Herbie Rides Again [1974]

Random Trivia For This Title:

• The model year of Volkswagen Beetle used for Herbie The Love Bug shifts back and forth throughout the film. It's most visible when the side rear windows change size from smaller (1963) to larger (1966).
• Unlike The Love Bug, in which all VW logos were removed from Herbie, Disney worked closely with Volkswagen to promote the sequel. 300,000 Herbie posters were distributed to dealers to pass on to their customers and each VW dealer had a Bug on display that was made up to look like Herbie. Plus, if a customer wanted to turn their new Beetle into a Herbie they could purchase a graphics kit from the VW parts department.
• The GAF Viewmaster reel set shows a picture from a deleted sequence where one of Alonzo Hawk's nightmares has him being treated by VW Beetle doctors. The "doctors" have a red cross on the hood and the headlights have "pupils." The "doctors" have mechanical arms that hold welding torches and other mechanical tools. The scene was probably deleted because it would have been too scary for kids.
• Herbie The Love Bug was a 1963 Volkswagen Beetle deluxe ragtop sedan painted in Volkswagen L87 pearl white. Under normal circumstances, the interior would be a matching white. However, Herbie's interior was painted a special non-reflective grey color so the camera and studio lights would not reflect.
• The original choice for the lead character was Walter Brennan playing Grandpa Steinmetz. However, since he was seriously ill with emphysema the studio cast Helen Hayes as Grandma Steinmetz instead.
• The owners of the Sheraton Palace Hotel allowed Disney to film the scene of Herbie crossing their large regal dining area only after the Herbie used was rigged to run on battery power (no gas exhaust) and the bottom of the car was drip-proofed. It was filmed at a time of day where there is low traffic at the dining area. The diners in the foreground (in front of Herbie rolling through) were actually blue screened in later.
• The role of Alonzo Hawks and the actor Keenan Wynn is the same character and actor who played the role in both The Absent Minded Professor and Son of Flubber.