Nineteen seventy-one was a banner year for the Disney Company. It was the year Walt Disney World opened its gates for the first time. It was also the year Disney released its 100th feature film, The Barefoot Executive, starring Kurt Russell (who turned 20 the day the movie first hit the screens), Heather North, and Raffles, a chimpanzee with the uncanny ability to pick successful television shows… for any time slot.
In Barefoot Executive, Kurt, whose list of credits already included Follow Me, Boys! and The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes, and who was named a Disney Legend in 1998, plays Steven Post. Steven quickly climbs the corporate ladder at the UBC television network, from mailroom boy to vice president, by discreetly using Raffles’ keen perceptions. But things begin to unravel when Roger (played by John Ritter, in his first big-screen role) discovers Steven’s wise and furry secret weapon. Steven loses both Raffles and girlfriend Jennifer Scott (Heather North)—who’d adopted the chimp when his owners moved away—but only temporarily. After a series of hijinks, there’s a happy ending for this smiling trio.
By D23′s David Sokol
