The Absent-Minded Professor
Seen it?1961 | 96 min | Comedy, Family, Science Fiction
Saturday SpecialWhy it’s a Saturday Special
It earned strong reviews (83% on Rotten Tomatoes) and it made about 13 times its budget. A strong pick for the weekend.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for anyone who wants a laugh, sci-fi fans and families. If you loved Back to the Future Part II, start here. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
- The mood
- Light and funny, feel-good.
- The pace
- Breezy, at 1 hr 36 min.
- What might put you off
- Made in 1961: an older pace and style.
- Audiences were cooler on it than critics.
Bumbling professor Ned Brainard accidentally invents flying rubber, or "Flubber", an incredible material that gains energy every time it strikes a hard surface. It allows for the invention of shoes that can allow jumps of amazing heights and enables a modified Model-T to fly. Unfortunately, no one is interested in the material except for Alonzo Hawk, a corrupt businessman who wants to steal the material for himself.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsStrong
83% on Rotten Tomatoes, 75 on Metacritic
- AudiencesSolid
6.5 out of 10
- AwardsSolid
Nominated for 3 Oscars.
- Box office & staying powerStrong
$25 million worldwide on a $2 million budget; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactSolid
About 96K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Robert Stevenson
- Fred MacMurrayNed Brainard
- Nancy OlsonBetsy Carlisle
- Keenan WynnAlonzo P. Hawk
- Tommy KirkBiff Hawk
- Leon AmesRufus Daggett
- Elliott ReidShelby Ashton
- Edward AndrewsDefense Secretary
- David LewisGeneral Singer
- Jack MullaneyAir Force Captain
- Belle MontroseMrs. Chatsworth