Dexter Riley (film series)

The Dexter Riley film series consists of American Science fiction-comedy films, centered around a college student named Dexter Riley, portrayed by Kurt Russell.[1][2] The films, produced by The Walt Disney Company, taking place at the fictional Medfield College follow the science class lead by Professor Quigley, and their experiments, projects, and adventures. The college, under the direction of Dean Eugene Higgs (Joe Flynn) becomes involved in the nefarious plans of billionaire-turned-criminal, A.J. Arno (Cesar Romero).[3]

Dexter Riley
Official home video release, boxset collection artwork
Based on	Characters created by Joseph L. McEveety
Starring	Kurt Russell Cesar Romero Joe Flynn (See cast list)
Release date	1969–1995
Country	United States
Language	English
Box office	$16,710,000 (Cumulative of 4 films)

The film trilogy received mixed critical and audience reviews, while its television film remake was poorly received.[4] The original trilogy has acquired a cult classic status.[5] In 1999 the Dexter Riley trilogy, along with a number of other Disney film series, were expanded as a franchise into the Walt Disney Parks attraction with elements included from each movie.[6]

Films

Title	U.S. release date	Director	Screenwriter(s)	Story by	Producer
The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes	December 31, 1969	Robert Butler	Joseph L. McEveety		Bill Anderson
Now You See Him, Now You Don't	July 12, 1972		Joseph L. McEveety	Robert L. King	Ron Miller
The Strongest Man in the World	February 6, 1975	Vincent McEveety	Joseph L. McEveety & Herman Groves		Bill Anderson

The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes (1969)

At Medfield College, an nonintellectual named Dexter Riley becomes brilliant over night. Following an electrical accident, he gains the abilities to remember any knowledge learned instantly and perfectly; all because a donated computer memory was transferred to his brain. After Riley gains fame and attention via television appearances, the dean of a competing university decides to go after him and ruin his reputation. At the same time A.J. Arno, a secretly technologically-based crime boss, with an upstanding public persona pursues the student and his school, as the computer he had donated - that is now integrated into Riley's DNA - holds the records of his nefarious acts.[7][2]

Now You See Him, Now You Don't (1972)

Dexter Riley is a student at Medfield College, studying science, who inadvertently invents a liquid capable of rendering objects and people invisible. As Dexter and his friends Debbie and Richard begin exploring their recent discovery, the product gains the unwanted attention of corrupt businessman, A.J. Arno. Recently released from prison, Arno seeks gain the formula and use it for criminal means, before the students can even announce their discovery. Arno and his henchman plan to use the invisibility spray to rob a bank.[8][2]

The Strongest Man in the World (1975)

Dexter Riley, who is studying science at the Medfield College, decides upon an unprecedented experiment for his college chemistry project: creating a formula that will make humans stronger. After lengthy laboratory trials prove unsuccessful, a lab mishap results in the combination of his formula and a vitamin-rich breakfast cereal. Upon eating the cereal, he and his classmates discover that the intake briefly provides superhuman levels of strength and endurance. The greedy college dean attempts to take advantage of the discovery, marketing the product to a corporate cereal company; all the while, each of the parties involved don't realize that Riley's formula is the actual source for the enhanced power and strength. Things turn serious when competing cereal companies hire thugs, including A.J. Arno, to eliminate the new miracle product.[9][10][2]

Television

Title	U.S. release date	Director	Screenwriters	Story by	Producer
Disney's The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes	February 18, 1995	Peyton Reed	Joseph L. McEveety & Ryan Rowe	Joseph L. McEveety	Joseph B. Wallenstein

During the late-'80s and early-'90s, a number of made-for-television remake films of classic Walt Disney Productions were produced and released as a part of The Magical World of Disney series. Among them, was The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes.

After a laboratory accident, the contents of a computer's encyclopedia is transferred biochemically into the brain of Dexter Riley, a less-than-average college student. After his newly acquired genius he appears on a trivia show, competing between various universities. After acing the show's quiz, and acquiring all the points, another university finds out about how he attained his skills and does everything to discredit Dexter.[11]

Related films

The Dexter Riley film series, takes place at the Medfield College. The college is used as a primary location, in two other Disney film franchises. The college appears in both The Shaggy Dog film series, and the Flubber film series. Collectively, the three separate film series take place within the same fictional universe.[12][13]

Film	U.S. release date	Director(s)	Screenwriter(s)	Story by	Producer(s)
Flubber film series
The Absent-Minded Professor	March 16, 1961	Robert Stevenson	Bill Walsh
Son of Flubber	January 16, 1963		Bill Walsh & Don DaGradi		Walt Disney and Bill Walsh
Flubber	November 26, 1997	Les Mayfield	John Hughes		John Hughes and Ricardo Mestres
The Shaggy Dog film series
The Shaggy Dog	March 19, 1959	Charles Barton	Lillie Hayward & Bill Walsh		Walt Disney and Bill Walsh
The Shaggy D.A.	December 17, 1976	Robert Stevenson	Don Tait		Bill Anderson
The Return of the Shaggy Dog	November 1, 1987	Stuart Gillard	Paul Haggis & Diane Wilk		Harvey Marks
The Shaggy Dog	March 10, 2006	Brian Robbins	Cormac Wibberley & Marianne Wibberley and Geoff Rodkey and Jack Amiel & Michael Begler		David Hoberman and Tim Allen

