Jim Douglas (Dean Jones) is a struggling race car driver. He and his mechanic friend Tennessee Steinmetz (Buddy Hackett) work out of a former fire house in San Francisco. Carole (Michele Lee) works for car dealer Thorndyke. The strange little Volkswagon Beetle takes a liking to Jim and follows him home. He's forced to buy it when Thorndyke threatens to have him arrested. The car has a mind of its own and Jim starts winning with it. Thorndyke wants the car back.

Jim could be nicer especially to Carole and Tennessee in the first half. Once he finally recognizes Herbie, the team is pulled together. It becomes more fun like the big car race. It's a classic Disney live-action joyride.

"The Love Bug" is a strange little film...and one that seems odd to have spurred on several sequels as well as a 2000s reboot. After all, it's just a 1960s Disney live action picture--and an unassuming one at that.

Dean Jones stars as Jim Douglas---a race car driver who is down on his luck. Little does he know that the tiny VW he's bought has a mind of its own...and loves to race. His nemesis throughout the film is the jerk who sold him the car (David Tomlinson)...and he seems willing to do anything to beat Douglas and his car, Herbie. Michelle Lee and Buddy Hackett are there to lend support.

So is this worth seeing? Perhaps...though it's far from a must-see. My reason for seeing it was that I saw the movie in the theaters when it was released...and I was so young that I barely remember it. So, you could say I saw it for nostalgic reasons. As for the film, it's a one joke concept for a film....which makes all the sequels seem hard to believe. As such, my reaction as an adult was very different from when I was a kid. As a kid, I enjoyed it...as an adult I found it very hard to finish. A genuinely strange film....passable entertainment and nothing more.

Many a film has put out the notion that animal pets, dogs and cats etc, have to find the people they are suited for. But until Disney Studios put out The Love Bug, cars definitely did not seek out their owners.

Yet that's what happens when one day racing driver Dean Jones comes into the auto show room of David Tomlinson who usually deals in the most pricey of cars. This little Volkswagen offends his dignity somewhat and Tomlinson abuses it. Jones defends it however.

But what neither of them know, but Jones soon finds out is that this unprepossessing beetle has a mind all its own. And when it wants to the beetle has speed like nothing else.

When Tomlinson finds out what he's lost, he'll stop at nothing to get Herbie back. He's been given a name now, by Buddy Hackett who plays Jones's mechanic. He's the first to really realize how special Herbie is.

I'm willing to bet that those who succeeded Uncle Walt at the Magic Kingdom never realized just what a franchise The Love Bug would prove to be. This and all the succeeding films made lots of money for the studio and Herbie still has plenty of life left in him as his most recent outing a year or so ago with Lindsay Lohan ought to prove.

Herbie's quite the romantic too. He even helps win the heart of Michele Lee for Jones. But this is a Disney film so that's kind of a given.

This first Love Bug movie had a good cast of supporting players who were finding the Disney Studio their employer of last resort. Where else can you see someone like Iris Adrian in a brief, but very funny role as a carhop or Joe E. Ross as a policeman? It's one of the reasons I like the Disney films in general.

The Love Bug set a good standard for the future films. It's got laughs and also plenty of heart and soul.