Kurt Russell continued his streak of live-action Disney comedies such as The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes and The Horse in the Grey Flannel Suit with this madcap farce about a monkey with a gift for television programming – in Disney’s 1971 comedy, The Barefoot Executive.

Russell plays Steven Post, a lowly page working at a slumping television network. When he is forced to monkey-sit for his girlfriend’s pet chimpanzee one day, he brings the simian to work, only to find that his furry companion has a knack for picking successful TV shows. Steven is soon appointed Vice President of the Network – by his grateful superiors who don’t realize that the chimp is actually calling the shots. Soon, a couple of jealous co-workers happen up the secret of the magic monkey and a battle for control of the studio and the prodigious monkey ensues.

The Barefoot Executive, like most classic films these days, was remade in 1995 and starred Chris Elliot, Brian Evans, Jason London and Jay Mohl in this made-for television version. But like most remakes, the original outshines the later version and remains a classic in the Disney live-action film library of yesteryear.