The Incredible Mr. Limpet

Last updated
The Incredible Mr. Limpet
TIML poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Arthur Lubin
Screenplay byJoe DiMona
Jameson Brewer
John C. Rose
Based onMr Limpet
1942 novel
by Theodore Pratt
Produced byJohn C. Rose
Starring Don Knotts
Carole Cook
Jack Weston
Cinematography Harold E. Stine
Edited byDonald Tait
Music by Frank Perkins
Production
company
Distributed by Warner Bros.
Release date
  • March 28, 1964 (1964-03-28)
Running time
99 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

The Incredible Mr. Limpet is a 1964 American live-action/animated comedy film produced by Warner Bros. [1] and based on the 1942 novel Mr. Limpet by Theodore Pratt. It is about a man named Henry Limpet who turns into a talking fish and helps the U.S. Navy locate and destroy Nazi submarines. Don Knotts plays the title character. The live action was directed by Arthur Lubin, while the animation was directed by Bill Tytla, Robert McKimson, Hawley Pratt, and Gerry Chiniquy at Warner Bros. Cartoons. Music includes songs by Sammy Fain, in collaboration with Harold Adamson, including "I Wish I Were a Fish", "Be Careful How You Wish" and "Deep Rapture". The film received mixed reviews. It was the final project for Warner Bros. Cartoons prior to its closure in May 1963.

Contents

Plot

The story begins in 1963, where George Stickle (a naval officer) and Admiral Harlock discuss how porpoises in the ocean are displaying unique characteristics and suspect that a former top-secret asset, Henry Limpet, may be teaching the creatures these abilities.

The story flashes back to September 1941 just before the attack on Pearl Harbor. Henry Limpet, a shy bookkeeper, loves fish with a passion and wishes he could be one. His friend George Stickle is a machinist’s mate in the United States Navy. Limpet's wife Bessie is fiercely patriotic and Limpet tries to enlist but he is rejected, classified as 4F because of his poor eyesight and other reasons.

While George is on leave, he visits Limpet and Bessie, and they go to Coney Island, where Limpet falls into the water and turns into a fish for unexplained reasons. Since he never resurfaces nor can he swim, Bessie and George assume he has drowned.

The fish Limpet, complete with his signature pince-nez spectacles, discovers a new-found ability during some of his initial misadventures: a powerful underwater roar, his "thrum". He makes friends with Crusty, a misanthropic hermit crab. After saving a female fish he names Ladyfish (the concept of names being unknown to her), he falls in love with her despite already being married.

After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Limpet directs a Navy convoy to a nearby German U-boat. Determined to help the Navy on an ongoing basis, Limpet contacts the convoy and requests to see George. With George's help, Limpet gets himself commissioned by the Navy, complete with an advanced rank and a salary, which he sends to Bessie. He helps the Navy locate Nazi U-boats by signaling with his "thrum", and plays a large part in the Allied victory in the Battle of the Atlantic. In his final mission, he is nearly killed when the Nazis develop a "thrum"-seeking torpedo and is further handicapped by the loss of his spectacles. He manages to survive using Crusty as his "navigator", and sinks U-boats by redirecting their torpedoes. After the battle, he swims to Coney Island to say goodbye to Bessie, who gives him a replacement set of glasses. He then swims off with Ladyfish.

In the film's coda, back in 1963, George and the Admiral travel out to sea to contact Limpet about whether he is training the porpoises.

Cast

This was the last film of Larry Keating and Charles Meredith; both died not long after it was finished.

Production

The film was based on a novel by Theodore Pratt which was published in 1942. [2]

Jon Rose and Jonathan Brewer wrote the script, with Rose producing through Warners. Don Knotts signed in March 1962. He planned on making the film on hiatus from The Andy Griffith Show . It was his first lead role in a film. [3] Lubin signed to make the film in July, [4] and filming took place on the Warner backlot later that same month. [5]

Both Don Knotts and Elizabeth MacRae (Limpet and Ladyfish) were employed in Andy Griffith's Mayberry franchises, respectively as deputy Barney Fife and Lou-Ann Poovie, Gomer Pyle's girlfriend in the later seasons of Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. .

During World War I and World War II, there was a mine known as a limpet, a type of naval mine attached to a target by magnets named because of their superficial similarity to the limpet, a type of mollusk. "Das Limpet" was the German Navy's identification of Don Knott's character.

