Though Walt Disney Pictures has been overall successful throughout its history, some decades produced better films than others. While the 1960s brought classic like Mary Poppins, The Jungle Book, and 101 Dalmations, it also brought a slew of films that were easily forgotten. Because we already focused on the best films of this decade, we’re looking at the worst now. To do this, we’ll be using the star scores on IMDb.
The movie database has given every Disney film a star rating, based on the votes of site users on a scale of one to ten. Those with the lowest scores released between 1960 and 1969 will be showing up here.
Get ready to head to the theater and turn back the time; Here are the Disney films from the ’60s that failed to make their mark on movie history.
The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes (6.1)
This 1969 comedy tells of a group of college students who ask a wealthy businessman to donate a computer to their campus. Though Dexter Reilly hopes to fix the machine once they receive it, he gets caught in an accident that fuses his mind and the computer’s processor together.
Though many critics of the time found the film to be entertaining, The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes hasn’t aged well. The cheesy narrative lacked any true substance.
Son Of Flubber (6.1)
Disney’s The Absent-Minded Professor received a sequel in 1963. Though the original wasn’t groundbreaking, it was moderately enjoyable. Unfortunately, the Son of Flubber follow-up didn’t fare quite as well.
In this sci-fi comedy, professor Ned Brainard hopes to win over the world with his newest invention: the gravity-defying “Flubbergas.” However, not everyone is eager to accept it.
Though the film was full of weird inventions and fun gags, some viewers felt Son of Flubber tried too hard to build off the success of its predecessor and failed to stand up on its own.
Emil And The Detectives (6.1)
Based on Peter Tewksbury’s novel of the same name, Emil and the Detectives has a ten-year-old teaming up with a couple of men in Berlin to track down the money he lost.
On the upside, reviewers liked how the film was well-designed for a young audience. However, the all-ages aspect that made many Disney films before and after this one great was nowhere in sight. This made the film miss the mark overall.
Lt. Robin Crusoe, U.S.N. (6.1)
Though Lt. Robin Crusoe, U.S.N. was both co-produced and co-written by Walt Disney himself, it didn’t stand out among the other films he personally curated.
Based loosely on the Daniel Defoe classic Robinson Crusoe, this ‘66 comedy tells of a lieutenant who is ejected from his F-8 Crusader and ends up on what he thinks is an empty island. It’s not long before he learns of the other people living further onshore.
Though the film was successful at the box office (likely because Dick Van Dyke was in the starring role), its humor was lacking and geared toward a youthful audience. Others found the movie to lack creativity.
The Monkey’s Uncle (6.0)
The 1965 sequel to The Misadventures of Merlin Jones is split into two halves. In the first part, the brilliant Merlin tests out his football team’s sleep-training system with a chimp. In part two, the young genius helps the team once again by introducing his flying machine to them. Unfortunately, the invention has a few kinks.
The Monkey’s Uncle was amusing, and though there’s nothing wrong with playing up a film for laughs, its failure to establish a clear message didn’t go unnoticed.
Smith! (6.0)
This 1969 western tells of a Native American who seeks refuge at the ranch of Smith, a white man who was raised by a Nex Perce tribe member. Afraid he won’t get a fair trial after being convicted of a crime, Smith serves as a witness during his trial.
Smith! was guilty of various stereotypes that have aged poorly. Additionally, the narrative moved slowly and the editing felt uneven. Modern viewers might even suggest that the plot envokes the “white savior” cinematic trope that is widely criticized today.
Monkeys, Go Home! (5.9)
This quirky comedy tells of a man, Hank, who has an olive grove fall into his possession. After arriving on-site, he is told by maid Maria and Father Sylvain that getting the place running again will be no easy task. Rather than devising a traditional plan, Hanks decides to train four monkeys to work the land.
Critics found that the film was lacking a spark of magic. The humor failed to create the type of laughs it aimed for, making the production feel bland in the end.
Bon Voyage! (5.8)
This 1962 adventure sees the Willard family heading to France for the ultimate vacation. Along the way, however, they encounter a string of troubles.
Critics found that the movies was ridden with clichés about American tourists. Though Bon Voyage! has its moments of humor, it wasn’t nearly as charming as many of the live-action hits that came before it.
Ten Who Dared (5.7)
Released in 1960, Ten Who Dared recounts the story of the real U.S. Army officer John Wesley Powell, who was the first man to ever float down the Colorado River. Though Disney hoped it would be a hit, many have called it one of the studio’s worst movies ever.
The writing was poor, the production value was low, and the acting was cold. There’s a good reason the film hasn’t yet moved to Disney+.
Moon Pilot (5.4)
The lowest-rated Disney film of the ’60s is Moon Pilot, no thanks to its nonsensical slapstick-filled script.
The sci-fi satire follows the first-ever astronaut who is supposed to land on the moon. Along his way through space, he ends up meeting a woman who is quite literally out of this world; In other words, she’s not from earth.
With a slow pace and dated story, there’s not much about this one that stands out.
