The Absent-Minded Professor is a 1961 American comedy film directed by Robert Stevenson and produced by Walt Disney Productions. The film stars Fred MacMurray as the absent-minded professor Ned Brainard, who is so preoccupied with his experiments that he forgets his own wedding. The film also features Nancy Olson, Keenan Wynn, and Tommy Kirk in supporting roles.
The plot centers around Professor Brainard, who invents a new substance called "Flubber," a highly elastic, bouncy rubber-like material that defies gravity and has incredible energy. The professor uses Flubber to create a flying car, which he enters into a race against a rival inventor to try to win back the love of his fiancee, Betsy. Along the way, he has to deal with some comical mishaps and the interference of a villainous rival businessman who wants to steal the Flubber formula.
The film was a box office success and was nominated for three Academy Awards, including Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, and Best Film Editing. It also spawned a sequel, Son of Flubber, in 1963. The Absent-Minded Professor is still considered a classic of family-friendly entertainment and a prime example of Disney's ability to combine comedy and technology in its films.