Alonzo Hawk
Encyclopedia
Alonzo Hawk is a recurring villain in three Walt Disney
movies: The Absent-Minded Professor
(1961), Son of Flubber
(1963), and Herbie Rides Again
(1974). In the two earlier movies (the "flubber" movies), his name is apparently Alonzo P. Hawk, while in the third movie his middle initial has become an A., but the similarities in character leave little doubt that it is the same Hawk. Portrayed in all three films by Keenan Wynn
, Hawk is a greedy, underhanded banker/financier who tries to take advantage of the films' protagonists, usually by financial leverage. Invariably, however, Hawk gets his comeuppance by the end of the story.
Keenan Wynn also played similar characters in two other Disney films. In Snowball Express
(1972) he was shadey banker Martin Ridgeway. While in The Shaggy D.A.
(1976) he was John Slade, who shares many similarities with the first appearance of Hawk in The Absent-Minded Professor
. It is unclear why the latter did not reuse the Hawk name since Wynn is clearly playing the same character.
A Hawk inspired character appeared one last time in a Disney film with the animated pilot Fluppy Dogs (1986) as rich and greedy rare animal collector J.J. Wagstaff. Again, it is unclear why Hawk was just not reused.
In Flubber, a remake of The Absent-Minded Professor, Hawk is replaced by the character of Chester Hoenicker (played by Raymond J. Barry
) as the film's main antagonist.
Walt Disney
Walter Elias "Walt" Disney was an American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur, entertainer, international icon, and philanthropist, well-known for his influence in the field of entertainment during the 20th century. Along with his brother Roy O...
movies: The Absent-Minded Professor
The Absent-Minded Professor
The Absent-Minded Professor is a 1961 black-and-white Walt Disney Productions film based on the short story A Situation of Gravity, by Samuel W. Taylor....
(1961), Son of Flubber
Son of Flubber
Son of Flubber is the 1963 black-and-white sequel to the Walt Disney children's movie comedy The Absent-Minded Professor , also starring Fred MacMurray as a scientist who has perfected a high-bouncing substance, Flubber that can levitate an automobile and cause athletes to bounce into the sky...
(1963), and Herbie Rides Again
Herbie Rides Again
Herbie Rides Again is a 1974 comedy film. It is the sequel to The Love Bug, released six years earlier, and the second in a series of movies made by Walt Disney Productions starring an anthropomorphic 1963 Volkswagen racing Beetle named Herbie...
(1974). In the two earlier movies (the "flubber" movies), his name is apparently Alonzo P. Hawk, while in the third movie his middle initial has become an A., but the similarities in character leave little doubt that it is the same Hawk. Portrayed in all three films by Keenan Wynn
Keenan Wynn
Keenan Wynn was an American character actor. His bristling mustache and expressive face were his stock in trade, and though he rarely had a lead role, he got prominent billing in most of his film and TV parts....
, Hawk is a greedy, underhanded banker/financier who tries to take advantage of the films' protagonists, usually by financial leverage. Invariably, however, Hawk gets his comeuppance by the end of the story.
Keenan Wynn also played similar characters in two other Disney films. In Snowball Express
Snowball Express
Snowball Express is a 1972 screwball comedy film made by Walt Disney Productions about a man who leaves his desk job to run a hotel left to him by his uncle.-Plot:...
(1972) he was shadey banker Martin Ridgeway. While in The Shaggy D.A.
The Shaggy D.A.
The Shaggy D.A. is a 1976 film sequel to 1959's The Shaggy Dog by Walt Disney Productions. It was directed by Robert Stevenson and written by Don Tait, based on the original film and inspired by the long out-of-print Felix Salten novel, The Hound of Florence.It starred Dean Jones as the adult...
(1976) he was John Slade, who shares many similarities with the first appearance of Hawk in The Absent-Minded Professor
The Absent-Minded Professor
The Absent-Minded Professor is a 1961 black-and-white Walt Disney Productions film based on the short story A Situation of Gravity, by Samuel W. Taylor....
. It is unclear why the latter did not reuse the Hawk name since Wynn is clearly playing the same character.
A Hawk inspired character appeared one last time in a Disney film with the animated pilot Fluppy Dogs (1986) as rich and greedy rare animal collector J.J. Wagstaff. Again, it is unclear why Hawk was just not reused.
In Flubber, a remake of The Absent-Minded Professor, Hawk is replaced by the character of Chester Hoenicker (played by Raymond J. Barry
Raymond J. Barry
Raymond John Barry is an American film, television and stage actor.-Personal life:Raymond John Barry was born in Hempstead, New York . His father, Raymond Barry, worked in sales. His mother, Barbara Barry , was also an actor, known professionally as B. Constance Barry...
) as the film's main antagonist.