Francis Covers the Big Town (1953)
1h 26m | PG-13
A man who has a talking mule gets a job on a newspaper, and both get mixed up in a murder trial.
Director: Arthur Lubin
Studio: Universal International Pictures
Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Crime, Family, Fantasy, Romance
Video: 720p
Cast
Donald O'Connor
as Peter Stirling
Yvette Duguay
as Maria Scola
Gene Lockhart
as Tom Henderson
Nancy Guild
as Alberta Ames
William Harrigan
as Inspector Hansen
Silvio Minciotti
as Salvatore Scola
Reviews
<em>'Francis Covers the Big Town'</em> drags on a fair bit, with that said it's marginally better than two of its three predecessors. The lack of an army-related plot is a big plus, with a visit to New York City as a wannabe journalist making for a decent storyline. As noted, it does lose steam as the 85 minute or so run time ticks on, but I prefer this entry to 1950's <em>'Francis'</em> and 1952's <em>'Francis Goes to West Point'</em>. Donald O'Connor - even though his character is made a tad more unlikeable here, intentionally so I presume - remains the only cast member worth talking about; well, alongside voice actor Chill Wills, I guess. Just the three films left to watch from this series...