Menu

Discover

Genres

Appearance

  • light/dark mode
powered by
moviedb

The Love Bug

"Herbie will honk his way into your heart."

1968-12-23 Comedy 1hr 47m

Down-on-his-luck race car driver Jim Douglas teams up with a little VW Bug that has a mind of its own, not realizing Herbie's worth until a sneaky rival plots to steal him.

More
Trailer
Disney Plus

Watch on Disney Plus

close
The Love Bug
Disney Plus

Watch on Disney Plus

Storyline

Down-on-his-luck race car driver Jim Douglas teams up with a little VW Bug that has a mind of its own, not realizing Herbie's worth until a sneaky rival plots to steal him.

  • Released
    1968-12-23
  • Revenue
    $51,264,022
  • Budget
    n/a
  • Runtime
    1hr 47m
  • Genre
    Comedy, Family, Fantasy
  • Status
    Released
  • Language
    Español, English, 广州话 / 廣州話
  • imdb-logo
    6.5
  • Production
    Walt Disney Productions

Crew

Robert Stevenson
Director
Bill Walsh
Screenplay
Bill Walsh
Producer
Keywords:
car race sports san francisco, california suicide attempt golden gate bridge race car driver bug car trouble based on short story volkswagen beetle dual role ghost town entrepreneur toll booth grand prix

Stream and watch The Love Bug

similar movies

Stay Hungry

Stay Hungry

Eleven Men Out

Eleven Men Out

Why Men Don't Listen and Women Can't Read Maps

Why Men Don't Listen and Women Can't Read Maps

Nešťastník

Nešťastník

Rozsudok

Rozsudok

Beyond the Valley of the Dolls

Beyond the Valley of the Dolls

D2: The Mighty Ducks

D2: The Mighty Ducks

Go Trabi Go 2: Those Were the Days of the Wild East

Go Trabi Go 2: Those Were the Days of the Wild East

The Intern

The Intern

Beer League

Beer League

Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo

Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo

Ta Ra Rum Pum

Ta Ra Rum Pum

Ping Pong Playa

Ping Pong Playa

The Hammer

The Hammer

Slap Shot 3: The Junior League

Slap Shot 3: The Junior League

Horse Feathers

Horse Feathers

Mike's New Car

Mike's New Car

Nobody Will Laugh

Nobody Will Laugh

The Sword and the Sorcerer

The Sword and the Sorcerer

Surfer, Dude

Surfer, Dude

Cast

Dean Jones

Dean Jones
Jim Douglas
Michele Lee

Michele Lee
Carole Bennett
David Tomlinson

David Tomlinson
Peter Thorndyke
Buddy Hackett

Buddy Hackett
Tennessee Steinmetz
Joe Flynn

Joe Flynn
Havershaw
Benson Fong

Benson Fong
Mr. Wu
Andy Granatelli

Andy Granatelli
Association President
Joe E. Ross

Joe E. Ross
Detective
Iris Adrian

Iris Adrian
Carhop
Ned Glass

Ned Glass
Toll Booth Attendant
Robert Foulk

Robert Foulk
Bice
Gil Lamb

Gil Lamb
Policeman at Park
Barry Kelley

Barry Kelley
Police Sgt.
Nicole Jaffe

Nicole Jaffe
Girl In Dune Buggy
Gary Owens

Gary Owens
Announcer
Wally Boag

Wally Boag
Flabbergasted Driver
Russ Caldwell

Russ Caldwell
Boy in Dune Buggy
Max Balchowsky

Max Balchowsky
Peter Renaday

Peter Renaday
Policeman on Bridge
Brian Fong

Brian Fong
Man Carrying Herbie
Alan Fordney

Alan Fordney
Stan Duke

Stan Duke
Gary Owens

Gary Owens
Race Announcer
Chick Hearn

Chick Hearn
Announcer
Pedro Gonzalez Gonzalez

Pedro Gonzalez Gonzalez
Mexican Driver
Dale Van Sickel

Dale Van Sickel
Driver
Regis Parton

Regis Parton
Driver
Regina Parton

Regina Parton
Driver
Fred Stromsoe

Fred Stromsoe
Driver

Videos and Photos

video-bd
video-bd
The Love Bug
The Love Bug
The Love Bug
The Love Bug
The Love Bug
The Love Bug
The Love Bug

