On this day June 25, 1980, Herbie Goes Bananas premiered in theaters as the fourth installment in Disney’s popular series featuring the lovable Volkswagen Beetle with a mind of its own. Directed by Vincent McEveety, the film starred Cloris Leachman, Harvey Korman, and Charles Martin Smith, taking the famous car on a new adventure south of the border.
In this lighthearted family comedy, Herbie finds himself in Mexico and Central America, getting caught up in bullfights, banana boats, and crooked treasure hunters. Although it did not perform as strongly as its predecessors, the film kept the franchise alive for a new generation of young viewers.
80s insight: Herbie Goes Bananas showed how Disney continued to rely on its live action family formulas in the early 80s, keeping familiar characters in motion while experimenting with international settings.
In this lighthearted family comedy, Herbie finds himself in Mexico and Central America, getting caught up in bullfights, banana boats, and crooked treasure hunters. Although it did not perform as strongly as its predecessors, the film kept the franchise alive for a new generation of young viewers.
80s insight: Herbie Goes Bananas showed how Disney continued to rely on its live action family formulas in the early 80s, keeping familiar characters in motion while experimenting with international settings.
