Francis in the Navy
| Francis in the Navy | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release half-sheet display poster | |
| Directed by | Arthur Lubin |
| Produced by | Stanley Rubin |
| Written by |
Devery Freeman David Stern |
| Starring |
Donald O'Connor Martha Hyer |
| Music by |
Irving Gertz (uncredited) William Lava (uncredited) |
| Cinematography | Carl E. Guthrie |
| Edited by |
Milton Carruth Ray Snyder |
Production company |
Universal Pictures |
| Distributed by | Universal-International |
Release date |
|
Running time | 80 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Francis in the Navy is a 1955 American black-and-white comedy film from Universal-International, produced by Stanley Rubin and directed by Arthur Lubin. The film stars Donald O'Connor and Martha Hyer, and marked the first credited film role of Clint Eastwood.[1] The distinctive voice of Francis is a voice-over by actor Chill Wills.
This is the sixth film in Universal-International Francis the Talking Mule series.
Plot
U. S. Army officer Lt. Peter Sterling gets mistaken for his lookalike in the U. S. Navy, Bosun's Mate 'Slicker' Donevan, and as a result gets promptly shipped to Donevan's base. With his old pal Francis, Sterling continues his military career misadventures, this time in the Navy.
Cast
- Donald O'Connor as Peter Stirling/Bosun's Mate 'Slicker' Donevan
- Martha Hyer as Betsy Donevan
- Richard Erdman as Murph
- Jim Backus as Commander E.T. Hutch
- Clint Eastwood as Jonesy
- David Janssen as Lieutenant Anders
- Leigh Snowden as Nurse Appleby
- Martin Milner as W.T. 'Rick' Rickson
- Paul Burke as Tate
- Myrna Hansen as Helen
- Phil Garris as Tony Stover
Production
Donald O'Connor was reluctant to make the film but agreed to do one more at the request of his daughter[2](in addition to a financial inducement from Universal studio head Edward Muhl).[3]
The film was partially shot at the U. S. Navy base in Coronado California, not far from downtown San Diego.[4]
Stanley Rubin was producer on the film.[5]
Video releases
The original film, Francis (1950), was released in 1978 as one of the first-ever titles in the new LaserDisc format, DiscoVision Catalog #22-003.[6] It was then re-issued on LaserDisc in May 1994 by MCA/Universal Home Video (Catalog #: 42024) as part of an Encore Edition Double Feature with Francis Goes to the Races (1951).
The first two Francis films were released again in 2004 by Universal Pictures on Region 1 and Region 4 DVD, along with the next two in the series, as The Adventures of Francis the Talking Mule Vol. 1. Several years later, Universal released all 7 Francis films as a set on three Region 1 and Region 4 DVDs, Francis The Talking Mule: The Complete Collection.
See also
References
Citations
- ↑ Eliot (2009), p. 35
- ↑ Ava Gardner Gets Mail in Havana The Washington Post and Times Herald (1954-1959) [Washington, D.C] 20 Aug 1954: 58.
- ↑ Donald O'Connor Scheduled for Another 'Francis' Film Hopper, Hedda. Chicago Daily Tribune (1923-1963) [Chicago, Ill] 18 Oct 1954: b16.
- ↑ Louella Parsons: Martha Scott Signs With C.B. The Washington Post and Times Herald (1954-1959) [Washington, D.C] 07 Mar 1955: 26.
- ↑ HOLLYWOOD HAILS 'OSCAR' CEREMONY: Film Industry Calls TV Event Best Paced in Three Years --Award Given to Garbo By THOMAS M. PRYOR Special to The New York Times.. New York Times (1923-Current file) [New York, N.Y] 01 Apr 1955: 24.
- ↑ (The DiscoVision Library)
Bibliography
- Eliot, Marc (2009). American Rebel: The Life of Clint Eastwood. Harmony Books. ISBN 978-0-307-33688-0.