The Love Bug parents guide

The Love Bug Parent Guide

Overall B+

Introduce your children to the movie that first infected the nation with Herbie fever. The Love Bug (starring Dean Jones, Michele Lee, and Buddy Hackett) was the film dŽbut for "the little white car with heart," and went on to inspire an epidemic of sequels.

Release date March 13, 1969

Violence B
Sexual Content A-
Profanity A-
Substance Use C

Why is The Love Bug rated G? The MPAA rated The Love Bug G

Run Time: 107 minutes

Parent Movie Review

Hundreds of thousands of cars are made on the assembly lines each year—yet every once in a while, something special happens. Or at least that is Jim Douglas’s (Dean Jones) explanation.

A former contender in some of the most prestigious car races, Jim’s career has of late become a string of losses. Unwilling to accept he is getting too old for the sport, he continues to drive whatever he can, in whatever competition he can, including the degrading arena of demolition derbies. However, the possibility of a halt to his steady decline comes after he meets the “little white car.”

The Volkswagen Beetle (although its official model name is never mentioned in the film) appears to have some quirky malfunctions, such as stopping and starting of its own accord, squirting oil on the feet of unfriendly bystanders and following people around like a stray dog. The aspiring racer interprets these erratic behaviors as a sign the vehicle has that “extra-something.” Hoping it can put him back in the driver’s seat, Jim begins entering it in tournaments.

But his roommate, Tennessee Steinmetz (Buddy Hackett), knows the mystery has nothing to do with mechanics. Privately believing inanimate objects can possess a heart and soul, the somewhat eccentric welder befriends the Bug and names it Herbie. When he promises the car a good home in return for great performance on the track, Jim suddenly finds himself on a winning streak.

This instant change of luck also attracts the attention of Mr. Peter Thorndyke (David Tomlinson), the dealer who originally sold the automobile to Jim. An avid racer himself, the socially conscious gentleman is appalled to be beaten by the bucket-of-bolts. Slyly, the sore loser assigns his attractive assistant, Carol Bennett (Michele Lee), to pay extra attention to this client in order to discover the secret of his success.

In the typical style of many Disney movies of this vintage, The Love Bug is full of silly antics, impossible stunts, and the inevitable happy ending. Fueled by a wager over ownership of the wonder-mobile, the screenplay includes ample amounts of racing footage and every foul play the conniving sales-man can concoct. Only the youngest of viewers are likely to be frightened by scenes where the vehicle and its passengers appear to be in peril, or when the dejected-feeling car threatens to throw itself off the Golden Gate Bridge. The rest of the audience will find plenty of chuckles amidst the intended good humor.

The only content concerns muddying the movie’s family appeal may be a few instances of name-calling, portrayals of drunkenness from too much Irish Coffee, the mildest of sexual innuendo (Miss Bennett’s shapely legs draw some attention), and derogatory cultural stereotypes. Capitalizing on its charm, the studio cranked out numerous Herbie sequels—or at least that’s my explanation for this film franchise.

Starring Dean Jones, Michele Lee, Buddy Hackett, David Tomlinson. Running time: 107 minutes. Theatrical release March 13, 1969. Updated

The Love Bug Parents' Guide

When Jim Douglas fills up Herbie’s tank, the price on the gas pump is 41 cents per gallon. He also feels he can buy a car for $75 to $80 dollars. Besides prices, what else has changed since this film was made?

Tennessee appears as a harmless crackpot when he suggests a machine can have a personality of its own. Although his opinion isn’t supposed to be taken seriously outside of the movie, have you ever felt affection for an inanimate object, or accused one of being out to get you?

Home Video

The most recent home video release of The Love Bug movie is May 19, 2003. Here are some details…

DVD Release Date: 3 May 2005
Take a ride in The Love Bug with the DVD release of the movie that started the Herbie craze. The two disc set offers an audio commentary with Buddy Hackett, Dean Jones, and Michele Lee, the animated short Susie - The Little Blue Coupe, deleted scenes, and a wealth of featurettes. By the time you are finished your tour, you’ll even know who gave Herbie his voice.

Related home video titles:

This movie franchise continues in the new millennium with Herbie: Fully Loaded. The fire station Jim and Tennessee live in has been used in other films, including The Princess Diaries. David Tomlinson , who plays the delightfully, diabolical Mr. Peter Thorndyke, also stars as the father in Mary Poppins.