Funny / The Love Bug

The Love Bug (original film)

• The scenes with Herbie squirting oil all over Thorndyke's shoe.
• Havershaw, Thorndyke's sidekick is good for a few laughs.
  Havershaw: [sips champagne] Mmm. You know what I love about champagne, sir?
  Thorndyke: Havershaw, if you tell that the bubbles tickle your nose, I shall probably kill you!
  Havershaw: [Starts wiggling his nose]
• Pretty much any scene that had Tennessee in it, such as;
  • Thorndyke asking him which part of Ireland his mother came from. He replies with "Coney Ireland."
  • Tennessee's explanation about how machines are possibly developing minds of their own, before being blown off about it by Jim.
  • During the El Dorado race when Thorndyke zooms past Herbie while not realizing that a bear is sitting in the front seat with him in place of his navigator, Havershaw. Tennessee's response? "Who's the guy in the fur coat?"
  • Tennessee screaming like a girl while he and Carole keep Herbie balanced during the race.
  • When Thorndyke kicks Herbie's side, Tennessee's only utterance of disapproval of this act is a simple "AUWWW!"
  • While welding Herbie back together during a final stretch: "Try not to think about what I'm doing!"
  • Heating a pot of coffee with a blowtorch, with a casual "The key is to always wear asbestos gloves when you make coffee this way."
    • And when he's finally drunk enough that he's willing to tell Thorndyke the secret to Herbie's racing capabilities -The very thing Thorndyke spent the whole night trying to coax out of him- he's all but too honest about his take on the matter.
    Tennessee: [Drunk and slurring] You wanna know the secret to the little car?
    Thorndyke: [Hastily getting a pen and notepad] Oh yes, just a moment... Yes, proceed!
    Tennessee: [Completely earnest, almost to tears] Heart... It's heart.
    Thorndyke: [Immediately disappointed] Yes... Well, I'll certainly make a note of that! [discards the pen and notepad into an empty coffee mug]
    Tennessee: [Drunkenly absent mindedly sprays some whipped cream into said mug while Thorndyke facepalms]
• At the start of the film, Jim notices that his and Tennessee's car is nowhere to be seen and he asks "You didn't cut up the Edsel!" Sure enough, the Edsel's infamous horsecollar grill is now the centerpiece of Tennessee's latest sculpture, which he was tinkering with when Jim came home.
  Tennessee: Came over me all of a sudden. It was the only decent thing to do. Believe me Jim. It will be happier up there. (Jim actually breaks down laughing)
  • Perhaps serving as a not-so-subtle Take That! to the Edsel as a whole, which was a notorious failure due to its design and mismanaged marketing.
• When Douglas is searching the cabinets for edible food and Tennesse's suggestion of what to have.
  Jim: Why is it that all we ever have in this house is parrot food? I mean we don't even have a parrot!
  Tennessee: Here! Eat that! It's pressed kelp! It aerates your liver.
• Carole's What the Hell, Hero? rant to Jim about his apparent success in winning races, which was actually Herbie's doing, while loud crashing sounds are going on in the background, which turn out to be Herbie ramming himself repeatedly against the Lamborghini that Jim bought to replace him.
  • Even funnier is how the noise started with Tennessee throwing a tantrum breaking things in the workshop, before stopping at some point and calmly walking between an arguing Carole and Jim with a nonchalant "Pardon me" while the noise continues uninterrupted in the background.
• The random school bus shown during the Mexican road rally.
• The hippies (played by Dean Jones and Buddy Hackett in fake beards) who casually refer to Jim and Carole as "a couple of weirdos".
• "Small car very angry."
• Herbie blasting Thorndyke with the coffee cream he shoved into Herbie's engine during a photo op after the race.
• Herbie also SWALLOWING Thorndyke during the second leg of the race, as Thorndyke and Havershaw set up a fallen log as a roadblock.
  Thorndyke: [upon the glovebox being opened] GET ME OUT OF HERE!!
  Carol: [makes an Oh, Crap! face]
  • Blink and you miss it, but Carol closes the glove compartment door on Thorndyke after she see he's in there
  • This beautiful moment where Thorndyke, after being released from Herbie by the tritagonists, is "set free" akin to a rescued animal brought back into the wild. All he can do is hobble towards a tree, then twist around screaming:
    Thorndyke: HAVERSHAW!
• Thorndyke's reaction to Herbie refusing to let him pass: "Rotten sportsmanship, if you ask me!"
• Thorndyke's breakdown throughout the race, especially when he nearly has a panic attack.
  Thorndyke: [On the verge of tears] Havershaw, I'm not a cowardly man, but I'm beginning to sense that that thing is out to get me!
  Havershaw: [Very doting and calming] Now now, none of that, sir. We're not losing our nerve are w-
  Thorndyke: BLAST YOU, HAVERSHAW! HOW DARE YOU PATRONIZE ME?! I AM NOT LOSING MY NERVE!
• Tennessee cheerfully announcing, "Well, that's that!" after welding Herbie together. Then Herbie splits in two, with the halves held together by the differential shaft.
  Tennessee: I can't weld that!
• When Jim first passes Thorndyke's car dealership, Carol is hanging up a two-part sign in the window. She's already hung up the top half, displaying "May we direct your attention to these" with her legs below them as she prepares to hang up the bottom half ("new arrivals from Europe"). Her legs attract Jim's attention. He leans forward and bangs his head against the window.
• Tennessee speaking to Mr. Wu in Cantonese. As Long as It Sounds Foreign is firmly in effect in their conversation.
• Thorndyke and Havershaw spraying each other in oil when the latter has finally had enough of his former boss after Thorndyke loses his entire company to Mr. Wu. Havershaw goes so far as to spray oil inside Thorndyke's suit once he's pushed too far.
• "The little car takes first...and third place!"

