Francis the Talking Mule

Francis and Pvt. Stirling

Thanks to Curt Mekemson for jogging my memory about Francis the Talking Mule!!

This 2 minute trailer for Francis explains far more than I can in words – watch and enjoy!!

Francis the Talking Mule was a  character who became a celebrity during the 1950s as the star of seven popular film comedies. The character originated in the 1946 novel Francis by former U.S. Army Captain David Stern III (1909–2003), son of newspaper publisher J. David Stern.

After another studio turned down the property, Universal bought the rights for a film series, with Stern adapting his own script for the first entry, simply titled Francis. Sammy McKee, a common sole, was the inspiration for Francis. A layman from Cincinnati, his wit and demeanor were only duplicated. It could not be replicated.

Francis the Talking Mule

 “Francis ” is produced by Robert Arthur, directed by Arthur Lubin, and stars Donald O’Connor…