The destroyer USS Alfred A. Cunningham was the naval ship featured in this film. Another ship used in filming was the cruiser USS Galveston, which was referred to as USS Los Angeles in the film. The cruiser USS Los Angeles was offered for use at the time of pre-production planning, but was decommissioned late 1963, before principal filming began. Here lies a double anachronism, in that Los Angeles was not commissioned until late 1945, and Galveston had been converted to a guided missile cruiser, and clearly shows her 1960s configuration with large radars and missile launchers in place of her removed gun turrets.

The animated sequences were handled by Warner Bros. Cartoons under the supervision of Robert McKimson, and it was the final project for the studio prior to its temporary closure in spring 1963, as well as one of the few non- Looney Tunes productions they worked on. [6] [7]

The Coney Island pier, naval scenes, and other aquatic scenes were filmed on Stage 16 at Warner Brothers Studio. The Stage 16 tank holds two and a half million gallons of water. [8]

Release

The film had its premiere on January 20, 1964, at the Weeki Wachee Springs Underwater Theater in Spring Hill, Florida. [9] The film went into general release on March 28, 1964.

Knotts called the film "very very good." [10]

Reception

Upon release, The Incredible Mr. Limpet received mixed reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, the review aggregator gave an approval rating of 40%, based on 10 reviews. [11]

The Los Angeles Times said the film would induce "many laughs" and also "a tear or two." [12]

Diabolique magazine called it "overlong and clearly budget challenged but full of charm, and is reminiscent of the Francis movies... an extremely likable story." [13]

Home media

The Incredible Mr. Limpet was released by Warner Home Video on VHS in 1990. On December 3, 1994, the film was reissued on VHS. On October 1, 2002, it was released on DVD. On August 7, 2012, Warner Home Video released the film in high definition on Blu-ray Disc and reissued the DVD on March 24, 2020 through the Warner Archive Collection.

Proposed live-action remake

The project entered development in 1996 when Steve Rudnick and Leo Benvenuti were hired as writers for a remake of The Incredible Mr. Limpet. [14] By 1997, Jim Carrey entered negotiations to star in the title role, [15] and was confirmed in February 1998 with Steve Oedekerk hired as the writer and director. [16] [17] Knotts was aware of plans for the remake, which he wrote about in his autobiography, and offered his support. Roughly $10 million was spent on animation tests to digitally map Carrey's motion-captured human face onto a fish's body, which produced disastrous results. [18] By March 1999, Oedekerk left the project following creative differences, [19] while Carrey followed suit in July. [20] In April 2000, Warner Bros. hired Beavis and Butt-Head and King of the Hill creator Mike Judge as director and co-writer, with Robin Williams, Chris Rock, Mike Myers, and Adam Sandler in consideration for the lead role. Filming was set to begin early 2001, [19] [21] but the project did not materialize for undisclosed reasons.

In June 2009, it was announced that Enchanted director Kevin Lima was attached to direct. [22] In 2010, it was reported that Zach Galifianakis was in talks for the lead role. [23] In March 2011, Richard Linklater entered negotiations to helm the project, [24] and was announced as the director in January 2014. [25] That same month, Femke Wolting and Tommy Pallotta had begun working on the design and animation on the project while Galifianakis would reportedly play the lead character. [26] On July 8, 2014, it was announced that Jon Hamm, Danny McBride, Sarah Silverman, Kevin Hart, Josh Gad, Keegan-Michael Key, and Jordan Peele had entered talks for various roles in the film. [27] On August 4, Linklater left the project to concentrate on his next film That's What I'm Talking About (released in 2016 as Everybody Wants Some!! ). [28]

Comic book adaptation

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Carrey</span> Canadian and American actor (born 1962)

James Eugene Carrey is a Canadian and American actor and comedian known for his energetic slapstick performances. After spending the 1980s honing his comedy act and portraying mostly supporting roles in films, Carrey gained wide recognition in 1990 when he was cast in the American sketch comedy television series In Living Color (1990–1994). He broke out as a film star after starring in a string of box office hits with Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, The Mask, and Dumb and Dumber, which he followed up with Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls and Batman Forever. The success of these five films led to Carrey being the first actor to receive a $20 million salary for performing in films, beginning with The Cable Guy (1996).