Principal cast and characters

Character	Films			Television
	The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes	Now You See Him, Now You Don't	The Strongest Man in the World	Disney's The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes
Dexter Riley	Kurt Russell			Kirk Cameron
Dean Eugene "E.J. Gene" Higgins	Joe Flynn
A.J. Arno	Cesar Romero
Professor Miles Quigley	William Schallert		William Schallert	Jason Bernard
Richard Schuyler	Michael McGreevey
Debbie Dawson		Joyce Menges	Ann Marshall
Harriet Crumply			Eve Arden
Kirkwood Krinkle			Phil Silvers
Cookie		Richard Bakalyan
Dean Al Valentine				Larry Miller
Dean Webster Carlson				Dean Jones
Norwood Gills				Matthew McCurley

Additional crew & production details

Film	Crew/Detail
	Composer	Cinematographer	Editor	Production companies	Distributing companies	Running time
The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes	Robert F. Brunner	Frank V. Phillips	Cotton Warburton	Walt Disney Productions	Buena Vista Distribution Company	1hr 31mins
Now You See Him, Now You Don't						1hr 28mins
The Strongest Man in the World		Andrew Jackson				1hr 32mins
Disney's The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes	Philip Giffin	Russ T. Alsobrook	Jeff Gourson	Walt Disney Television, ZM Productions	American Broadcasting Company, Buena Vista Television	1hr 27mins

Reception

Box office & financial performance

Film	Box office gross			Box office ranking		Budget	Worldwide Total income	Ref.
	North America	Other territories	Worldwide	All time North America	All time worldwide
The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	$5,500,000	[14][15]
Now You See Him, Now You Don't	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	$4,610,000	[16]
The Strongest Man in the World	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	$6,600,000	[17]
Totals							$16,710,000[lower-alpha 1]

Critical response

Film	Rotten Tomatoes	Metacritic
The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes	50% (6 reviews)[18]	54 (4 reviews)[19]
Now You See Him, Now You Don't	80% (5 reviews)[20]	N/A
The Strongest Man in the World	N/A[21]	63 (4 reviews)[22]
Disney's The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes	N/A[23]	N/A

Themepark attraction

In 1999, the theme of Journey into Imagination was changed and re-titled to include Figment. The ride features Dr. Nigel Channing, from Honey, I Shrunk the Audience!, who "hosts" an area known as the Imagination Institute. The story states that Channing's grandfather established the institute, while the area features references to Dean Higgins from Dexter Riley films, as well as Wayne Szalinski from the Honey, I Shrunk the Kids franchise, as well as Dr. Philip Brainard from Flubber. Walt Disney and Thomas Edison also make an appearance.[24][6]

Notes

1. These numbers is an approximate calculation of the total income, The Walt Disney Company made of movie rentals. Box office numbers, are not available from the company.

References

1. "Dexter Riley Franchise - List of movies, prequel and sequel for Dexter Riley Franchise - MyMovieRack". www.mymovierack.com.
2. "Kurt Russell was Disney's golden boy back in the '70s". The Grand Island Independent.
3. Arnold, Mark (October 27, 2013). "Frozen in Ice: The Story of Walt Disney Productions, 1966-1985". BearManor Media – via Google Books.
4. "The Strongest Man in the World - Movie Review". www.commonsensemedia.org. January 5, 2009.
5. "DIVING INTO DISNEY'S KURT RUSSELL DEXTER REILLY TRILOGY".
6. https://www.disneyworld.eu/attractions/epcot/journey-into-imagination-with-figment/
7. "The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes". Variety. January 1, 1970.
8. "Now You See Him, Now You Don't". Variety. January 1, 1972.
9. Canby, Vincent (July 10, 1975). "Screen: 'Strongest Man':Disney Comedy Brews Superhuman Formula" – via NYTimes.com.
10. "The Strongest Man in the World – What's On Disney Plus".
11. McCarthy, John P. (February 13, 1995). "The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes Abc, Sat. Feb. 18, 8 p.m."
12. Smith, Dave (July 3, 2012). Disney Trivia from the Vault: Secrets Revealed and Questions Answered: Secrets Revealed and Questions Answered. Disney Electronic Content. ISBN 9781423178576 – via Google Books.
13. "Building Entertainment: The Animated Films of the Walt Disney Studio. Live-Action Edition. The Absent-Minded Professor". The Avocado. April 23, 2019.
14. "Once Upon 1969: Kurt Russell and the decline of Disney's golden era". Vanyaland. July 23, 2019.
15. "Big Rental Films of 1970", Variety, 6 January 1971 p 11
16. "All-time Film Rental Champs", Variety, 7 January 1976 p 48
17. "All-time Film Rental Champs", Variety, 7 January 1976 p 44
18. "The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes (1969)". Rotten Tomatoes.
19. "The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes". Metacritic.
20. "Now You See Him, Now You Don't (1972)". Rotten Tomatoes.
21. "The Strongest Man in the World (1975)". Rotten Tomatoes.
22. "The Strongest Man in the World". Metacritic.
23. "The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes (1995)". Rotten Tomatoes.
24. "Epcot by the Numbers". D23. October 31, 2017.