Francis (1950 film)
| Francis | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Directed by | Arthur Lubin |
| Produced by | Robert Arthur |
| Written by |
David Stern III Dorothy Reid (uncredited) |
| Based on | the novel by David Stern |
| Starring |
Donald O'Connor Patricia Medina |
| Cinematography | Irving Glassberg |
|
Production
company |
Universal Pictures
|
| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
|
Release date
|
8 February 1950 (New Orleans) |
|
Running time
|
91 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $2.9 million (US rentals) |
Francis is a 1950 American comedy film from Universal Pictures that launched the Francis the Talking Mule film series. Francis is produced by Robert Arthur, directed by Arthur Lubin, and stars Donald O'Connor and Patricia Medina. The distinctive voice of Francis is a voice-over by actor Chill Wills.
Six Francis sequels from Universal-International followed this first effort.
During World War II, a junior American Army officer, Lt. Peter Stirling, gets sent to the psychiatric ward whenever he insists that an Army mule named Francis speaks to him.
Second Lieutenant Peter Stirling (Donald O'Connor) is caught behind Japanese lines in Burma during World War II. Francis, a talking Army mule (voiced by Chill Wills), carries him to safety. When Stirling insists that the animal rescued him, he is placed in a psychiatric ward. Each time Stirling is released, he accomplishes something noteworthy (at the instigation of Francis), and each time he is sent back to the psych ward when he insists on crediting the talking mule. Finally, Stirling is able to convince General Stevens (John McIntire) that he is not crazy, and he and the general become the only ones aware of Francis' secret. In an effort to get himself released from the psych ward, Stirling asks Stevens to order Francis to speak, but the mule will not obey until it becomes clear that Stirling will be arrested for treason if he remains silent.
During one of his enforced hospital stays, he is befriended by Maureen Gelder (Patricia Medina), a beautiful French refugee. He grows to trust her and tells her about Francis. Later, a propaganda radio broadcast from Tokyo Rose mocks the Allies for being advised by a mule. This leads to the suspicion of Stirling or Maureen being a Japanese agent. The press is later informed that the absurd mule story was concocted in order to flush out the spy, and with Francis' help, the real culprit is identified.
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Wikipedia