<i>Bruce Almighty</i> 2003 film by Tom Shadyac

Bruce Almighty is a 2003 American fantasy comedy film directed by Tom Shadyac and written by Steve Koren, Mark O'Keefe and Steve Oedekerk. The film stars Jim Carrey as Bruce Nolan, a down-on-his-luck television reporter who complains to God that he is not doing his job correctly and is offered the chance to try being God himself for one week. It co-stars Jennifer Aniston, Philip Baker Hall and Catherine Bell. The film is Shadyac and Carrey's third collaboration, after Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994) and Liar Liar (1997).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don Knotts</span> American actor and comedian (1924–2006)

Jesse Donald Knotts was an American actor and comedian. He is widely known for his role as Deputy Sheriff Barney Fife on the 1960s sitcom The Andy Griffith Show, for which he earned five Emmy Awards. He also played Ralph Furley on the sitcom Three's Company from 1979 to 1984. He starred in multiple comedic films, including leading roles in The Incredible Mr. Limpet (1964) and The Ghost and Mr. Chicken (1966). In 2004, TV Guide ranked him number 27 on its "50 Greatest TV Stars of All Time" list.

<i>Ace Ventura: Pet Detective</i> 1994 film by Tom Shadyac

Ace Ventura: Pet Detective is a 1994 American comedy film starring Jim Carrey as Ace Ventura, an animal detective who is tasked with finding the abducted dolphin mascot of the Miami Dolphins football team. The film was directed by Tom Shadyac, who wrote the screenplay with Jack Bernstein and Carrey. The film co-stars Courteney Cox, Tone Loc, Sean Young, and then–Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino and features a cameo appearance from death metal band Cannibal Corpse.

<i>Ripleys Believe It or Not!</i> American media franchise

Ripley's Believe It or Not! is an American franchise founded by Robert Ripley, which deals in bizarre events and items so strange and unusual that readers might question the claims. Originally a newspaper panel, the Believe It or Not feature proved popular and was later adapted into a wide variety of formats, including radio, television, comic books, a chain of museums, and a book series.

<i>Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls</i> 1995 American film directed by Steve Oedekerk

Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls is a 1995 American detective comedy film and the sequel to Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994), and the second installment of the Ace Ventura franchise. Jim Carrey reprises his role as the title character Ace Ventura, a detective who specializes in retrieval of tame and captive animals, and has been summoned to Africa to locate a missing bat. Ian McNeice, Simon Callow, and Sophie Okonedo co-star. Tommy Davidson, who co-starred with Carrey on the show In Living Color, makes a cameo appearance in the film.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Linklater</span> American film director, producer and screenwriter (born 1960)

Richard Stuart Linklater is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is known for making films that deal thematically with suburban culture and the effects of the passage of time. His films include the comedies Slacker (1990) and Dazed and Confused (1993); the Before trilogy of romance films: Before Sunrise (1995), Before Sunset (2004), and Before Midnight (2013); the music-themed comedy School of Rock (2003); the adult animated films Waking Life (2001), A Scanner Darkly (2006), and Apollo 10 1⁄2: A Space Age Childhood (2022); the coming-of-age drama Boyhood (2014); the comedy film Everybody Wants Some!! (2016); and the romantic comedy Hit Man (2023).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Oedekerk</span> American filmmaker, actor, and stand-up comedian (born 1961)

Steven Brent Oedekerk is an American filmmaker, actor, and stand-up comedian. He is best known for his collaborations with actor and comedian Jim Carrey and director Tom Shadyac, his series of "Thumbmation" shorts and his film Kung Pow! Enter the Fist (2002), along with his films Santa vs. the Snowman 3D, Barnyard, and The Nutty Professor remake. His film Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius was nominated for an Academy Award.

<i>The Ghost and Mr. Chicken</i> 1966 film by Alan Rafkin

The Ghost and Mr. Chicken is a 1966 American comedy mystery film starring Don Knotts as Luther Heggs, the town dunce and a newspaper typesetter who spends a night in a haunted house, which is located in the fictitious community of Rachel, Kansas. Don Knotts' first major project after leaving The Andy Griffith Show, The Ghost and Mr. Chicken uses a similar small town setting and involved a number of alumni from the sitcom, including director Alan Rafkin and writers Jim Fritzell and Everett Greenbaum. It was a box office success, paving the way for a string of other Knotts-fronted comedy films. The working title was Running Scared. The title is presumably a humorous variation of the film The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947).

