Customer Reviews

Barefoot Executive [VHS]

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I remember watching this movie when I was young. A guy who attends night school comes up with these wild ideas to pitch to his girlfriend's boss (one of the NBC exec's) and his ideas are all wrong. That is, intil he discovered a chimp who can pick the top rated shows of the week. It's easy to laugh out loud when you're watching this movie, and it's one of the classics that entertain without the use of sex, drugs, swearing, any of the stuff used in hollywood today. Two thumbs up!

The Barefoot Executive may appear to just be a light and fluffy 1960s/1970s-style Disney comedy, and it can certainly be enjoyed that way, but you don't have to dig very far below the surface to find a subtly clever satire of the television industry with a very insider feel. Having worked in radio for a while, and having friends and family who do or did work in television, as well as reading a lot of behind the scenes books on television programs, a lot of the jabs at the industry feel spot on.

The humorous premise, probably stemming from a common joke about this, is that a "monkey" (actually a chimpanzee here) could pick a television stations' programming and do just as good or even a better job at it. Screenwriter Joseph McEveety and director Robert Butler get the dynamics between various levels of employees right, including the bigwigs. There are nice, continuing threads of intertwined sycophancy, insular ideas, fears of getting canned or demoted over ratings or general incompetence, and self-righteous assertiveness. Some of those things may be contradictory, but nevertheless they're representative of life within the walls of a broadcast media outlet--and probably many other places of employment as well. To an extent, the personal dynamics aspects of The Barefoot Executive are suggestive of an early version of Office Space (1999). But towards the end of the film, The Barefoot Executive nicely diverges into slightly more absurdist territory.

Raffles, the chimpanzee, is charismatic and impressive. But an unexpected surprise was the scope and chemistry of the cast, which includes veteran character actors and Disney regulars Joe Flynn and Harry Morgan, veteran television actor Wally Cox, the woman who has supplied the voice of Daphne in most of the Scooby-Doo series and animated films since 1970, Heather North, and in one of his first films, John Ritter. Ritter is on fire here. He steals almost every one of his scenes. And that's quite a feat seeing that the star is an engaging Kurt Russell, who had already made a string of very successful films for Disney.

Ah, it great to see Disney finally cutting loose from their film vault this and other great live-action films. Kurt Russell and especially Hayley Mills were true bread and butter income for a host of Disney films and were personal favorites of Uncle Walt himself. But why oh why does Disney treat these two wonderful actor's films to lousy Pan & Scan transfers? Of the six Mills pictures, only half are in their OAR. As far as Russell, I think only one of his flicks is in its OAR, "Now You See Him, Now You Don't"! A sad, sad situation for 2008 technology and an insult to both of these fine actors.

UPDATE: 04.29.08

As someone has kindly pointed out that this movie was an open matte from a 1.85:1 print, you wonder why they would do this, especially back in 1971? Disney's logic continues to befuddle even today.

This is a "good, clean, family" movie. Nothing objectionable for younger children, while still making my older teen laugh. It has value because it teaches fame and riches are not worth losing your personal integrity; honesty and keeping your word.
There are a number of scenes that made us laugh, especially one out on a window ledge where Wally Cox and Joe Flynn kept us laughing for almost ten minutes with their classic screwball expressions and antics.
Kurt Russell has a girlfriend,but there is not even any sexual innuendo.
The chimp is cute and funny.
This is our favorite Kurt Russell Disney movie, definitely more entertaining than The Strongest Man in the World and The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes.

I am delighted to see that two of my favorite Disney films have been released on dvd, "Million Dollar Duck" and "The Barefoot Executive." Descriptions of the plots for these movies are already noted here, but I will say that both these films are very enjoyable family viewing. I can remember going to the theater as a child and watching these films, and I still enjoy them today. Nobody's claiming they're the best films ever, or even the best Disney films ever, just good, fun entertainment in the grand Disney tradition.Some have complained about these films not being released in their original aspect ratio's, or being remastered for dvd. Although I would have preferred them released letterboxed as well, neither film was released in a very wide aspect ratio, so they play fine on tv, and as for Disney using the same masters they used for the vhs releases and tv airings, if that's what they did, big deal. Those prints are fine. Sharp, clear pictures, with good color.Sure, it would have been nice to have remastered letterboxed versions on dvd, but be grateful we have them on dvd at all. They've both been a long time coming.

Some beloved films from our childhood should not be seen again because they really were junk. This one is the opposite.

Not only do I still crack up (in my mid-40s) at this film, but my kids know almost every line. The script has to be awesome to do that for a picky movie connoisseur such as moi!

This film gives you more than just a funny plot from start to finish. You get some of the most quotable lines of any one film. I can still hear lines like Joe Flynn's "you've got a reverse gear in this thing" and "come on little fella, you're gonna love it" and Ritter sneering "Moonrise night School" and the Irish-stereotyped Father MulCahey saying "there's no prablum that cannut be salved" and the jack-hammer guy wobbling his head as he says "I knew it all the time." Believe me, that snorting laugh of Wally Cox will break the ice at parties! The scene of Joe Flynn and Wally Cox on the ledge is guaranteed to belly-laugh you out of the worst of moods.

And by the way, the stock review for this film says that Kurt Russell is Steven Stone. oops! Sorry, but he is Steven Post. (Could this be a word-play on his role of delivering the inter-office "post" as a mailboy?) Maybe they should have watched the flick first, before telling others about it.

His name in this one is a break from Dexter Riley in his other three blockbusters, although surrounded by the same veteran actors. I guess Disney was trying to let him grow up. I'd have preferred to let him still be Dexter, but just in a new chapter of life, as his loyal fans are too.

Enjoy it with the next generation, over and over!

This is a fun comedy in the traditional Disney movie of that time period. The actors are the ones you have seen on many of the older Disney movies and they all have an energy and ability to spoof that plays off of each other. While this is the least favorite of mine in the classic Disney movies, it's still a better movie than many of the new ones out today.

Enjoy.

The Barefoot Executive is a great movie for the WHOLE Family! Kurt Russell is great!! The theme song is crazy-but wonderful for the era!! Disney knew what they were doing with this cast- awesome!!! I recommend this movie to you!!! 5 Stars!

An entertaing and funny comedy about a chimpanzee that watches the highest rated programs on TV. This film is for the whole family! Worth seeing and buying on DVD.

Buy this great disney movie and enjoy!!!! :)

If a monkey could pick top rated movies this would be one of them. See a young Kurt Russell and John Ridder give an amusing performance. Now you see him now you don't, and The computer wore tennis shoes also highly reccomended.