This past weekend, I went to a children’s birthday party and one of the ladies reminded me of this great film I grew up watching on Saturday afternoons on KPIX in Connecticut. The Incredible Mister Limpet, starring the delightful Don Knotts, who always had the knack of turning his charmingly nebbish ways into comedy that any kid or adult could love.
What made this film so nutty was the fact that it was part live action part animation, which totally worked allowing the cartoon side to be so magical as opposed to the live action “reality” section…
The plot is a rather impressive one with a few more adult plots around war and it might be tough for wee ones to get some of the plotlines, but I think any six year old and up would find this to be a bang up movie!
The story begins September 1941 just before the attack on Pearl Harbor. Don Knotts plays the fish loving Henry Limpet who tries to join the U.S. Navy with his pal George Stickle, but is rejected.
Feeling downcast, he wanders down to a pier near Coney Island and accidentally falls into the water. Instead of drowning, Mr. Limpet turns into a fish and hilarity ensues. Because fish with glasses are funny, right? I’m just so glad he got to keep his glasses…
He makes pals with a crabby crab.
And falls for a most beautiful female fish, known as aptly named LADYFISH!
But along the way, he finds out that the Nazis are going to bomb the U.S. But not on Mr. Limpet’s watch!
Mr. Limpet saves the day. YEAH!
He connects with his old pal, George and warns him of the danger!
But he decides his life in the sea isn’t so bad. So, he says good by to his friends
Did you ever watch this movie as a kid? What did you think of it? Would you watch it with your kiddos today?
how fun! i will check it out!
I LOVE DON KNOTTS!!! I haven’t watched Mr. Limpet in a few years and this has reminded me how fantastic that movie is. Cartoon fish Dont Knotts — with GLASSES! SAVING THE DAY! It’s perfection.
This post was for you and I just wanted to make you smile! I must admit I hadn’t thought of it until you! xo
My Dad is a huge Don Knotts fan and he watched this with me as a kid. I although I don’t remember the actual movie itself it made a huge impression on me because for years after child-me really though Don Knotts was really part fish.
“It will make you limp with laughter!” isn’t the sort of catch phrase that would work well today. 😉
OMG! I didn’t even notice that catch phrase! I’m so going to use that tonight when I’m out with my ladies! You ROCK!
I used to watch this all the time on TV, I even have the DVD but haven’t watched it in years–I think I might watch it this weekend.