as Dexter Riley in films such as The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes (1969), Now You See Him, Now You Don't (1972), and The Strongest Man in the World (1975). According to Robert Osborne of Turner Classic Movies, Russell became the studio's top star of the 1970s.

<i>Flubber</i> (film) 1997 film by Les Mayfield

Flubber is a 1997 American science-fiction comedy film directed by Les Mayfield and written by Hughes and Bill Walsh. A remake of The Absent-Minded Professor (1961), the film was produced by Walt Disney Pictures and stars Robin Williams, Marcia Gay Harden, Christopher McDonald, Ted Levine, Raymond J. Barry, Wil Wheaton, and Clancy Brown with Jodi Benson providing a voice. The film grossed $178 million worldwide and received negative reviews from critics. In selected theaters, the Pepper Ann episode "Old Best Friend" was featured before the film.

<i>The Absent-Minded Professor</i> 1961 film by Robert Stevenson

The Absent-Minded Professor is a 1961 American science fiction comedy film directed by Robert Stevenson and produced by Walt Disney Productions. It is based on the 1943 short story "A Situation of Gravity" by Samuel W. Taylor. The title character was based in part on Hubert Alyea, a professor emeritus of chemistry at Princeton University, who was known as "Dr. Boom" for his explosive demonstrations. The film stars Fred MacMurray as Professor Ned Brainard, alongside Nancy Olson, Keenan Wynn, Tommy Kirk, Leon Ames, Elliott Reid, and Edward Andrews. The plot follows Brainard as he invents a substance that defies gravity, which he later exploits through various means.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Journey into Imagination with Figment</span> Dark ride attraction

Journey into Imagination with Figment is the third and latest incarnation of a dark ride attraction located within the Imagination! pavilion at World Celebration at Epcot, a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida. Originally opened on March 3, 1983, its original and current version feature the small purple dragon named Figment as well as the song "One Little Spark", composed by the Sherman Brothers.

<i>The Shaggy D.A.</i> 1976 film directed by Robert Stevenson

The Shaggy D.A. is a 1976 American comedy film and a sequel to The Shaggy Dog (1959) produced by Walt Disney Productions. It was directed by Robert Stevenson and written by Don Tait. As with the first film in the series, it takes some inspiration from the Felix Salten novel, The Hound of Florence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Flynn (American actor)</span> American actor (1924–1974)

Joseph Anthony Flynn III was an American actor. He was known for playing Captain Wallace Binghamton in the 1960s ABC television situation comedy McHale's Navy. Flynn was also a frequent guest star on 1960s TV shows, such as Batman, and appeared in several Walt Disney film comedies.

<i>The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes</i> 1969 American film directed by Robert Butler

The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes is a 1969 American science fiction comedy film starring Kurt Russell, Cesar Romero, Joe Flynn and William Schallert. It was produced by Walt Disney Productions and distributed by Buena Vista Distribution Company.

Medfield may refer to:

<i>The Mighty Ducks</i> Disney media franchise about a junior ice hockey team

The Mighty Ducks is an American media franchise. It features a trilogy of live-action films released in the 1990s by Walt Disney Pictures and a live-action sequel television series, and a real-world hockey team in the National Hockey League and a animated television series by Walt Disney Television Animation, The movies revolve around a Twin Cities ice hockey team, composed of young players that stick together throughout various challenges. Despite negative reviews from film critics, the trilogy's commercial success paved the way for the franchise's expansion.

<i>The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes</i> (1995 film) American TV series or program

The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes is a 1995 American made-for-television science fiction comedy film directed by Peyton Reed and written by Joseph L. McEveety and Ryan Rowe. The film is a remake of the 1969 film of the same name. It premiered on ABC as an ABC Family Movie on February 18, 1995. It is the second in a series of four remakes of Disney live-action films produced for broadcast on the network during the 1994–95 television season, the other three being The Shaggy Dog, Escape to Witch Mountain, and Freaky Friday.

<i>Son of Flubber</i> 1963 film by Robert Stevenson

Son of Flubber is a 1963 American science fiction comedy film directed by Robert Stevenson and produced by Walt Disney Productions. It is the sequel to The Absent-Minded Professor (1961) and the first sequel to a Disney film. Fred MacMurray reprises his role from the previous film as Ned Brainard, a scientist who has perfected a high-bouncing substance, Flubber, that can levitate an automobile and cause athletes to bounce into the sky. In addition to MacMurray, Nancy Olson, Keenan Wynn, Ed Wynn, Elliott Reid, and Tommy Kirk also co-star, reprising their roles from the previous film.

<i>Now You See Him, Now You Dont</i> 1972 film by Robert Butler

Now You See Him, Now You Don't is a 1972 American science fiction comedy film starring Kurt Russell as a chemistry student who accidentally discovers the secret to invisibility. It is the second film in Dexter Riley series.

<i>The Strongest Man in the World</i> 1975 film by Vincent McEveety

The Strongest Man in the World is a 1975 American science fiction comedy film directed by Vincent McEveety, produced by Walt Disney Productions, and starring Kurt Russell, Joe Flynn and Eve Arden. It was the third and final film in Dexter Riley series.

<i>The Barefoot Executive</i> 1971 film by Robert Butler

The Barefoot Executive is a 1971 American comedy film starring Kurt Russell, Joe Flynn, Wally Cox, Heather North, Harry Morgan, and John Ritter, about a pet chimpanzee, named Raffles, who can predict the popularity of television programs. Produced by Walt Disney Productions and directed by Robert Butler, it was one of the "gimmick comedies" Disney was known for in the 1960s and 1970s, and was frequently shown on The Wonderful World of Disney from the late 1970s through the 1980s.

