Francis in the Navy

With Francis In The Navy Donald O'Connor called it quits with the Francis The Talking Mule series. I guess he decided to call it quits playing second fiddle to a talking jackass. And Chill Wills as the voice of Francis also sad adieu to said mule. The final Francis film would have Mickey Rooney and Paul Frees as the voice of Francis.

In this film Donald O'Connor gets a message from his friend Francis that he's been stuck in the Navy in San Diego and about to be sold as surplus at an auction. O'Connor goes to San Diego but finds he's continually mistaken for a sailor who is a dead ringer for army lieutenant O'Connor. It's only the beginning of the Comedy Of Errors situation with both O'Connor and another non-talking mule who looks like Francis.

So Donald O'Connor gives us two roles for the price of one her. I have to say that it got a little weird and freaky when army O'Connor starts romancing Martha Hyer who is a navy nurse and sister to navy O'Connor. She probably thought so to, both Hyer and her character.

A lot of familiar names who later made a mark on the small screen show up in Francis In The Navy. In the cast are Jim Backus, Paul Burke, David Janssen, and most of all Clint Eastwood who's height makes him hard to miss.

So with 2 for 1 O'Connors Francis In The Navy is a slight somewhat amusing service comedy which should give its viewers some laughs.

Not only can this mule talk, but he can act!!! How did they ever teach him to act so well? Its amazing. You never see any decent acting mules in today's movies, let alone one that can act.

"Francis in the Navy" showcases the titular mule at his best, proving that Francis is not only a scene-stealer but also an essential part of the film's charm. His legacy is not just that of a humorous animal sidekick but as an iconic character who broke the mold for how animals were portrayed on screen. Francis's performance in this film is a testament to the creativity and ingenuity of classic Hollywood entertainment.

This is the sixth and final film of the series produced by Universal that included Donald O'Connor, and director Arthur Lubin, who created the sequence. It would be charitable to state that this entry is up to the best of its antecedents, as O'Connor's tongue-tied routine as the chowderheaded sidekick of Francis the talking mule has become rather exhausting for audiences by the time of this release. Army lieutenant Peter Stirling (O'Connor) is advised by Francis that the mule has been "drafted" into the Navy and is positioned as surplus to be auctioned at the Coronado (Calif.) base. While attempting to regain Francis' freedom, Peter is mistaken for a lookalike bosn's mate, Slicker Donovan, is captured by the Shore Patrol and must then reestablish his correct identity while disinvolving himself from various examples of pulchritude with which the rakish Slicker has supplied him by default through their personality exchange. These latter include several of the studio's most highly considered contract starlets, including Martha Hyer, Leigh Snowden and Myrna Hansen, with the always enjoyable Virginia O'Brien attempting a comeback of sorts while restricted to a single scene. The ever efficient Lubin obtains maximum mileage from the dual performance of O'Connor, who stated after the film's completion that he found troubling the larger volume of fan mail received by the mule when compared with his own. Perhaps more telling is the failure of the popular actor to develop his character, a lack made clear by his adroit variant as Slicker. There is also a significant reduction in the use of Francis, and the minimal dialogue given to Chill Wills (his voice) lacks wit and is consequently delivered with scant spirit. Contributing most to the movie's potential appeal are early appearances of subsequently well-known actors, including Paul Burke, David Janssen, Martin Milner and, in his first credited role, Clint Eastwood. Despite the potentially interesting identity crisis involving O'Connor's two roles, it is plain that termination of involvement in the series by the director and star is a move to guard against further erosion of the lead characters' appeal

Just so sleepy at this point.

Even for the time, 'Francis in the Navy' being the sixth 'Francis' film in five years must've been boring as heck. Not that it's a new development, because they arguably all are, but these really are a tedious watch at this point. Francis is again, oddly, in the background.

Despite one more production in 1956, Donald O'Connor decided this was the time to bow out of the series. He does so in relative style, given he portrays two characters - albeit to lame effect, for what it's worth. Clint Eastwood is the pick of the support cast, if only due to who he has since become. He is a little wooden, in what is his first credited role.

I'm actually minorly intrigued to check out 'Francis in the Haunted House' due to somewhat of a mass exodus, with O'Connor, director Arthur Lubin and Francis voice actor Chill Wills all not appearing. Could it be a slight breath of fresh air? I'm leaning the other way, but we'll see.

Romance is hardly at a premium here. Martha Hyer,theso-called leading lady,cannot even touch Donald O'Connor with a 10-foot pole because she is his "sister". O'Connor is a lookalike for a Navy deserter,so the MP's waste no time plucking him off t eh street and throwing him in the brig.

The commander is Jim Backus, who is addled enough to Mr. Magoo several years early---no hope from that quarter.

Francis has been sold at auction as a lab test animal---they use him to measure seasickness levels in humans,He's still more comfortable than O'Connor---who has to live up to his double's reputation as a ladies man and a champion athlete.

The double wants to call it off when :War Games" are announced,so he doesn't miss the action. But Slicker is out cold in the infirmary that day,thanks to O'Connor.

Clint Eastwood has a negligable early role,but you can play "Hey,isn't that?" with at least half a dozen other people;especially if you're a Three Stooges fan.