Frank S. Perkins was an American song composer best known for the song "Stars Fell on Alabama" and his band classic, Fandango. He was born in Salem, Massachusetts and died in Los Angeles, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joan Staley</span> American model and actress (1940–2019)

Joan Staley was an American actress and model.

<i>The Reluctant Astronaut</i> 1967 film by Edward Montagne

The Reluctant Astronaut is a 1967 American comedy film produced and directed by Edward Montagne and starring Don Knotts in a story about a carnival ride operator who is hired as a janitor at the Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston and is eventually sent into space.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warner Theatre (Morgantown, West Virginia)</span> Defunct theatre in Morgantown, West Virginia, U.S.

The Warner Theater is a historic Art Deco movie theater at 147 High Street in downtown Morgantown, West Virginia, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arthur Lubin</span> American film director (1898–1995)

Arthur Lubin was an American film director and producer who directed several Abbott & Costello films, Phantom of the Opera (1943), the Francis the Talking Mule series and created the talking-horse TV series Mister Ed. A prominent director for Universal Pictures in the 1940s and 1950s, he is perhaps best known today as the man who gave Clint Eastwood his first contract in film.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elizabeth MacRae</span> American actress (1936–2024)

Elizabeth Hendon MacRae was an American actress who performed in dozens of television series and in nine feature films, working predominantly in productions released between 1958 and the late 1980s. Among her more widely recognized roles was her recurring character as Lou-Ann Poovie on the sitcom Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., which was originally broadcast from 1964 to 1969.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Betty Noyes</span> American actress

Elizabeth Noyes Hand was an American singer and actress best known for dubbing two of Debbie Reynolds' numbers in the 1952 film Singin' in the Rain. Today, this is a well-known example of dubbing in a film musical: While Reynolds's character was the "ghost singer" dubbing for another character in the film, Reynolds's singing voice was actually dubbed by Noyes.

<i>The Incredible Burt Wonderstone</i> 2013 American film by Don Scardino

The Incredible Burt Wonderstone is a 2013 American comedy film directed by Don Scardino and written by John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, based on a story by Chad Kultgen and Tyler Mitchell, along with Daley and Goldstein. The film follows Las Vegas magician Burt Wonderstone as he attempts to reunite with his former partner Anton Marvelton to take on dangerous street magician Steve Gray. It also features Alan Arkin, Olivia Wilde, and James Gandolfini in his final film appearance during his lifetime.

<i>Everybody Wants Some!!</i> (film) 2016 film by Richard Linklater

Everybody Wants Some!! is a 2016 American comedy film written and directed by Richard Linklater, about college baseball players in 1980s Texas. The film stars Blake Jenner, Zoey Deutch, Ryan Guzman, Tyler Hoechlin, Glen Powell, Will Brittain, and Wyatt Russell. It had its world premiere at South by Southwest on March 11, 2016, and was theatrically released in the United States on March 30, 2016, by Paramount Pictures. The film grossed $5.4 million against a $10 million budget, making it a box-office bomb, but was critically acclaimed.

Karen Knotts is an American actress and stand-up comedian. She is also the daughter of Don Knotts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Al Checco</span> American film, television and theatre actor

Al Checco was an American film, television and theatre actor. Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he was known for playing the role of Bernard Stein in the 1968 film The Party.

