DMFE Rating: ★★½☆☆ (2.50 out of 5 stars)
Caution: Possible Spoilers Ahead!
The Barefoot Executive tells the story of Steven Post, an ambitious mailroom clerk working for the struggling United Broadcasting Corporation television network. Steven dreams of becoming a programming executive but finds his ideas constantly ignored by the network’s leadership.
Steven’s fortunes change when he discovers that a chimpanzee named Raffles—being cared for by his girlfriend Jennifer Scott—has an unusual ability to predict which television programs will become hits. By observing the chimp’s reactions to shows, Steven secretly uses Raffles’ opinions to recommend programs to the network. When these programs become major ratings successes, Steven quickly rises through the company and is eventually promoted to vice president of programming.
Steven’s sudden success attracts suspicion from the network’s executives, who cannot understand how he consistently chooses winning programs. When they finally discover that a chimpanzee is responsible for the network’s ratings success, they attempt to remove Raffles from the situation. Meanwhile, Steven’s growing ambition leads him to make a decision that damages his relationship with Jennifer.
In the end, Steven realizes that his success has come at the cost of the things that matter most. After returning the money he accepted for Raffles and leaving the television network behind, he reconciles with Jennifer. The story concludes with Steven choosing love and honesty over corporate success, while Raffles remains happily by their side
The film’s musical score was composed by Robert F. Brummer. The film’s theme song, “He’s Gonna Make It,” was written by Bruce Belland and Robert F. Brunner and is played over the opening credits. No official soundtrack was released with the release of The Barefoot Executive.
First released on home video (VHS) on February 3, 1998. First released on DVD on April 12, 2004. Aired on The Wonderful World of Disney on September 16, 1973 (Part 1) and September 23, 1973 (Part 2), and again on The Magical World of Disney on November 11, 1995. As of March 2026, The Barefoot Executive is not available on Disney+.
CAST & CREW
If you enjoy classic Disney live-action comedies from the late 1960s and early 1970s, The Barefoot Executive is an entertaining and lighthearted watch. The film’s playful premise—about a chimpanzee secretly predicting television hits—creates plenty of goofy humor, while Kurt Russell delivers a charming performance as the ambitious Steven Post. While the story is fairly simple and some of the television industry satire feels dated today, the movie remains a fun example of Disney’s family-friendly comedies from the era. Viewers interested in Disney’s live-action catalog or Kurt Russell’s early Disney career will likely find it especially enjoyable.
Have you seen The Barefoot Executive? Share your thoughts in the comment section.
Great care has been taken to be as accurate as possible when it comes to details in each of the entries I post. As with anything, mistakes can happen, dates can be wrong, information not readily available, etc. If you see a mistake, information that is incorrect or inaccurate, or missing information, please contact me at disneymovieandfilmencyclopedia@gmail.com so I can make corrections.
Steven’s fortunes change when he discovers that a chimpanzee named Raffles—being cared for by his girlfriend Jennifer Scott—has an unusual ability to predict which television programs will become hits. By observing the chimp’s reactions to shows, Steven secretly uses Raffles’ opinions to recommend programs to the network. When these programs become major ratings successes, Steven quickly rises through the company and is eventually promoted to vice president of programming.
Steven’s sudden success attracts suspicion from the network’s executives, who cannot understand how he consistently chooses winning programs. When they finally discover that a chimpanzee is responsible for the network’s ratings success, they attempt to remove Raffles from the situation. Meanwhile, Steven’s growing ambition leads him to make a decision that damages his relationship with Jennifer.
In the end, Steven realizes that his success has come at the cost of the things that matter most. After returning the money he accepted for Raffles and leaving the television network behind, he reconciles with Jennifer. The story concludes with Steven choosing love and honesty over corporate success, while Raffles remains happily by their side
The film’s musical score was composed by Robert F. Brummer. The film’s theme song, “He’s Gonna Make It,” was written by Bruce Belland and Robert F. Brunner and is played over the opening credits. No official soundtrack was released with the release of The Barefoot Executive.
First released on home video (VHS) on February 3, 1998. First released on DVD on April 12, 2004. Aired on The Wonderful World of Disney on September 16, 1973 (Part 1) and September 23, 1973 (Part 2), and again on The Magical World of Disney on November 11, 1995. As of March 2026, The Barefoot Executive is not available on Disney+.
CAST & CREW
- Director: Robert Butler
- Producer: Bill Anderson
- Screenplay: Joseph L. McEveety,
- Story: Lila Garrett, Bernie Kahn, Stu Billett (as Stewart C. Nillett)
- Cinematography: Charles F. Wheeler, A.S.C.
- Art Director(s): John B. Mansbridge, Ed Graves
- Set Director(s): Emile Kuri, Frank R. McKelvy
- Visual Effects: Eustace Lycett (Optical Effects), Alan Maley (Matte Artist)
- Costume Designer: Chuck Keehne, Emily Sundby
- Editor: Robert Stafford, A.C.E.
- Music: Robert F. Brummer
- Orchestration: Franklyn Marks
- Music Editor: Evelyn Kennedy
- Cast: Kurt Russell (as Steven Post), Joe Flynn (as Francis X. Wilbanks), Harry Morgan (as E.J. Crampton), Wally Cox (as Mertons), Heather North (as Jennifer Scott), Alan Hewitt (as Farnsworth), Hayden Rorke (as Clifford), John Ritter (as Roger), Jack Bender (as Tom), Tom Anfinsen (as Dr. Schmidt), George N. Neise (as Network Executive), Ed Reimers (as Announcer), Morgan Farley (as Advertising Executive), Glenn Dixon (as Sponsor), Robert Shayne (as Sponsor), Tris Coffin (as Sponsor), J.B. Douglas (as Network Executive), Ed Premtiss (as Justice Dept.), Fabian Dean (as Jackhammer Man), Iris Adrian (as Woman Shopper), Jack Smith (as Clathworthy), Eve Brent (as Mrs. Crampton), Sandra Gould (as Mrs. Wilbanks), James Flavin (as Father O’Leary), Pete Renoudet (as Policeman), Judson Pratt (as Policeman), Vince Howard (as Policeman), Hal Baylor (as Policeman), Bill Daily (as Navigator), Dave Willock (as Doorman), Anthony Teague (as TV Salesman), Edward Faulkner (as Reporter), Raffles (the Monkey)
- MPAA Rating: G
- Runtime: 96 minutes
- Sound: Mono (RCA Sound Recording)
- Format: Color (Technicolor)
- Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
- Genre(s): Classics, Comedy, Live-Action (from movies.disney.com)
- Budget: N/A
- Opening Weekend (U.S. & Canada): N/A
- Gross (U.S. & Canada): N/A
- Gross (Worldwide): N/A
- My Rating: 2.5 (out of 5)
- Rotten Tomatoes: 83% Tomatometer) | 49% (Popcornmeter)
- Metacritic: 55 (Metascore) | N/A (Popcornmeter)
- IMDb: 5.9 (out of 10)
- The Movie DB: 55% (User Score)
- Letterboxd: 3.0 (out of 5)
- Combined Rating: 58.71
Have you seen The Barefoot Executive? Share your thoughts in the comment section.
Great care has been taken to be as accurate as possible when it comes to details in each of the entries I post. As with anything, mistakes can happen, dates can be wrong, information not readily available, etc. If you see a mistake, information that is incorrect or inaccurate, or missing information, please contact me at disneymovieandfilmencyclopedia@gmail.com so I can make corrections.
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