Herbie Rides Again

• Nicole's introduction to Willoughby after learning he came from Alonzo Hawk's office.
  Nicole: [Politely] How do you do? [PUNCH]
• Hawk's lawyers' many attempts to steal Herbie, which sees them racing across every corner of San Francisco, even through a hotel and atop the Golden Gate Bridge.
• Mrs. Steinmetz and Mr. Judson flying down the city streets as Old 22 rolls out of control, totally oblivious and flirting gratuitously.
• The chicken jousting tournament, which Herbie takes part in while holding Willoughby hostage just to prove he's for real.
• Willoughby's phone call to his uncle where he fakes being at the dock and boarding a ship for:
  Alonzo Hawk: HELSINKI?!
• Alonzo's nightmare of dozens of evil Herbies chasing him.
• Mrs. Steinmetz and Willoughby trick the wrecker charged with knocking down the firehouse into knocking down Hawk's house; Alonzo's reply when he checks if he has the right address?
  Alonzo Hawk: Of course it is, you idiot! I know it like I know my own address! [hangs up; Beat] Wait a minute... It IS my own address!
• Mrs. Steinmetz flooding Hawk's office with soap suds from the window washer's gurney, followed by Herbie chasing him around the building and out to the ledge just to terrify him.
• Willoughby manages to convince Herbie to spare Mr. Hawk by telling him:
  Willoughby: If you don't stop, you won't be invited to the wedding!
  • Once the excitement has died down, Nicole realizes what he said and asks:
    Nicole: What wedding?

Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo

• Herbie's attempts to woo Diane's Lancia ("Giselle").
  • In the first attempt, Herbie drives backwards while blocking her path. Jim gets out of the hood and mimes an explanation for the other driver: he points at himself and shakes his head, then he points at Herbie and nods. Diane respond with a "Get out of my way!" gesture.
• Wheelie's quirkiness in general is pretty amusing; being played by Don Knotts helps.
• Max's watch tends to set off an intense alarm that catches him and Quincey off guard at the worst possible times.
• "FONTENOY!"
• Max and Quincey attempting to steal the diamond back from Herbie as the racers are briefed on the upcoming race, at which point the projectionist declares "And for someone, victory is just a step away!" Queue the two bandits crashing right into the trophies on display.
• Max and Quincey's final encounter with the trio. While Jim does rather well against Max, Wheelie's "fight moves" seem to consist of a mix of faux boxing moves and martial arts, leaving Quincey more confused than threatened. After trying to overpower Quincey, he prompty turns the tables on Wheelie.
• The waiter thinking he's gone "cuckoo" after watching Herbie and Giselle flirting outside the cafe; not to mention Herbie's crazed expressions when he first turns up, caked in soot.
• Herbie won't let Wheelie back in after saving Giselle, because Wheelie lied about Giselle abandoning Herbie. Wheelie asks rhetorically whether Herbie wants him to get down on his knees. Herbie beeps a "yes," so Wheelie does so and apologizes again. Then Herbie opens the passenger door, slamming Wheelie in the face. Video here.

