| The Love Bug | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Robert Stevenson |
| Screenplay by | Bill Walsh Don DaGradi |
| Based on | "Car, Boy, Girl" by Gordon Buford |
| Produced by | Bill Walsh |
| Starring | Dean Jones Michele Lee David Tomlinson Buddy Hackett |
| Cinematography | Edward Colman |
| Edited by | Cotton Warburton |
| Music by | George Bruns |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Buena Vista Distribution |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 108 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $5 million[1] |
| Box office | $51.2 million[2] |
The Love Bug (also known as Herbie the Love Bug) is a 1969 American sports adventure comedy film directed by Robert Stevenson from a screenplay by Bill Walsh and Don DaGradi, based on the story "Car, Boy, Girl" by Gordon Buford. The film is the first installment in the Herbie film series.
The film follows the adventures of a sentient Volkswagen Beetle named Herbie, Herbie's driver, Jim Douglas (Dean Jones), and Jim's love interest, Carole Bennett (Michele Lee). It also features Buddy Hackett as Jim's enlightened, kind-hearted friend, Tennessee Steinmetz, a character who creates "art" from used car parts. English actor David Tomlinson portrays the villainous Peter Thorndyke, the owner of an automobile showroom and an SCCA national champion who sells Herbie to Jim and eventually becomes his racing rival.
The Love Bug was followed by a sequel titled Herbie Rides Again (1974). The film was originally given a limited release on December 24, 1968, and was later widely released on March 13, 1969 by Walt Disney Productions. It received positive reviews from critics, and received $51.2 million against a budget of $5 million.
- ^ Solomon, Aubrey (1989). Twentieth Century Fox: A Corporate and Financial History. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press, p. 163, ISBN 978-0-8108-4244-1.
- ^ "The Love Bug, Box Office Information". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on December 25, 2011. Retrieved January 9, 2012.