<i>Honey, I Shrunk the Kids</i> (franchise) American media franchise

Honey, I Shrunk the Kids is an American media franchise consisting of a series of family-science fiction-comedy films and a television adaptation, among other works, based on a concept created by Stuart Gordon and Brian Yuzna, and an original story co-written by Gordon, Yuzna, and Ed Naha. Following the release of Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989), and its subsequent financial and critical success, two sequels and a television series followed; titled Honey, I Blew Up the Kid (1992), Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves (1997), and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show, respectively. Another sequel titled Shrunk entered development in 2019.

<i>101 Dalmatians</i> (franchise) Disney media franchise

101 Dalmatians is an American media franchise owned by The Walt Disney Company and based on Dodie Smith's 1956 novel The Hundred and One Dalmatians. It began in 1961 with the release of the traditionally animated feature film, One Hundred and One Dalmatians. Various adaptations produced from Disney have been released over the years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael McGreevey</span> American actor and screenwriter (born 1948)

Michael McGreevey is an American actor and screenwriter. He starred in several Walt Disney films as a young actor and later became a writer for the Fame TV series. He is the son of Emmy Award-winning television and film screenwriter John McGreevey.

<i>Flubber</i> (franchise) 1961 American film

The Flubber franchise consists of American science-fiction-comedy films, with three theatrical releases, and two made-for-television films. The overall story is based on the short story, A Situation of Gravity, written by Samuel W. Taylor in 1922. The plot of the films center around an absent-minded college professor, who works tirelessly to find the next great invention. The Professor wants to make scientific history, while working to save the school at which he works, the Medfield College.

<i>The Shaggy Dog</i> (franchise) American media franchise

The Shaggy Dog franchise consists of American science fiction-fantasy-comedy films, with three theatrical releases, and two made-for-television films. The overall story is based on the 1923 novel titled The Hound of Florence by Felix Salten. The overarching story of each installment, follows Wilbur "Wilby" Daniels who is cursed and transforms into a large Old English Sheepdog after attaining an ancient Borgian ring and reciting its inscription.

The Witch Mountain franchise consists of American science fiction fantasy-action adventure films, produced by The Walt Disney Company. Based on the 1968 novel Escape to Witch Mountain by Alexander Key, the films deal with extraterrestrial children on Earth seeking to return to their home planet, while antagonists attempt to foil their escape. The franchise includes both theatrical and made-for-television releases.

References

  1. "Dexter Riley Franchise - List of movies, prequel and sequel for Dexter Riley Franchise - MyMovieRack". www.mymovierack.com.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Kurt Russell was Disney's golden boy back in the '70s". The Grand Island Independent.
  3. Arnold, Mark (October 27, 2013). "Frozen in Ice: The Story of Walt Disney Productions, 1966-1985". BearManor Media via Google Books.
  4. "The Strongest Man in the World - Movie Review". www.commonsensemedia.org. January 5, 2009.
  5. "DIVING INTO DISNEY'S KURT RUSSELL DEXTER REILLY TRILOGY".
  6. 1 2 https://www.disneyworld.eu/attractions/epcot/journey-into-imagination-with-figment/ [ bare URL ]
  7. "The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes". Variety. January 1, 1970.
  8. "Now You See Him, Now You Don't". Variety. January 1, 1972.
  9. Canby, Vincent (July 10, 1975). "Screen: 'Strongest Man': Disney Comedy Brews Superhuman Formula". The New York Times.
  10. "The Strongest Man in the World – What's On Disney Plus". 31 December 2019.
  11. McCarthy, John P. (February 13, 1995). "The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes Abc, Sat. Feb. 18, 8 p.m."
  12. "Once Upon 1969: Kurt Russell and the decline of Disney's golden era". Vanyaland. July 23, 2019.
  13. "Big Rental Films of 1970", Variety , 6 January 1971 p 11
  14. "All-time Film Rental Champs", Variety, 7 January 1976 p 48
  15. "All-time Film Rental Champs", Variety, 7 January 1976 p 44
  16. "The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes (1969)". Rotten Tomatoes .
  17. "The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes". Metacritic .
  18. "Now You See Him, Now You Don't (1972)". Rotten Tomatoes .
  19. "The Strongest Man in the World (1975)". Rotten Tomatoes .
  20. "The Strongest Man in the World". Metacritic .
  21. "The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes (1995)". Rotten Tomatoes .
  22. "Epcot by the Numbers". D23. October 31, 2017.
  23. Smith, Dave (July 3, 2012). Disney Trivia from the Vault: Secrets Revealed and Questions Answered: Secrets Revealed and Questions Answered. Disney Electronic Content. ISBN   9781423178576 via Google Books.
  24. "Building Entertainment: The Animated Films of the Walt Disney Studio. Live-Action Edition. The Absent-Minded Professor". The Avocado. April 23, 2019.
  25. Shepherd, Josh (January 15, 2021). "22 Missing Or Incomplete Disney+ Film And TV Franchises". What's on Disney Plus. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
  26. Smith, Dave (June 26, 2012). Disney Trivia from the Vault: Secrets Revealed and Questions Answered. Disney Electronic Content. ISBN   9781423178576 . Retrieved January 28, 2022.