References

  1. ↑ Variety film review; January 22, 1964, page 6.
  2. ↑ Of Fish and Men: MR. LIMPET. By Theodore Pratt. Drawings by Garrett Price. 144 pp. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. $2. B S. New York Times 18 Jan 1942: BR19.
  3. ↑ Don Knotts to Star in Cinema Fantasy: Comic Will Turn Into Fish and War Hero in 'Mr. Limpet' Hopper, Hedda. Los Angeles Times 9 May 1962: D16.
  4. ↑ Lubin Directs 'Limpet' Los Angeles Times 11 July 1962: C11.
  5. ↑ Knotts Gets Watered-Down Role Thomas, Bob. Chicago Daily Tribune 22 July 1962: h16.
  6. ↑ Barrier, Michael (1999). Hollywood Cartoons: American Animation in Its Golden Age . Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 562–563. ISBN   0-19-516729-5.
  7. ↑ "Kevin Lima to direct The Incredible Mr. Limpet". Archived from the original on February 2, 2010. Retrieved June 14, 2009.
  8. ↑ Cox, Stephen; Marhanka, Kevin (2008). The Incredible Mr. Don Knotts. Cumberland House. p. 49. ISBN   9781581826586.
  9. ↑ Presidential Films Still Being Revised: Song Lyrics Also Affected; 'Venetian Affair' for Elke Scheuer, Philip K. Los Angeles Times (1923-1995); L12 Dec 1963: C29.
  10. ↑ Entertainment: Don Knotts Faces Big Career Decision Crossroads Offer More TV, Movies or Broadway Comedy Hopper, Hedda. Los Angeles Times 7 Jan 1964: B6.
  11. ↑ "The Incredible Mr. Limpet". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  12. ↑ DEEP-SEA FANTASY: 'Mr. Limpet' Fishy, Funny Scheuer, Philip K. Los Angeles Times 18 Mar 1964: D17.
  13. ↑ Vagg, Stephen (14 September 2019). "The Cinema of Arthur Lubin". Diabolique Magazine. Archived from the original on 12 August 2020. Retrieved 15 September 2019.
  14. ↑ Variety Staff (December 2, 1996). "TENPERCENTERIES". Variety . Archived from the original on July 15, 2014. Retrieved July 11, 2014.
  15. ↑ "Carrey stuck on 'Limpet'". Variety. May 20, 1997. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved July 11, 2014.
  16. ↑ Fleming, Michael (February 1, 1998). "'Limpet' nets Oedekerk, hooks Carrey". Variety. Archived from the original on December 19, 2014. Retrieved July 11, 2014.
  17. ↑ Amidi, Amid (February 24, 2014). "Richard Linklater Will Remake 'Incredible Mr. Limpet'". Cartoon Brew. Archived from the original on March 5, 2014. Retrieved March 1, 2014.
  18. ↑ Evans, Bradford (December 4, 2013). "The Failed Jim Carrey 'Incredible Mr. Limpet' Remake Would Have Been Terrifying". The Vulture. Archived from the original on April 16, 2021. Retrieved May 2, 2021.
  19. 1 2 Harris, Dana (April 18, 2000). "Judge trolling 'Limpet' seas". Variety. Archived from the original on July 15, 2014. Retrieved July 11, 2014.
  20. ↑ Petrikin, Chris (July 2, 1999). "Carrey throws 'Limpet' back". Variety. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved July 11, 2014.
  21. ↑ Billington, Alex (June 11, 2009). "Kevin Lima Remaking Don Knotts' The Incredible Mr. Limpet". First Showing. Archived from the original on May 14, 2011. Retrieved March 1, 2010.
  22. ↑ Goldberg, Matt (June 11, 2009). "ENCHANTED Director Kevin Lima Swims With THE INCREDIBLE MR. LIMPET". Collider. Archived from the original on October 21, 2014. Retrieved March 1, 2013.
  23. ↑ Zeitchik, Steven (June 14, 2010). "Zach Galifianakis could be a fish (and the new Don Knotts)". Los Angeles Times . Archived from the original on April 24, 2014. Retrieved March 1, 2014.
  24. ↑ "Richard Linklater Eyed for The Incredible Mr. Limpet". CraveOnline. 16 March 2011. Archived from the original on 2011-03-19. Retrieved 2011-12-01.
  25. ↑ Fischer, Russ (January 29, 2014). "Richard Linklater Reunites With 'Waking Life' Team for 'The Incredible Mr. Limpet' Remake". SlashFilm. Archived from the original on February 28, 2014. Retrieved March 1, 2014.
  26. ↑ Macnab, Geoffrey (January 28, 2014). "Documentary duo join Richard Linklater's The Incredible Mr Limpet". Screen Daily . Archived from the original on March 8, 2014. Retrieved March 1, 2014.{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  27. ↑ Sneider, Jeff (July 8, 2014). "Jon Hamm Circling Richard Linklater's 'Incredible Mr. Limpet' Remake". The Wrap. Archived from the original on July 11, 2014. Retrieved July 9, 2014.
  28. ↑ Ford, Rebecca; Kit, Borys (August 4, 2014). "Richard Linklater Exiting 'The Incredible Mr. Limpet' Remake". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved August 5, 2014.
  29. ↑ Dell Movie Classic: The Incredible Mr. Limpet at the Grand Comics Database
  30. ↑ Dell Movie Classic: The Incredible Mr. Limpet at the Comic Book DB (archived from the original )
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.