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The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes (G, 1969)

common sense media says

1960s Disney comedy has lesson on fame's price.

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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that groovy duds and gigantic computers are sure to amuse modern young viewers. Some of the scenes of Dexter's abduction feature thugs with guns. The thugs even shoot at the truck Dexter's friends are driving, but it is portrayed in a slapstick, cartoonish way.

Positive messages: Dexter suddenly becomes famous and has every luxury at his fingertips. Girls fawn over him, scientists and world leaders go gaga, he is the object of a ticker-tape parade. How he deals with his fame is the lesson of this story. He comes to the conclusion that "everyone is out for himself," in that world of glamour, and he returns to his humble gang of friends.
Violence & scariness: Some slapstick tussling with incompetent mobsters who chase Dexter's friends in a wacky car chase and try to abduct him by gunpoint.
Sexy stuff: Dexter is shown kissing two girls on TV, while his girlfriend watches from afar. He later apologizes.
Language: Dean Higgins calls people "stupid" and bad-mouths Dexter and his friends. Dexter's girlfriend calls him a "dirty rat."
Consumerism: Though Dexter is given everything when he becomes famous, he decides to come back to his old friends and humble ways. He does drive a pretty tricked-out dune-buggy, though.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: Not applicable.
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More on The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
Families can talk about what it would be like to be smarter than everyone else. How does fame affect Dexter? Does he begin to behave differently? What would you say to him if you were his friend to bring him back to reality?

What's the story?

What's the story?
This wacky Disney comedy features a young Kurt Russell as a kid named Dexter whose fate becomes intertwined with a computer's, making him suddenly the smartest man on Earth. When Medfield College finds that it can't afford one of the newfangled computers that the larger universities possesses, they turn to a local executive to donate the funds to buy one. Little do the regents know that the executive, A.J. Arno (Cesar Romero), is running an illegal gambling ring. Enter goofy, but darling Dexter (Kurt Russell) who gets a shock from a computer he is trying to procure parts from, leaving him with analog dreams and the ability to compute anything possible.

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 

What is charming about this movie is the innocence mixed with freedom that the late-1960s Disney movies portray. On one hand, Dexter is a kid with a dune buggy who attends college with his pals. On the other hand, a mobster runs a gambling ring and abducts Dexter, who is saved by his friends in the end. There is no doubt that Dexter will be safe and sound -- even though we never see his parents or his home. He is free to explore his surroundings, and even become the smartest man in the world, but the viewer never sees his home life, he's not burdened with student loans or difficult family issues.

This light tone is a welcome change to the darker contemporary fare for kids. It might leave parents a little nostalgic for freewheeling times. And make sure to get a load of the massive computer! It really drives home how much technological advancement we've seen in such a short time.

Movie themes & details

Themes
adventures
Movie Details
Studio: Walt Disney Pictures
Director: Robert Butler
Cast: Cesar Romero, Joe Flynn, Kurt Russell
Genre: Family and Kids
Run time: 91 minutes
Theatrical release: December 31, 1969
DVD release: January 14, 2003
MPAA Rating: G
This review was written by Joly Herman
 
 

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ON: Content is appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child, some content may not be right for some kids
OFF: Not age appropriate for kids this age
Our child development rating guidelines