With 'Freakier Friday' out, let's revisit Disney's earlier comedies

Oscar winner Jamie Lee Curtis and Long Island's own Lindsay Lohan returned to theaters this weekend to work their magic in "Freakier Friday," a sequel to the 2003 Disney comedy about a mother and daughter who switch bodies and wreak havoc on everyone around them. 

That film, of course, was a remake of Disney's 1976 "Freaky Friday" that starred a 13-year-old Jodie Foster who literally turns into her mom (Barbara Harris). It was one of a string of family-friendly, live-action comedies from the late 1950s through the '70s that made big bucks for the Mouse House. Here are six other Disney comedy favorites from that era, all of which can be streamed on — where else? — Disney+.

The Shaggy Dog (1959)

Inspired by the surprise success of the cheesy 1957 horror flick "I Was a Teenage Werewolf," this family friendly comedy starred Tommy Kirk as an awkward teen who turns into a sheepdog after trying on a cursed ring. It doesn't help that his retired letter carrier dad (Fred MacMurray) hates dogs.

Not only was the film second to "Ben-Hur" in box-office grosses for 1959, but it also marked the big-screen debut of Mouseketeer Annette Funicello.

The Parent Trap (1961)

After scoring a hit in "Pollyanna" (1960), Hayley Mills' star soared even further thanks to this smash wherein she played estranged twins who meet up at summer camp and concoct a plan to get their divorced parents (Maureen O'Hara, Brian Keith) to reconcile. Mills even got to add pop star to her resume: Her song "Let's Get Together," a duet with herself, reached No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Lohan starred as the twins in the 1998 remake alongside Natasha Richardson and Dennis Quaid.

The Absent-Minded Professor (1961)

MacMurray followed his success as a sleazy womanizing boss in Billy Wilder's "The Apartment" (1960) with this wholesome laughfest about a chemistry teacher who creates a rubbery, gravity-defying substance called Flubber. The movie spawned an equally popular sequel, "Son of Flubber" (1962), and the 1997 remake "Flubber," starring Robin Williams.

That Darn Cat! (1965)

Dean Jones (in his Disney movie debut) teamed with Mills (in her Disney swan song) for this wild comedy about a cat named D.C. helping the FBI find a kidnapped bank teller. Did we mention Jones' FBI agent is allergic to cats? The movie also pokes fun at surfing movies like the ones former Disney star Funicello was making with Frankie Avalon. Jones also appeared in the 1997 Disney remake starring Christina Ricci and Doug E. Doug.

The Million Dollar Duck (1971)

This odd duck in the Disney canon featured Jones as Albert Dooley, a scientist who brings home a duck named Charley that can lay golden eggs. But is Charley's newfound talent a result of being exposed to X-rays or eating the applesauce made by Dooley's wife (Sandy Duncan)? Critics weren't egg-stactic, but kids ate it up, earning lots of green for Disney's coffers and Golden Globes nods for Jones and Duncan.

The North Avenue Irregulars (1979)

Disney's 100th live-action film featured a stellar cast (Edward Herrmann, Cloris Leachman, Barbara Harris, et al), chaos, car chases and crashes. The plot — inspired by real events in 1963 at a Presbyterian church in New Rochelle, New York — centered on a reverend and a group of church women who attempt to put an end to a local gambling ring. A total of 14 cars were destroyed in the demolition scene near the end. And watch out for Melora Hardin (Jan from TV's "The Office") at age 11 in her film debut as Herrmann's daughter.