Francis the Talking Mule Collection

Mickey Rooney

Virginia Welles

James Flavin

Olan Soule

Paul Cavanagh

Mary Ellen Kay

David Janssen

Ralph Dumke

Richard Gaines

Dick Winslow

Charles Horvath

Timothy Carey

Helen Wallace

Edward Earle

John Maxwell

Glen Kramer

Paul Frees

Charles Lamont

David Stern

Joan St. Oegger

Herbert H. Margolis

William Raynor

Jay A. Morley Jr.

Clifford Stine

Bud Westmore

Ruby R. Levitt

Richard H. Riedel

Leslie I. Carey

Joseph Gershenson

Robert Arthur

Russell A. Gausman

Robert Pritchard

Alexander Golitzen

Phil Bowles

George Robinson

Milton Carruth

Fantasy

Comedy

Horror

Francis in the Haunted House

Universal International Pictures

United States of America

This series should've ended after the exits of Donald O'Connor, Arthur Lubin and Chill Wills.

That's not to say that this is any worse than what that trio created together though; I'd say 'Francis in the Haunted House' is better than 'Francis Goes to West Point', in fact.

Mickey Rooney is actually a fairly decent replacement for O'Connor, though it never feels right that the other geezer isn't involved; it's his lead spot, for better or worse. No-one else on the cast sticks out - if I had to pick one: James Flavin.

Finally, six follow-ups later: the end of the 'Francis' series. An interesting (?) time capsule, given the amount of sequels, from the early 1950s, but a series that never quite reaches a positive level in my eyes. 'Francis Goes to the Races' is comfortably the best one (relative, as still not good), the rest will be forgotten.

English