''Francis Joins the WACS'' is a 1954 American

black-and-white Black-and-white (B&W or B/W) images combine black and white in a continuous spectrum, producing a range of shades of grey. Media The history of various visual media began with black and white, and as technology improved, altered to color. ...

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...

from

Universal-International Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Americ ...

, produced by

Ted Richmond Ted Richmond (June 10, 1910 – December 23, 2013) was an American film producer credited with 66 films between 1940 and 1979. He was born in New Bedford, Massachusetts. Richmond produced films for several studios including Universal Pictures, ...

, directed by

Arthur Lubin Arthur Lubin (July 25, 1898 – May 11, 1995) was an American film director and producer who directed several ''Abbott & Costello'' films, '' Phantom of the Opera'' (1943), the '' Francis the Talking Mule'' series and created the talking-horse TV ...

and starring

Donald O'Connor Donald David Dixon Ronald O'Connor (August 28, 1925 – September 27, 2003) was an American dancer, singer and actor. He came to fame in a series of films in which he co-starred with Gloria Jean, Peggy Ryan, and Francis the Talking Mule. His b ...

Julie Adams Julie Adams (born Betty May Adams; October 17, 1926 – February 3, 2019) was an American actress, billed as Julia Adams toward the beginning of her career, primarily known for her numerous television guest roles. She starred in a number of ...

ZaSu Pitts Zasu Pitts (; January 3, 1894 – June 7, 1963) was an American actress who starred in many silent dramas, including Erich von Stroheim's epic 1924 silent film ''Greed'', and comedies, transitioning successfully to mostly comedy films with the ...

Mamie Van Doren Mamie Van Doren (born Joan Lucille Olander; February 6, 1931) is an American actress, singer, and sex symbol. She is perhaps best known for the rock 'n' roll, juvenile delinquency exploitation film ''Untamed Youth'' (1957). Early life Van D ...

and Chill Wills in two roles, including that of the distinctive voice of Francis in

voice-over Voice-over (also known as off-camera or off-stage commentary) is a production technique where a voice—that is not part of the narrative (non- diegetic)—is used in a radio, television production, filmmaking, theatre, or other presentation ...

. This is the fifth film in Universal-International's

Francis the Talking Mule Francis the Talking Mule was a mule character who gained popularity during the 1950s as the star of seven popular Universal-International film comedies. The character originated in the 1946 novel ''Francis'' by former U.S. Army Captain David S ...

series.

Plot

A computer error mistakenly assigns junior officer Peter Stirling to the

Women's Army Corps The Women's Army Corps (WAC) was the women's branch of the United States Army. It was created as an auxiliary unit, the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) on 15 May 1942 and converted to an active duty status in the Army of the United States ...

. Peter's old friend Francis helps him through his various military and personal problems, including several familiar stays in the base's psychiatric ward.

Cast

as Peter Stirling *

as Captain Jane Parker (as Julia Adams) *

as Corporal Bunky Hilstrom * Chill Wills as General Benjamin Kaye / voice of Francis *

Lynn Bari Lynn Bari (born Marjorie Schuyler Fisher, December 18, 1919 – November 20, 1989) was a film actress who specialized in playing sultry, statuesque man-killers in roughly 150 films for 20th Century Fox, from the early 1930s through the 1940s. ...

as Major Louise Simpson *

as Lieutenant Valerie Humpert. Pitts played the same character in the first film of the series. *

Joan Shawlee Joan Shawlee (March 5, 1926 – March 22, 1987), nee Joan Fulton (and also credited sometimes under that name, such as in the film noir, Woman On The Run, 1950), was an American film and television actress. She is known for her recurring role i ...

as Sergeant Kipp * Allison Hayes as Lieutenant Dickson *

Mara Corday Mara Corday (born Marilyn Joan Watts; January 3, 1930) is an American showgirl, model, actress, ''Playboy'' Playmate, and 1950s cult figure. Early life Corday was born in Santa Monica, California. Wanting a career in films, she came to Hollywoo ...

as Kate *Karen Kadler as Marge *Elsie Holmes as Bessie

Production

Donald O'Connor's contract with Universal had expired, so there was some doubt that he would reprise his role before he agreed to make another film. Leonard Goldstein did not return as producer, being replaced by

. Although ''Francis Joins the WACS'' was announced in late 1952, filming did not start until February 1954.

Reception

According to ''Variety'' the film outgrossed the second, third and fourth in the Francis series.

Home media

Universal released all seven Francis films as a set on three Region 1 and Region 4 DVDs, ''Francis the Talking Mule: The Complete Collection.''

References

External links

* *
Review of film
at Variety {{Arthur Lubin 1954 films 1950s fantasy comedy films American black-and-white films Films directed by Arthur Lubin Films scored by Henry Mancini Films scored by Frank Skinner Military humor in film Universal Pictures films Films about the United States Army American fantasy comedy films 1954 comedy films Films about donkeys 1950s English-language films 1950s American films