Francis Covers the Big Town
It's Brand NEW and it's all Hilarious!
1953 | 86m | English
Popularity: 0.5 (history)
| Director: | Arthur Lubin |
|---|---|
| Writer: | Oscar Brodney |
| Staring: |
| A man who has a talking mule gets a job on a newspaper, and both get mixed up in a murder trial. | |
| Release Date: | Jun 10, 1953 |
|---|---|
| Director: | Arthur Lubin |
| Writer: | Oscar Brodney |
| Genres: | Family, Comedy, Fantasy, Adventure, Romance, Crime |
| Keywords | judge, gangster, trial, big city, police officer, district attorney, ex soldier, psychotronic film, police, gun, gang leader, b movie, informant, gang member, hoodlum, 1950s, chauffeur, italian, horse, gang, investigator, gossip, newspaper editor, police inspector, newspaper, slang, investigation, jury, thug, henchman, mule, boyfriend girlfriend relationship, new york city, chase, narration, sequel, doctor, held at gunpoint, courtroom, newspaper reporter |
| Production Companies | Universal International Pictures |
| Box Office |
Revenue: $0
Budget: $0 |
| Updates |
Updated: Aug 09, 2025 (Update) Entered: Apr 27, 2024 |
| Name | Character |
|---|---|
| Donald O'Connor | Peter Stirling |
| Yvette Duguay | Maria Scola |
| Gene Lockhart | Tom Henderson |
| Nancy Guild | Alberta Ames |
| William Harrigan | Inspector Hansen |
| Silvio Minciotti | Salvatore Scola |
| Lowell Gilmore | Jefferson "JG" Garnet |
| Larry Gates | Dan Austin |
| Hanley Stafford | Dr. Goodrich |
| Gale Gordon | Evans |
| Forrest Lewis | Judge Stanley |
| Chill Wills | Francis (as Franis the Talking Mule) |
| Charles Flynn | Jones |
| Name | Job |
|---|---|
| Milton Carruth | Editor |
| Carl E. Guthrie | Cinematography |
| Bernard Herzbrun | Art Direction |
| Richard H. Riedel | Art Direction |
| Russell A. Gausman | Set Decoration |
| Ruby R. Levitt | Set Decoration |
| Leslie I. Carey | Sound |
| Joan St. Oegger | Hairstylist |
| Robert Pritchard | Sound |
| Joseph Gershenson | Music Director |
| Rosemary Odell | Costume Design |
| David S. Horsley | Special Effects |
| Oscar Brodney | Writer |
| David Stern | Characters |
| Arthur Lubin | Director |
| Bud Westmore | Makeup Artist |
| Name | Title |
|---|---|
| Leonard Goldstein | Producer |
| Organization | Category | Person |
|---|
Popularity History
| Year | Month | Avg | Max | Min |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 2 |
| 2024 | 5 | 5 | 11 | 2 |
| 2024 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 1 |
| 2024 | 7 | 5 | 15 | 1 |
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| 2024 | 10 | 3 | 8 | 1 |
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| 2024 | 12 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
| 2025 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 1 |
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| 2025 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2025 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Trending Position
<em>'Francis Covers the Big Town'</em> drags on a fair bit, with that said it's marginally better than two of its three predecessors. The lack of an army-related plot is a big plus, with a visit to New York City as a wannabe journalist making for a decent storyline. As noted, it does lose steam a ... s the 85 minute or so run time ticks on, but I prefer this entry to 1950's <em>'Francis'</em> and 1952's <em>'Francis Goes to West Point'</em>. Donald O'Connor - even though his character is made a tad more unlikeable here, intentionally so I presume - remains the only cast member worth talking about; well, alongside voice actor Chill Wills, I guess. Just the three films left to watch from this series...