The Misadventures of Merlin Jones facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Misadventures of Merlin Jones |
|
|---|---|
Official theatrical poster
|
|
| Directed by | Robert Stevenson |
| Produced by | |
| Screenplay by |
|
| Story by | Bill Walsh |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Buddy Baker |
| Cinematography | Edward Colman |
| Editing by | Cotton Warburton |
| Studio | Walt Disney Productions |
| Distributed by | Buena Vista Distribution |
| Release date(s) | February 11, 1964 (Los Angeles) |
| Running time | 91 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Money made | $4,000,000 (US/ Canada) |
The Misadventures of Merlin Jones is a fun science fiction comedy film from 1964, made by Walt Disney Productions. It was directed by Robert Stevenson. The movie stars Tommy Kirk as Merlin Jones, a college student who loves to experiment with his mind. He tries out mind-reading and hypnotism, which leads to some funny and tricky situations with a local judge.
Annette Funicello plays Jennifer, Merlin's girlfriend. She also sings the movie's main song, with help from The Yachtsmen, a harmony group from Disneyland. The song was written by the famous Sherman Brothers. The film also features Leon Ames, Stuart Erwin, Alan Hewitt, Connie Gilchrist, and Dallas McKennon. This movie was so popular that a sequel, The Monkey's Uncle, came out the very next year!
Contents
Merlin's Mind-Reading Adventures
Merlin Jones, a clever student at Midvale College, is always trying out new ideas. He invents a special helmet that can record brain activity. One day, he gets into trouble with Judge Holmsby for wearing his helmet while driving, and his driver's license is taken away.
Back in his lab, Merlin accidentally discovers something amazing: his new invention lets him read minds! This new power quickly leads to some unexpected problems.
A Judge's Secret Plan
Merlin works part-time at a diner. One day, Judge Holmsby comes in. Using his new mind-reading ability, Merlin learns that the judge is planning something secret. Thinking it might be a real crime, Merlin tells the police. But they don't believe him and think he's just imagining things.
Merlin and his girlfriend, Jennifer, decide to investigate on their own. They sneak into Judge Holmsby's house to find proof of his secret plan. Instead, they get caught by the police! It turns out the judge's "secret plan" was just that he was a mystery book author named "Lex Fortis." He wanted to keep his writing a secret.
Merlin's Hypnotism Experiments
Merlin's next big experiment involves hypnotism. He tries it out on Stanley, the lab's chimpanzee. Stanley is usually picked on by Norman, another student. Merlin hypnotizes Stanley to stand up for himself. This leads to a fight between Merlin and Norman, and Merlin ends up back in front of Judge Holmsby.
The judge is very interested in Merlin's experiments. He asks Merlin to help him come up with a plot for his next mystery book.
The Case of the Missing Chimp
Merlin decides to test a theory: can an honest person be hypnotized into doing something they would never normally do, like commit a crime? He hypnotizes Judge Holmsby and tells him to kidnap Stanley the chimp. To Merlin's surprise, the judge actually does it!
Merlin and Jennifer quickly return the chimp. But then, they are accused of stealing Stanley themselves! The judge, completely unaware that he was the one who took the chimp while hypnotized, sentences Merlin to jail. Jennifer is furious about this unfairness. She manages to convince Judge Holmsby of what really happened. The judge finally realizes that even good people can sometimes do unexpected things.
Meet the Cast
- Tommy Kirk as Merlin Jones
- Annette Funicello as Jennifer
- Leon Ames as Judge Holmsby/Lex Fortas
- Stuart Erwin as Police Captain Loomis
- Alan Hewitt as Professor Shattuck
- Connie Gilchrist as Mrs. Gossett
- Dallas McKennon as Detective Hutchins
- Norm Grabowski as Norman