Herbie Goes Bananas

• Aunt Louise's fruitless attempts to flirt with Captain Blythe, or the Captain himself for his over-the-top temper and hammy speeches. You could tell Cloris Leachman and Harvey Korman had great fun in their roles.
• The ramshackle bus Melissa buys off to allow the gang to give chase to Herbie and Paco, which literally falls apart when it finally gives out.
• Paco has asked Herbie what his name is. Since Herbie can only "speak" in car horn noises, he can only make two beeps (one for each syllable). Paco asks "What?" and Herbie beeps twice again, but stretches it out ("Her....bie!"). Paco gives up and says he'll just call Herbie Ocho (the number "53" is on Herbie's hood, and 5+3=8). Herbie honks his assent in an accepting instead of frustrated or angry way; that just shows how cool he his. See this scene here.
• D.J. as a whole for his quirkiness as the funny man who accompanies Pete when they chase after Herbie.
• Armando flipping out when he thinks Herbie has eaten his chicken dinner; needless to say, he is floored to discover Paco in the trunk. The Captain however is much less amused.
  • The earlier telephone conversation between Blythe and Armando.
  Blythe: And I am to believe that this uh... car... ate your chicken dinner?
  Armando: Si, and then he spit outa the bones [makes a spitting sound].
  Blythe: [angry] Who is this?
  Armando: Wiper, third class, Armando Mochia, sir.
  Blythe: Do you know the penalty for drinking on duty? Wiper, third class?!
  Armando: No, Captain, Armando not touch not one drop. No please. You see— the car then eat my apple. I know this because I hear with my own ears. Ah hey! "Muncha muncha munch!"
  Blythe: "Muncha muncha muncha" huh? Do you know what I'm going to do with your ears?! [his Chief Steward gestures for him to cool down.] Where is the car now?
  Armanda: Went for a drive after dinner.
  Blythe: Oh, and was it smoking a cigar and drinking a brandy?! [slams down the phone]
  Blythe: [stands up] The perpetrator of this little jest will receive fifty lashes before ship's company before being set adrift—
  Chief Steward: Captain! [his Chief Steward once again gestures for him to calm down]
  Blythe: [politely] Perhaps you'll be good enough to tell me about your grandson's snookie another time Mrs. Perkins.

• This little exchange:
  [Herbie (disguised as a Taxi) and Paco had just unwittingly picked up Aunt Louise and Captain Blythe.]
  Blythe: Where in blazes are you going Driver?!
  Paco: [in a deep voice] No comprendo señor.
  Blythe: You people "comprendo" enough when you want to! [beat] Wait a minute!
  Blythe: [reaches forward and turns Paco toward him]
  Blythe: [astonished] It's that same kid!
  Aunt Louise: [looks around wide-eyed] And here's the biggie: I think it's the same car.
  Blythe: [has an Oh, Crap!! look on his face] It's a ghost! Let me out of here!
• The entire bullring sequence. Also awesome.
  Quinn: They got Voodoo down here, you know that?
  Blythe: [utterly terrified] I can't believe this. Thirty years at sea, and I'm going to die in a bullring.
• Herbie pelting the villains with bananas to stop them from escaping with the stolen gold.
  Quinn: Say what you want about Voodoo, but where I come from cars don't throw bananas.
• This is followed up by Herbie taking the plane apart piece by piece until they are cornered by the police.
  Prindle: Can't you make this thing go any faster?!
  Shepard: [now panicking] The oil pressure's down, I don't want to ruin my plane!
  Prindle: [gives Shepard a Flat "What" look considering that the plane has already lost its tail section and wings]
• When interviewed, Harvey Korman said he really began to see Herbie as a character.
  In fact, he's funnier than Tim Conway!

Herbie the Love Bug/Herbie the Matchmaker

• The Running Gag of Herbie having to "help" Jim's elderly students with their driving, especially in the second episode with Mrs. Wernstrom and her poodle. As Jim helps the old lady get some dog treats for her poodle, she says this:
  Mrs. Wernstrom: [looks at Jim] Oh, should I be driving...?
• Herbie's various cheeky antics in the series, including:
  • Referring to Uncle Larry with a raspberry.
  • Pushing Larry's Mercedes into a lawn being watered.
  • Ripping the bumper off of Jim and Susan's new station wagon in jealousy.
  • Almost drowning a used-car salesman after being insulted by him.
  Saleman: [popping out of Herbie's sunroof] I CAN'T SWIM!
  • Digging under the fence at the impound lot using only his back wheels.

The Love Bug ( 1997 Remake)

• Herbie hitting Simon in the face with his trunk after the latter was taunting Hank.

Herbie: Fully Loaded

• Trip's reaction once he realizes Herbie is a Sentient Vehicle.

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