Kurt Russellis, without a doubt, a Hollywood icon. But long before he walked theWestern frontier inTombstone, traveled the universe inStargate, or went to the Antarctic inJohn Carpenter’s sci-fi horrorThe Thing, Russell starred in the strangest science fiction trilogy of all time, courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures. After he broke into the world of acting with small parts as a child actor,Russell signed a ten-year contract with Disney, and had a longtime mentorship withWalt Disney. Russell’s first major leading role was in 1969’sThe Computer Wore Tennis Shoes, in which he showed off his charm and star power at a young age and managed to make an odd premise somehow work.
‘The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes’ Has the Most Bizarre Premise
The Computer Wore Tennis Shoesis the story of Dexter Riley (Russell), a student at Medfield College, a very small university. How small is Medfield? The students can’t afford a computer, until business magnate A. J. Arno (Cesar Romero) donates a used computer to Medfield. Dexter is tasked with repairing the computer, but while he’s fixing it, a massive bolt of lightning shocks the computer — and him along with it! While Dexter survives, he soon learnsthat he’s gained superhuman intelligence as a result of the lightning bolt.He’s able to recall vast amounts of information. He decides to enter into a series of quiz contests, but little does he know that within his super brain are details tying Arno to a series of criminal activities, and Arno is willing to kill Dexter to keep his secrets hidden.
The Computer Wore Tennis Shoesis quite frankly bizarre, even bysci-fi moviestandards. The best example might be how Arno finds out that Dexter inexplicably knows about his criminal secrets: whenever someone says “Applejack,” Dexter immediately starts blurting out the information. It’s utterly ridiculous, but not as ridiculous as the film’s ending where Arno literally runs into the police. Despite its corny premise,The Computer WoreTennis Shoesis a pleasant enough watch,bolstered by Russell and Romero’s performances.Russell shows flashes of the easygoing, “too cool for school” charisma that would influence his later roles. Likewise, Romero got to show a slightly less zany side to audiences who probably only knew him as the Joker inAdam West’sBatman.
Kurt Russell’s ‘The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes’ Started a Trilogy
The Computer Wore Tennis Shoesreceivedmiddling reviews, but it managed to spawn two sequels:Now You See Him, Now You Don’tin 1972 andThe Strongest Man in the Worldin 1975. Both filmswould feature Russell reprising his roleas Dexter Riley, and both films featured some outlandish premises.Now You See HIm, Now You Don’thas Dexter attempting to create an invisibility formula (yes, really) and once again, it works when an errant lightning strike hits the laboratory he’s working in.The Strongest Man in the Worldkicks off when Dexter accidentally spills a chemical mix in to one of his classmates' vitamin-enhanced cereal. He learns that said cereal will give super-strength to whoever eats it. Cesar Romero returned for both films as AJ Arno, who was once again up to criminal activities.
Kurt Russell Had a Hilarious Comeback When James Spader Refused To Work on ‘Stargate’
Spader had second thoughts about working on the Roland Emmerich sci-fi movie, and Russell wasn’t having it.
Surprisingly,The Computer Wore Tennis Shoesreceived a remake in 1995!This time,Kirk Cameronstepped into the role of Dexter Riley, with the plot updated to him having the contents of an encyclopedia transferred into his brain. Reviews were lukewarm, withVarietysayingthat it “lacked the zaniness” of the original. Things turned up for directorPeyton Reed, as he’d eventually direct theAnt-Mantrilogy and movies such asYes ManandBring It On. Ten years after playing a computer, Kurt Russell landed the titular role inElvis, which helped to kick off his legendary career in iconic movies such asTombstone,Overboard,Escape From New York, andThe Hateful Eight, to name a few. Long beforeRussell headed out West withVal Kilmer, he proved he could be a leading man withThe Computer Wore Tennis Shoes.
The Computer Wore Tennis Shoesis available to watch on Disney+ in the U.S.
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The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes
After a student at Medfield College accidentally absorbs a computer’s knowledge, he transforms into a genius with extraordinary intellectual abilities. This unexpected development attracts attention, leading to a series of comedic events that challenge both the students and the faculty, highlighting the intersection of technology and education.
