Tommy Kirk
Merlin Jones
Similar Movies
Science Fiction
Family
Comedy
Merlin Jones, a precocious and intelligent high-school boy, experiments with hypnosis and creates a mind-reading machine. However, his experiments land him in deep trouble with the law.
Top Billed Cast
| Release Date | 1964-03-25 |
|---|---|
| Runtime | 1h 31m |
| Directors | Robert Stevenson, Edward Colman |
| Producer | Ron Miller |
| Writers | Alfred Lewis Levitt, Bill Walsh |
Bit of a disappointment by the end. It starts off very good, but sharply declines from the midway point.
'The Misadventures of Merlin Jones' is practically split into two stories, one about the ability to read minds and one about hypnosis. The former is entertaining and I thoroughly enjoyed it, but the latter is extremely stagnant and slow paced. The film loses all of the promising momentum that it previously builds.
Onto the cast, this is arguably Tommy Kirk's best performance to date with Disney. He is excellent as the titular character, adding a strong and fitting demeanour to the role. Annette Funicello (Jennifer) and Leon Ames (Holmsby) are noteworthy too.
Overall, it's a shame the production didn't finish how it started - I'd be rating this higher if it had. Still, this is one that is worth a watch.
— r96sk