Movie Reviews

Reviews for The Love Bug
reviewer avatar

A Review by Wuchak 6

Written by Wuchak on 2020-07-10

_**That lovable Volkswagen Beetle with a mind of its own**_ A has-been racecar driver in San Francisco (Dean Jones) acquires a Volkswagen... read more

_**That lovable Volkswagen Beetle with a mind of its own**_ A has-been racecar driver in San Francisco (Dean Jones) acquires a Volkswagen Beetle and his luck changes on the raceway. He, his mechanic (Buddy Hackett) and potential girlfriend (Michele Lee) start to see that the cute vehicle has a mind of its own. David Tomlinson and Joe Flynn are on hand as dastardly villains. "The Love Bug" (1969) is a fun Disney racing-oriented fantasy that inspired three sequels by 1980, a television movie in 1997 and a 2005 theatrical sequel with Lindsay Lohan. This is a good flick when you’re in the mood for some innocent fun, but I feel the latter three movies are the best ones: “Herbie Goes Bananas” (1980), “The Love Bug” (1997) and “Herbie Fully Loaded” (2005) with the 1997 one arguably being my favorite (perhaps because it features the Dark Herbie and Alexandra Wentworth). But this is the one that started it all. It features a fitting cast and superb locations. It’s a tad overlong though and should’ve been abbreviated by 15-20 minutes. The film runs 1 hour, 48 minutes and was shot entirely in California, including San Francisco, Big Bear Lake, Riverside, Agoura, Santa Clarita, the Monterey Peninsula, Cuddy Valley, San Bernardino National Forest and studios in Burbank. GRADE: B-

reviewer avatar

A Review by Geronimo1967 6

Written by Geronimo1967 on 2023-12-27

David Tomlinson was always pretty reliable as the go-to comic English gent, and he delivers quite well here as the supercilious car dealer "... read more

David Tomlinson was always pretty reliable as the go-to comic English gent, and he delivers quite well here as the supercilious car dealer "Thorndyke". He only deals in the luxury end of the market, so "Jim" (Dean Jones) is a bit surprised to find a dilapidated old VW Beetle in his yard. There's something very special about this little car, and soon the down-on-his-luck driver and his mate "Tennessee" (Buddy Hackett) have bought him, repaired him and named him "Herbie". Magically, his racing fortunes take an about turn and pretty soon his erstwhile owner is after him back - and is prepared to go to just about any lengths as they prepare to compete in one trans-American race and - to the victor the spoils and the the scrapyard with "Herbie" if he doesn't win. It's interesting that this was released one year after "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" (1968) - so clearly the theme of magical cars was popular. "Herbie" is mischievous and not averse too the odd tantrum which gives him just enough of a personality, coupled with an on form Jones - to create an enjoyable tale of friendship and inter-reliance as well as one of fast-paced antics and even the slightest hint of romance as we tumble down mountains, slide in and out of mud and generally have our own sort of "Whacky Race". It's a bit over-scripted and probably twenty minutes too long - I think we all get the gist and could be getting on with the action a bit more quickly, but it's still a decent watch that reminds us of what was hugely popular in the late sixties.

Read Full Review (The thoughts and opinions expressed here are solely those of the reviewer.)
A Review by Wuchak

_**That lovable Volkswagen Beetle with a mind of its own**_ A has-been racecar driver in San Francisco (Dean Jones) acquires a Volkswagen Beetle and his luck changes on the raceway. He, his mechanic (Buddy Hackett) and potential girlfrie...

reviewer avatar

A Review by Wuchak 6

Written by Wuchak on 2020-07-10

_**That lovable Volkswagen Beetle with a mind of its own**_ A has-been racecar driver in San Francisco (Dean Jones) acquires a Volkswagen Beetle and his luck changes on the raceway. He, his mechani...

read more
reviewer avatar

A Review by Geronimo1967 6

Written by Geronimo1967 on 2023-12-27

David Tomlinson was always pretty reliable as the go-to comic English gent, and he delivers quite well here as the supercilious car dealer "Thorndyke". He only deals in the luxury end of the market, s...

read more