Francis (1950) Reviews

• Francis and Donald, just plain fun

  nmayers2004-05-07

  No great art here, just lots and lots of fun. Donald O'Connor's Peter Stirling is endearing, sweet, gullible, and the perfect foil for the acerbic mule who has been called, among other things, Groucho on a bad day. O'Connor was always a top-notch comedien -- he had the ability to render an innocent word or phrase hilarious with an unexpected inflection or the lift of an eyebrow. O'Connor doesn't showcase his extraordinary dancing abilities in this series (more's the pity), but we are definitely treated to the eternally young looking actor's gifts as an actor and comedien. If you can talk your children into sitting through at least ten minutes of any of the movies in the Francis series, they'll be hooked -- and they might just gain appreciation for the talents of a bygone era. The comedy and pacing in "Francis" is slower than today's rapid fire movies, but once introduced, children -- and adults -- generally love them. I know I do!

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• Pure Entertainment

  ubootsmann2005-06-14

  JoeKarlosi, if you didn't like this movie, then you most certainly won't like the remainder of the series. I grew up watching the entire Francis series, as well as the Ma and Pa Kettle movies. The object of these movies was nothing more than entertainment. In that vein, the directors did quite well. This includes Francis Joins the WACs, Francis Joines the Navy, and Francis at the Races. Sit back, clear your mind, and enjoy the movies. View them as nothing but mind candy. Thinking is not required. In today's era of mega-budget movies with dark overtones, these are quite refreshing. Think back to the days of our youth, when we were concerned not with the problems of the world, but with how to spend that quarter burning a hole in your pocket.

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• A horse is a horse of course, but Francis is more than a mule...

  swedensm2003-09-28

  I remember watching this movie as a young child, and it is one of my sweetest memories. I used to rush to eat my dinner (or not eat at all) so I could sit in front of the television for the Sunday Matinée, which always played family movies. The Francis series is one of my favorites. Who could resist a talking mule (particularly with that squeaky-gate voice supplied by veteran actor Chill Wills) or the innocent face of Donald O'Connor as they're coming to take him away one more time (for insisting that the mule could speak)? Not this child. One of the best all-time children's series of the post WW2 era -- one I would share with any child -- or anyone who is a child at heart.

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• A Mule Wiser Than the General

  LA_Songs2005-05-31

  A young soldier Peter Stirling was saved from the Bermese jungles in war time by a talking mule, but nobody believed him until the intelligence information from the mule saved the whole base from Japanese bombers. The truthful soldier Stirling didn't know how to lie about his source of information, the talking army Mule, Francis, so he was treated as a lunatic and led to one after another hilarious situations where the mule is the only one that appears sane. In the process of all this, the mule assisted in uncovering a spy, Mareen, who pretended to be lost among the jungles, but was actually... Perfect family film, even amusing to the adults. If people all have enough sense as this talking mule does, the world will be a much better place than its present condition.

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• Endearing family entertainment

  szekeong1232005-06-03

  It is not hard to see why this film was so popular when it was released theatrically, and easy to understand why it failed to create a new generation of fans. Apparently, it is not a film worthy of being a classic, since there is nothing special about this film. In fact, it is inferior to a similarly-themed family classic released in the same year, "Harvey", starring James Stewart. In both films, the central character is accused of being mentally unsound for communicating with animals. Still, this is a well-made movie with reasonably good writing and direction, featuring talented casts which elevated the film. In particular, Donald O'Connor displayed as much acting range here as James Stewart did in "Harvey". Both of them have this rare ability to emit boyish innocence, something which is even rarer nowadays. Best known for his comedic second-banana performance and exuberant dancing in "Singin' in the Rain", he has the opportunity to display his dramatic acting ability that is sadly overlooked. This film is definitely a good option if you want to have an enjoyable time with the young children.

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