FRANCIS IN THE HAUNTED HOUSE (1956)

Francis series regulars Donald O'Connor and Chill Wills and series director Arthur Lubin didn’t appear in this film. Why? I have no clue. I wish I did know, but I don’t.

The film opens with two men tumbling a boulder down a hill overlooking a secluded road. The boulder hits a passing car and kills the driver. The murder is witnessed by none other than our old buddy Francis the shit talking mule. Francis calls a dude (Mickey Rooney) who used to ride Francis when he was a kid and Francis lived on the boy’s uncle’s farm. What the fuck? Why does it have to be so complicated? Anyway, this dude, David Prescott, is nearly as bumbling as Peter Stirling was and within just a few hours of Francis telling him about the murder…David’s arrested for the murder himself! Fucking idiot. Eventually, David escapes from police custody with the help of Francis and they go creeping around the bowels of a local haunted castle looking to solve the murder themselves. That sounds more exciting than it actually was.

When I first heard the name FRANCIS IN THE HAUNTED HOUSE I was like "Whoa, Francis versus a bunch of ghosts! That's awesome!" I was picturing all kinds of wacky Scooby-Doo hijinks with snippets of THE GHOST IN THE INVISIBLE BIKINI and GHOST OF DRAGSTRIP HOLLOW added into the mix. Maybe even some damsels in need of saving. But nope, no ghosts or ghouls or bloodthirsty apes, hell, not even a lot of Francis. At least a not enough for me.

Weak story, uninspired script, okay acting, impressive supporting cast full of familiar faces including Richard Deacon, Timothy Carey, David Janssen (in his third Francis series appearance) and William Boyett (who you probably remember from 1987's THE HIDDEN), boring action scenes, zero substantial female roles. FRANCIS IN THE HAUNTED HOUSE is an alright film. I wanted to like the movie more than I did, but the whole thing just left me wanting more and never getting it. Worth watching for completionists, but that's about it.

Part 1 - Francis (1950)
Part 2 - Francis Goes to the Races (1951)
Part 3 - Francis Goes to West Point (1952)
Part 4 - Francis Covers the Big Town (1953)
Part 5 - Francis Joins the WACS (1954)
Part 6 - Francis in the Navy (1955)

FRANCIS IN THE NAVY (1955)

“Boy idiot” Peter is now an Army officer (Satan only knows how that happened!) and when he gets word that his ol’ buddy Francis is about to be sold in a military auction, he rushes to go save him. Unfortunately, some Navy people see Peter and mistake him for a Navy sailor by the name of Slicker who’s always running off to slide his slick penis into somebody. So, thinking that they are saving their friend, they capture Slicker / Peter and take him back to the Navy base where he’s tossed into the mental ward. Yet again.

One thing that confuses me about the Francis series is why didn't the filmmakers ever try to liven things up? It's literally the same weakass story told over and over with very little change. By this 6th installment the jokes are running thin, but yet, the idea of a talking mule still makes me smile. I legit laughed out loud when Francis started bidding on himself during the auction. The dude (Chill Wills) who does Francis' voice does an excellent job. I honestly wish all of the movies were more about Francis and less about Peter, but whatever. It is what it is.

Quick pace, dumb as hell story, Francis talking shit, Peter being so stupid that I don’t even know how he stays alive, a strong supporting cast (including a lil’ baby Clint Eastwood), a few scenes of Peter hugging Francis (I really enjoy the scenes of them being loving towards each other), vintage cars, zero nudity, vintage clothing and best of all: in the final scene it shows Francis and Peter together. That was sweet.

Overall, FRANCIS IN THE NAVY (or "Francis Join's the Navy" as that one confused newspaper ad below says) is an alright film. Probably one of the better ones of the series, but that isn't saying much since none of them really stand out. That said, I got a few giggles out of this installment.

Part 1 - Francis (1950)
Part 2 - Francis Goes to the Races (1951)
Part 3 - Francis Goes to West Point (1952)
Part 4 - Francis Covers the Big Town (1953)
Part 5 - Francis Joins the WACS (1954)
Part 7 - Francis in the Haunted House (1956)