Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo
| Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Vincent McEveety |
| Produced by | Ron Miller Jan Williams |
| Starring | Dean Jones Don Knotts Julie Sommars Jacques Marin Roy Kinnear Bernard Fox Eric Braeden Xavier Saint-Macary Johnny Haymer |
| Cinematography | Leonard J. South |
| Edited by | Cotton Warburton |
| Music by | Frank De Vol |
| Distributed by | Walt Disney Pictures Corporation |
Release dates | June 24, 1977 |
Running time | 104 minutes |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $29,000,000 (USA) |
Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo was the third of a series of films made by Walt Disney Productions starring Herbie - a white Volkswagen racing Beetle with a mind of its own.
Plot
Dean Jones returns as Jim Douglas, and is joined by 1970s Disney stalwart Don Knotts as mechanic Wheely Applegate. Herbie, the Love Bug, takes part in the fictional Trans-France Race, from Paris to Monte Carlo. The race was (according to dialogue) the first for Douglas in twelve years, and would not be much of a "comeback" if he did not qualify first.
The Trans-France Race was clearly modeled on the world-renowned Monte Carlo Rally, and was apparently run in either 1976 or 1977, although no exact date is expressly stated in the film. Herbie was one of the 18 cars that started the race, although the precise number of competing cars in the race is also open to debate. However, it is possible that twice as many race cars appeared in the movie.
In a subplot, two jewel thieves, Max (Bernard Fox) and Quincey (Roy Kinnear), steal the famous Etoile de Joie and hide the diamond in Herbie's gas cap (which was an imitation, and only used for that film), who, eventually, turns the thieves in. It is also revealed that Inspector Bouchet (Jacques Marin), also known as "Double X", is the mastermind behind the museum robbery, though the fact is revealed near the end of the movie.
In the Trans-France Race, Douglas had three major opponents:
- Bruno von Stickle (Eric Braeden): A dark-haired, moustached German driver with experience in the "European Racing Circuit". His car was a powerful Porsche 917 clone painted in the colors of the German national flag, and bearing the number 17. In fact, as referred in the movie, the kit car is a Lazer 917 GT coupé with numerous components including the engine and chassis from the Beetle. Von Stickle seemed to be a formidable contender prior to and during the race.
- Claude Gilbert (Mike Kulcsar): A blond-haired French driver of unknown discipline, although it would seem likely that he was also a regular on the European Racing circuit. Gilbert, known for wearing a full-faced crash helmet, was the driver of an equally power-hungry De Tomaso Pantera. That car was black with white stripes and a number (#66) on the hood and the sides. His dominance in the race seemed like to that of Bruno von Stickle—until he wrecked in the late stages (coincidentally, in almost the exact same location of Grace Kelly's fatal car accident in 1982).
- Diane Darcy (Julie Sommars): An attractive, young, red-headed woman of unknown nationality, though it is probable that she is from either the United States or Canada. She is the only female driver in the race. Diane is ostensibly a rookie driver, although the matter of her level of racing experience is never discussed in the movie. Her car was a powder-blue Lancia Scorpion with yellow and white stripes, as well as a numeral 7, a car with whom Herbie falls in love during the film. Relatively little was seen of their performance in the race.
Diane Darcy and the Lancia crash into a lake as a result of losing control; Herbie, Jim, and Wheely save them from drowning. Diane urges Herbie and company not to give up in their quest for victory in the Trans-France Race. In the end, Bruno von Stickle is overtaken by Herbie in the famous tunnel of the Formula One race track, Herbie outdoing him by driving upside down on the tunnel roof. At the end of the movie, Jim and Diane begin to fall in love, as do Wheely and the Monte Carlo trophy girl (Katia Tchenko). Most of all, Herbie and Giselle (Diane's Lancia, only referred to by name towards the end of the film) fall in love again as well.
Cast
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* Not credited on-screen.
Trivia
 | This article contains a list of miscellaneous information. (February 2008) |
- Several different year Volkswagen Beetles were used for Herbie in Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo. 1959, 1962, 1963, and 1977 (modified to resemble the 1963 model) models were utilized.
- The following acknowledgement appears in the opening credits: "Our thanks to the City of Paris and the Principality of Monaco for their co-operation in the making of this film".
- Herbie later echoes his move on Von Stickle in the Monte Carlo tunnel in Herbie: Fully Loaded, where he wins by driving on the catch fencing at the California Speedway.
- Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo was adapted into a paperback book, written by Vic Crume (based on the story and screenplay) and published by Scholastic.
- The qualifying scenes were shot at Laguna Seca Raceway.
- L'Etoile de Joie is French for "The Star of Joy".
- The Porsche 917 in the movie (#17) is not a real 917. It is based on a Volkswagen Beetle kit car called the Laser 917
Video releases
Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo was released on VHS in 1982 and re-released on September 16, 1997. It was released on DVD in Region 1 on May 4, 2004.
External links
- Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo at IMDb
- One of the Best Herbie websites and message board
- LoveBugFans website and message board
- Herbie Mania Website
